Just in time for the start of summer, Lake Delton has been refilled — and is once again providing a slick surface for Tommy Bartlett‘s iconic water ski show in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. The massive lake vanished last June 9 when it broke through a dam and drained away in less than three hours. There was no water, and no water ski shows for the rest of 2008.
According to a report on WISC-TV, Friday’s opening performance was attended by 1,400 water-daredevil-starved spectators, and heralded as a “tremendous sight” by Tommy Bartlett’s president. In memory of the event, admission to the shows this coming June 9 will be free. Tommy Bartlett’s has taken a lemons-into-lemonade stance, stating that last year’s calamity energized the town into re-making the lake as “a revitalized resource that is more pristine, more boat-able, more swim-able, and more fish-able.” And just as ski-able.
FWIW, the dam was just fine — the water broke through a narrow piece of land somewhat north of the dam! Personally, I’m kind of intrigued that officials chose to “rebuild the land” rather than allow the water to flow through its “new” channel. ???
According to a report on WISC-TV, Friday’s opening performance was attended by 1,400 water-daredevil-starved spectators, and heralded as a “tremendous sight” by Tommy Bartlett’s president. In memory of the event, admission to the shows this coming June 9 will be free. Tommy Bartlett’s has taken a lemons-into-lemonade stance, stating that last year’s calamity energized the town into re-making the lake as “a revitalized resource that is more pristine, more boat-able, more swim-able, and more fish-able.” And just as ski-able.
July 7th, 2009 at 11:30 am
FWIW, the dam was just fine — the water broke through a narrow piece of land somewhat north of the dam! Personally, I’m kind of intrigued that officials chose to “rebuild the land” rather than allow the water to flow through its “new” channel. ???