history

The Peoria Ski-Kats
Club History

To date, the Ski-Kats Boat & Ski Club, Inc. established and chartered as a non-profit organization by the State of Illinois, is one of the oldest recorded ski clubs in the state of Illinois.

The club was formed by an avid group of young water skiers who wanted to share and promote the sport of water skiing, through group participation, exhibitions, tournaments, shows, and associated recreational activities.

After several years of contending with the Illinois River and its constant fluctuation, the club leased a strip mine lake 35 miles southwest of Peoria near Canton, IL. Development and maintenance of the site is an on-going requirement, shared by all of the members.

Throughout the year the club sponsors several skiing tournaments (open to the public and club members), consisting of slalom, trick, jump, barefoot, kneeboarding, and wakeboarding. Along with these tournaments we have sponsored many Illinois State Barefoot Championship, Midwest Regional Barefoot Championship, and novice slalom & kneeboard tournaments (INT League) sanctioned by the International Water Sports Organization. The club periodically has a Show-Ski Division aimed at developing and presenting water ski shows for presentation to other people.

Members of the Ski-Kats Boat & Ski Club are dedicated to the overall promotion of water skiing through participation as a competitor, boat driver, judge, cook, trophy maker or whatever unseen, thankless jobs that need to be done, for the benefit of the club.