Lake Of The Ozarks Boating In The 1970s: Chrome, Ski Shows, And A Brand-New Kind Of Boat

The 1970s was the heyday of ski shows at Lake of the Ozarks; meanwhile behind the scenes, innovators and entrepreneurs were shaping the future of family boating.

The decade saw huge changes in the mood and political philosophy of America, but not a lot of change in the lives of everyday working Americans. Politics became distasteful to many, and some voters became disillusioned. With Nixon’s election, the vocal minority came up against the “Silent Majority.” The conflict in Vietnam became less popular and unsustainable by an administration mired in the Watergate scandal. But despite the turmoil, the opportunity and ability to seek recreational pursuits were not diminished in the 70s: glittering disco balls and Bell Bottoms crept into small town America.

At Lake of the Ozarks, summer partying on the Bagnell Dam Strip continued to draw crowds from all over the nation, but some locals were not dazzled by the glittering Dance Hall craze. Instead, they were quietly making huge waves in the boating world.

Century boats had dominated the sport and runabout crowds in times past, and the number-one Century dealer in America was on the Lake of the Ozarks. Other local boat builders, including Richland manufacturing Rich Line boats, were conceived and built here on the Lake. Many enjoyed nationwide sales. In fact, local companies building boats around the Lake would produce some of the best and most innovative boats of the period.

From the smallest of aluminum fishing boats without a motor, to the world’s fastest tri-toon, and some amazing bass fishing boats in a huge Lebanon, Mo. production plant for Tracker Marine, the boat building business has boomed at the Lake of the Ozarks. Lowe Boats have been built in Lebanon since 1971, where Carl Lowe learned the business working for his father-in-law, J.B. Appleby of Appleby Boats. Carl believed in the value of local craftsmen in his Ozark facility. The men and women working on Lowe boats learned their craft on the job, trained by those experienced in the skills needed, and put on the production line after hours of practice. Carl did not believe in importing talent when the hills around the Lake contained a loyal and dedicated potential workforce.

Also in the ‘70s, a boater and entrepreneur still known to the Lake of the Ozarks—increasingly in the boat-racing scene—made his debut: Jim Dorris came to Missouri in 1972 after a stint at MonArk Boats in Arkansas. Jim spent a year at Appleby Aluminum Boats in Lebanon before going out on his own with Charger Boats in 1974. His pontoon-boat innovations in the next decades would be industry-shaking, to say the least.

But in the 70’s, the v-hull was still king. Fiberglass boats with some Detroit styling touches like fins, luxury appointments such as chrome, and some slightly beefier motors pulled skiers and cruised the Lake. Family cruisers 28 feet or less in length contained a couple of bunks, possibly a stand-up head, and some galley provision. They still had few luxury appointments, however. They resembled 18 to 22-foot runabouts and ski boats, with vinyl upholstery and chrome details. These boats were being equipped with inboard power plants more often, and the outboard motors were growing in horsepower ratings. Nevertheless, realistic top speeds were still in the 50 to 60 mile-per-hour range.

The Water Show

One of the biggest draws on the far-flung waters of Cypress Gardens in Florida and the Wisconsin Dells found fertile ground on the Lake of the Ozarks, where the local water ski show—known as the Lake Of The Ozarks Water Show—included some of the same athletes from these other shows. According to Todd Shockley, one member of the troupe who still lives at the Lake, there were several members of the local show who traveled back and forth each year in order to earn money and ski in the other famous shows.

Shockley—who is now the Principal at Hawthorne Elementary School in Camdenton—says there was no lack of talent for the Lake of the Ozarks’ show. In fact, the Lake of the Ozarks version was larger, more spectacular, and more famous than the Wisconsin or Florida shows. Without a doubt, one of the reasons for this was the presence of a World Champion in several categories of ski competition. Ricky McCormick, born in 1952 in Independence, Mo., into a family that put on the ski show here at the Lake, started at an early age performing in the show and went on to win 11 world titles and 37 national championships. During the 1972 Summer Olympics, McCormick was awarded two gold medals. After McCormick retired, he was inducted into the Water Skiing Hall of Fame.

Dave Dunklee, a member of the local show during that time, said he learned to ski by hanging out with his friend, McCormick, during practice sessions and watching as McCormick developed his tricks. Dunklee lived around the corner from McCormick at the Dunklee family-owned Haun’s Resort. Later the lodge name changed to Sand ‘n Cedars Resort.

Dunklee started working the show in the pick-up boat used to collect skis or help a downed performer. That boat was a Flivver built in Cypress Gardens, Florida. It looked like a fiberglass “bathtub with an outboard motor,” but was generally described as unsinkable. Dunklee graduated from the pick-up boat to become part of the act, first presenting the U. S. Flag during “The National Anthem.” Later, he “performed in the 6-person pyramid,” as “Ma Suggins” in a clown act, and in slalom as well as barefoot demonstrations.

The thrill part of the Thrill Show included flying on the kite that was just a big version of the flat kite that kids commonly flew with a string. It would not glide and left the performer at the mercy of the wind and the skill of the boat driver. The most dangerous part of the act was the jumps which included an approach at 70 miles per hour and a night jump where the dim lights set up on shore would not allow the performer to see the water from his height in the air. Dunklee said the most extreme jumps included distances over 100 feet.

The actual ski boats in the show were Hydrodyne ski boats. These were equipped with both inboard and outboard motors. They were never equipped for comfort or luxury; these utilitarian boats were designed to pull the stars of the show, and could pull six or more skiers at a time. Speeds reached around 50 miles per hour.

The pay for performers was about $100 per week and the commute down-river by boat was 48 miles round-trip, twice a day, for 90 days per year. Dunklee says performers didn’t come for the pay: they simply loved the sport, and they were undeterred by the distance. The Lake of the Ozarks’ sun and water and boats were enough to attract the talent to put on the shows.

The show ran a shuttle service to the resorts to pick up those who bought tickets. Those who came to watch the show often got the itch to ski behind their own boats. Most ski boats of the period were simple affairs by our modern standards, but were innovative at the time. One brand, the Sea Sprite, had an electric-start Evinrude 65 HP and a chrome dashboard with a speedometer and a starter button along with an Evinrude Simplex throttle and tilt control.

Innovation and dedication have marked the Lake of the Ozark’s contribution to the boating world while the boating world contributed to growth and prosperity around the lake. But, the decade of the 1980’s would see an event develop which would ultimately bring worldwide attention as well as hundreds of thousands of visitors to a single week-long celebration of speed and skill on the water. The boaters that live here are not the only story on the Lake. Soon, people would bring their boats from far-away places to race on the Lake of the Ozarks.