The Lebanon Water Festival is hosting the second Water Ski Show in Tyre. On September 20th, at 7 p.m., the Cypress Garden Water Ski Team will perform a night show in front of the ancient Phoenician ruins, followed by a colorful fireworks display. On September 21st at 3 p.m., the Lebanese Team that has trained with Lebanon Water Festival and Cypress Garden will end the weekend with a day water ski show.
For some of the skiers in the Cypress Gardens Team, performing in Lebanon have become a yearly tradition, while for others, it’s their first time performing along our coast, which means new performances and skills!
Co-founder of the Lebanon Water Festival, World and European Water Ski Champion from 1953 to 1963, Mr. Simon Khoury was the director and choreographer of the Cypress Garden Professional Water Ski Show from 1954-1964.
Since 1964, the Cypress Garden Team continues to come to Lebanon to ski on our waters and provide the Lebanese with a diverse water ski show that many have not seen in the bays and clubs throughout Lebanon and the Middle East.
Mr. Khoury is excited for the Cypress Garden Team to come here and hopes that the partnership between the American team and Lebanese Team continues to flourish.
“The reason I invite the people from Cypress Gardens is because the ten years that I spent there have marked my whole life for the better. We have established many friends and partnerships in the states,” said Khoury.
The various acts that the skiers will perform require technique and skills that are accumulated after years of practice. Many who watch the show, think the acts the skiers are doing are easy and effortless, but it’s far from the truth. When the acts look effortless, it means the skiers are highly skilled in what they are doing.
In both the night and day show, there will be a mix of various water ski routines that will look easy and simple to the spectators, but in reality, require a highly technical and coordinated team.
There will be a combination of flag routines, kite, barefoot, ballet, wakeboard and swivels! These acts are not only difficult for a skier, but they are also bringing another level of risk and danger to the skier.
There are a total of 13 water skiers who are renowned International Water Ski Champions (see exhibit for their names and titles).
Lebanese Team for Tyr are:
1. Sarah Sabrawi
2. AlexandreNour
3. Francois Nour
4. EdouardNour
Additional Lebanese will be entering the Dbayeh water ski show
Some of the acts the skiers perform are dangerous because of the different elements such as speed, number of performers and. Here are some of the acts that can give an additional risk to any skier performing one of them.
- Kite: The Skier will glide through the air making gentle arcs and swirls while landing in front of the crowd. The Skier will glide as high as 70 meters in the air.
- Front barefoot take balance and skill. Skiers step out of their ski and barefoot at over 40 miles per hour. As the skiers pick up speed, the surface of the water turns into cement!
- Freestyle Jumping: This act will include three skiers who criss cross one another on the ramp with a 360 degree helicopter spins and turns. This is one of the most dangerous acts throughout the show.
- Star Doubles: This act combines poise, agility, and style. While being towed by a strap around his waist in order to keep his hands free, the male lifts his partner up over his shoulders to perform moves that are similar to a doubles figure skating. The couple needs to perform this act gracefully while also maintaining balance and structure.
EXHIBIT 1:
There are a total of 13 water skiers who are renowned International Water Ski Champions coming from the Cypress Gardens Team
1.Nadeau BeuleyCalhrine: Cypress Garden Water Ski Team
2.Jenna Stroeble: Cypress Garden Water Ski Team
3. Gerald Luiting: Cypress Gardens Show Director with 38 years experience and member of the 2012 World Ski Show Championship Team
4. Austin Todd Watsrad: Cypress Garden Water Ski Team
5. Sam Conen: Cypress Garden Water Ski Team
6. Eric Benjamin Stener : Cypress Garden Water Ski Team
7. Shauna Marie Pasanen: World Show Ski Champion and all around skier (barefoot, jump, shoe ski, swivel, back barefoot etc.)
8. Cathy Anne Luiting: 31 years of show skiing experience and member of 2012 World Ski Show Championship Team
9. Kelly Lyn Nemec: Winner at the National Show Ski Tournament 2013 and the selected member of USA World Ski Team for 2014
10. Jeremy David Armstrong: Selected member of USA World Ski Team for 2014 and three times recipient of the Best Male Skier at the Sino-American Competition
11. Mark Robert Voisard: 43 years of Show Skiing and ranked 3rd in World Cup Kite Flying in 1983
12. Travis Voisard : Second generation water skier and 2nd place all around, all American tournament
13. Joseph Sawaska: Selected Member of the USA World Ski Team for 2012 and 2014
The Cypress Gardens Team and the Lebanese Team will continue to train for the two weeks leading up to the finale Water Ski show at La Marina in Dbayeh on the 27th and 28th of September.
In 2012, over 12,000 people gathered in Tyre from all areas to watch an entertaining and visually appealing show. We are expecting more spectators to watch the show from both on shore and off shore! Come spend a water ski filled weekend with the Lebanon Water Festival on September 20th and 21st.