Wednesday July 13, “Walking Lake Pepin” walkers met at Ohuta Park to welcome and celebrate the Ralph Samuelson stature that was dedicated on July 2, 2022 at 4:11 pm, 100 years from Ralph’s first successful attempt of water skiing on Lake Pepin.
John Hutchinson from Destination Lake City (DLC) joined the group and shared stories of Ralph and his early attempts at waterskiing. Ralph believed if you could ski on snow you could ski on water and by trial and error made it happen 100 years ago.
John also shared how Ralph made no fortune on his achievement or skills. He spent a few years after 1922 performing in Minnesota, Michigan and Florida but eventually he came back to Minnesota to farm.
Destination Lake City is a non-profit group who’s mission is to work with city stakeholders to make Lake City a vibrant place to live, work, play, and visit.
At the end of 2021 they set out to have the statue designed, built and dedicated by the 100th anniversary of Ralph Samuelson’s invention of water skiing. With the help of generous community donors DLC made it happen.
While the WLP walkers were at the park a visitor form Iowa approached the group and asked what we were doing at the park. The group pointed to the statue and asked if she knew who he was. She did not, so the WLP group told her the Ralph Samuelson story.
The visitor commented that she had heard about Lake City and water skiing but thought it was marketing gimmick. Now she knows who Ralph Samuelson is and that Lake City is the one and only “Birthplac3 of Waterskiing!”
Walking Lake Pepin will meet next week for a group walk on Wednesday July 20 at the Villa Maria on Wabasha County 2 at 6:30 pm. All are welcome. Questions? Contact Patty Svien 345-4383.
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