>> BEFORE THERE WAS DISNEY UNIVERSE AND ALL THE BIG THEME PARKS THERE WAS ONE PARK DAD
BOD CENTER FLORIDA WITH
OVER-THE-TOP PERFORMANCES.
CYPRESS GARDENS THEME PARK.
FIRST THEME PARK IN ALL OF
CENTRAL FLORIDA WHERE WATER SKI
TEAM SPENT ABOUT SIX DECADES
UNTIL LEGOLAND THAT BOUGHT THE
PARK IN 2012.
>> THAT DID NOT KEEP SOME
MEMBERS OF THE TEAM FROM THEIR
PASSION FOR THE SPORT.
AND TODAY THEY ARE CONTINUING
THE LEGACY.
NEWS 6 AT NINE’S CAROLINA
CARDONA MET UP WITH THEM IN
WINTERHAVEN AND GOT A LESSON
TOO.
>> IT IS AN ICONIC SHOW WITH
PERFORMERS OF ALL AGES
SHOWCASING SOME PRETTY GOOD
KIDS FROM TWO YEARS OLD UP TO
CYPRESS GARDENS WATER SKI TEAM.
>> WE DO DOUBLES WHERE THE GUY
LIFTS THE GIRL OVER HIS HEAD.
FRONT FLIP SOME BACK FLIPS AND
HELICOPTERS.
>> SERIES OF ONE-OF-A-KIND
PERFORMANCES THAT INCLUDE A
BALLERINA CHOREOGRAPHY IN A
PERFECTLY STRAIGHT BLI LINE ON
SWIVEL SKIS.
>> WE WILL BRING BALLET MOVES
OUT ON THE WATER WITH A SINGLE
BOARD WHICH HAS A PONDER THE
TERMS 360 DEGREES.
>> AND ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS
MOVES OF ALL THE PYRAMID
FORMATION.
>> A FOUR TIER PYRAMID WE MADE
FAMOUS BECAUSE WE WERE THE
FIRST ONES TO DO IT AT CYPRESS
GARDEN.
>> PRESIDENT OF CYPRESS GARDENS
WATER SKI TEAM HAS BEEN IN THE
INDUSTRY FOR MORE THAN THREE
HE PERFORMED AT THE TEAM’S
ORIGINAL HOME AT CYPRESS
GARDENS.
UNTIL LEGOLAND BOUGHT THE
THEMEPARK.
>> ABOUT 12 SKIERS THAT HAVE
SAID HEY YOU’RE NOT DOING
SKIING.
>> SO MARK ALONG WITH OTHER
SKIERS FOUND A NEW HOME AT THE
LAKE SILVER MARTIN LUTHER KING
JR. PARK IN WINTERHAVEN.
BUT THEY KEPT THE ORIGINAL
TEAM’S NAME.
>> THIS IS WHAT WE CALL OUR
READY ROOM.
>> THEY ARE GETTING READY TO
GIVE US AN UP CLOSE AND
PERSONAL EXPERIENCE QUICKSTEP
ON YOU HEAR.
YOU WILL BE SECOND.
>> 18-YEAR-OLD WAS A NATIONAL
CHAMPION PERFORMER IS A PRO AT
BAREFOOT WATERSKIING.
HE SHOWED US A FEW OF THOSE
MOVES HE MASTERS.
>> TO THE BACK FLYER AND GET A
BACKWARDS ON MY BARE FEET AND
DID BACK FROM.
BACKWARDS IN TURN FORWARDS IN
THE TUB WILL TURN.
>> A PERFORMANCE HE ENJOYS
DESPITE SOME PAINFUL MOMENTS.
>> GOING FAST WITH THE THRILL
AND THE ADRENALINE AND GOING 40
MILES PER HOUR IN YOUR BARE
FEET HURT SOMETIMES WHEN YOU
FALL.
BUT OVERALL IT’S BEEN A FUN
EXPERIENCE.
>> RECENTLY LEAVING CYPRESS
GARDENS WATER SKI TEAM WON
THEIR FIRST SOUTHERN REGIONAL
SKI CHAMPIONSHIP EARNING TOP
AWARDS FOR SHOWMANSHIP AND
PERFORMANCE.
>> SEEING THE KIDS GROW AND GET
BETTER AND USE THE JUMP RAMP.
>> A WATER SPORT I WANTED TO
TRY OUT FOR THE FUN OF IT, OF
COURSE.
OUR FIRST TRY DID NOT GO SO
WELL BUT A LITTLE WATER UP MY
NOSE DID NOT STOP ME.
>> DO NOT WORRY, I TAKE FULL
RESPONSIBILITY OF WHAT I AM
DOING.
>> AFTER MY SECOND TRY THINGS
STARTED TO LOOK A LITTLE
BETTER.
THEN CAME A THIRD TRY.
OKAY STILL NOT THE CHARM I WAS
HOPING FOR BUT IT IS THE EFFORT
THAT COUNTS RIGHT?
CAROLINA CARDONA, NEWS 6 AT
NINE.
THOSE ARM MUSCLES.
>> SHEET A LITTLE WATER UP HER
NOSE.
I SAW THE VIDEO THAT WAS A LOT
OF WATER UP HER NOSE BUT WHAT
IS ALSO GREAT ABOUT THE
INCLUSIVENESS IS A REALLY BIG
PART OF THE PROGRAM.
THEY DO ADAPTIVE CLINICS EVERY
YEAR.
PEOPLE WITH SPINA BIFIDA AND
IT’S JUST AMAZING THEY MAKE
SURE THAT EVERYBODY’S INCLUDED
IN THIS BEAUTIFUL ART.
>> MILLIONS OF FLORIDIANS AND
VISITORS HAVE SEEN THE SHOWS
OVER THE YEARS IN THE 66 YEAR
RUN.
THE SKI TEAM BROKE OVER 50
WORLD RECORDS AND BECAME KNOWN
AROUND THE WORLD IS THE
WATERSKIING CAPITAL OF THE
WORLD SO THEY HAD TO KEEP IT
GOING.
>> IT IS COOL.
I REALLY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THE
WHOLE LEGOLAND EXPERIENCE CAN
HAVE OVER SHUNNING THAT.
WE HAVE OUR FLOOR DIRECTOR
CHRISTINA KIER WHO USED TO GO
THERE ALL THE TIME AS A KID.
SO THAT IS FANTASTIC.
IT IS A FULL BODY WORKOUT FOR
SURE.
>> YOU HAVE TO BE VERY IN SHAPE
IF YOU WANTED TO WATERSKIING.
>> I NEED TO FIND OUT IF SHE
WAS SORE AFTERWARDS.
>> I THINK SHE WAS.
>> WE HAVE OUR OWN IN-HOUSE
WATERSKIING.
>> IS THERE ANYTHING HE DOES
NOT DO?
>> HE IS A JACK OF ALL TRADES.
WHAT A NEWS 6 FAMILY OUR OWN
ERIK VON ANCKEN , HE IS SO MUCH
EXPERIENCE ON THE WATER SKIS
AND BOARDS.
HE WAS ACTUALLY ONCE THE MEMBER
OF THE SHOW SKI TEAM.
AND CAN PERFORM ALL KINDS OF
STUNTS.
HE JUMPED OFF RAMPS AND DID
PYRAMIDS AND HELD PEOPLE ABOVE
HIS SHOULDERS.
WOW.
MULTITALENTED ERIK VON ANCKEN
RIGHT THERE.
>> HE IS A COOL GUY.
>> WILL HAVE TO TALK TO THEM
ONE TIME AND 9:00 ABOUT A.