Stepping into a pair of water skis and getting out on the river. It may look refreshing, but for the Backwater Gamblers water skiers it's not much escape from the sizzling heat.
Triple digits temperatures make it hot enough for outdoor activities. How about adding a wet suit onto that. A quarter inch of padding makes for a lot of extra heat and even on the river skiers say it's still pretty toasty.
Ahead of the show Wednesday night the Backwater Gamblers skiers organized their skis, ropes, and costumes as the crowd trickled in. "We're sitting in the shade. These guys are out in the sun inside that wetsuit," said announcer Mark Poulos.
One skier says in 105 degree heat the wet suits make it feel more like 135 degrees and, lot of times, they add another layer of costume on top of that. "They do keep us warm when it's cold and also keep us really warm when it's hot. They're basically a neoprene rubber. You put them on and they start to retain the heat inside so they do heat up," said 16-year veteran Randy Thompson.
They hit the water building a pyramid, ballet line, or landing a jump. Skiers say a majority of their acts, if done right, they don't get very wet. But sometimes it is called for in order to cool off. "We might jump in the water every now and then and get cool or spray off with the hose," said 25-year veteran Mindy Becker. Becker says the team watches out for each other. The breeze helps and everyone takes different measures to keep from over heating.
"We try to stay in the shade, watch out for each other, tell everyone to drink a lot of water," said Becker.
High temperatures have never caused the team to cancel, only floods and storms. Team members have a "show must go on" kind of attitude. "In a downpour the show will go on. We just hope people will come out and brave the heat," added Thompson, "We always say it's the best kept secret in the Quad Cities."
The skiers say the heat has had a little bit of an impact this year on the crowds but, with plenty of shade on the bleachers, plenty of turned out to Wednesday night's performance.
The excitement isn't just on skis, it's also in the boat. Driver Brint Burrill has been chosen for the USA Water Ski Team and will soon participate in the World competition. The Backwater Gamblers free ski shows continue every Wednesday and Sunday until Labor Day weekend.
