Super ‘70s and ‘80s: Sea World superheroes water ski show—the skiers, part 4 of 10

Introduction to series “Super ‘70s and ‘80s.”

Introduction to subseries “Sea World superheroes show” (including list of interviewees).

Skiers, part 3 of 10—the costumes.

SWSH = Sea World superheroes

THE SHOW

What was the show’s story?

Diane Smith: The story was what you would expect when superheroes and super villains interact. It was the classic good vs. evil scenario. The 45-minute shows were complex, however. So much was happening that one could not watch it all at the same time. There was Jimmy Olsen, the announcer, who described what was taking place on the water as he controlled the action. There were flivers (small boats) and boat drivers waving and circling on the water. “Magic” occurred on the stage with Catwoman and her whip and thugs dressed in black. On the beach, lifts and gymnastic bows were athletically yet delicately completed. There was great excitement on the water as boats approached from all directions and intricate skiing: jumping, doubles, trios, slaloming, shoe skiing, trick skiing, barefoot skiing, and more continued.

In the air, a kite flier soared as Gary Thompson signaled with his feet to the boat driver and then he made a perfect landing in front of the stands. Boats raced at each other with “near misses.” On the diving platform, Tom Kaser climbed higher and higher until he seemed miles up and was finally perched at the top for his high dive into the lake which was flaming with fire. At first, he would not surface and the audience would gasp; then he would appear, smiling and ready to dive again in the next show. Characters would run down the steps in the stands, close enough for the audience to touch them. Some would pretend to be members of the audience and would run onto the set, jump into the water and ski or barefoot. It was genius. In our final stage bow, we signed off as our costumes dictated; only the boat drivers were introduced by their actual names. We even had gorgeous night shows…I remember just about turning purple from the chilling winds in the late December evening shows because we girls did not wear wetsuits, only our regular costumes. To this day, I don’t believe there has ever been another [show] to equal it.

Jeff Parnell: When the fight moved to the stage or beach, Sea World employees would hold up signs that read “POW” and “BANG.” Sometimes the adults would laugh hard. We had a couple of talented Jokers. One was a clown for Barnum & Bailey circus. Some of the younger kids would be terrified.

Linda Knapp (Moffett): Catwoman disappeared, Batgirl and Mera got sawed in half, and Robin was put in a torture chamber.

Nancy Radant Combes: There were usually three villains in each show. Joker, Riddler, and Penguin. In the Ohio show we [also] used Catwoman, a non-skiing act.

If the story changed over time, how so?

Andy Hansen: Some lines here and there. Ken McCabe came on as an announcer. He played the best Joker and was a talented scriptwriter. He and the other announcer would tweak the dialogue.
Shirley Duke: I believe it was tweaked a few times, especially by the hosts, who were pretty creative guys.

Part of the show took place on a stage and a beach. If you had lines during those portions, how did the audience hear you? Were you wearing microphones?

Al Kelley: Voice-overs for all skiers; only Jimmy Olsen (the announcer) and the Joker used mics. It’s quite possible that Adam West and others may have been involved in the original recordings for the voice-overs.
Doby Buesse: There were just a few lines for the skiers. No microphones. Lip-synched to the PA. I still remember (as Batman): “Hello there, boys and girls. Are you all having a nice day here at Sea World? That’s great!”

Did the characters have different personalities, or were they all simply “good,” as was common in superhero cartoons of the period?

Bill Schwartz: It was a little hokey...but fun.

If music accompanied the show, what kind (i.e. existing songs or original songs, rock or classical, etc.?)

Shirley Duke: There was the original Batman theme [and] the [music] from Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid, where they are being chased by the posse. When that song came on, we had about 15 minutes to get ready. Some of us waited until the last minute and had to scramble out to the side dock. Sometimes I have nightmares about that song and I wake up laughing.

What was the hardest stunt in the show?

Al Kelley: The ski jumping and back barefoot were the most difficult.
Andy Hansen: Depends who you ask. Carrying those girls on my shoulders as Superman every day seven times a day during the pyramids would remind me that my back wasn’t as superheroish as it needed to be. The Penguin’s long dive off the ski jump was probably one of the scariest for me at that stage. I learned to enjoy that part in later years.
Bill Peterson: I would say the jump act; others might say star doubles.
Bill Schwartz: The jump act was probably the most difficult and dangerous group act. The back barefoot was the single most difficult act, but we were superheroes and could do anything!

Doby Buesse: For the guys, back barefoot. The girls, star swivel.
Jeff Parnell: Jumping at night. The spotlights blinded you.
John Gillette: Though long distance jumping or backward barefooting would typically be considered the hardest, the hardest for me was lead doubles. I was small (140 pounds) and lifting a girl above my head, spinning her around, etc., was a challenge for me.
Lori Taylor: For me, changing clothes in the magic boxes.
Mary McMurtrie: As Wonder Woman, we had to drive a boat over a ramp…which was kinda nerve-racking.

Roland Hillier: Starting off the dock with a skier on your shoulders while wearing a strap around you (not using a handle). There was a person in the boat that would pull a release if you were about to fall. Very intimidating and required a lot of trust with the release puller.
Shirley Duke: I believe the male skiers had the tougher stunts in the show. For the female skiers, if you played Mera or Batgirl, who were sawed in half, you had to curl up your legs and change your tights in the magic boxes while your upper body stayed still. This was after you had just skied. It wasn’t hard, just cumbersome.
Suzanne Schwartz: For me, one of the hardest things to master was the dock start—both sitting and standing. There was always something to work on: the skiing, the mechanics of the acts, the various lifts (both on and off the water), choreography, how to set up and break down a show, how to master the costume changes…it was all brand new to me.

Any funny/unusual show anecdotes?

Al Kelley: One of my favorite things after the show was to go out as Superman and while shaking hand with the kids give a real firm handshake. The kids would usually look at each other and say “He really is Superman!”
Andy Hansen: The funniest parts were always undertrained skiers trying to play a superhero. And the magic acts from Harry Blackstone would always provide some funny incidents. One that was frequent was when Catwoman disappeared from the main stage and was supposed to show up on the ski jump when the attention was drawn there. Sometimes she forgot, lost her attention.
Diane Smith: The performers were not shy; they had an excess of personality and spunk. Although we always took our show and practices seriously, I do remember moments of levity. It was my very first day and I was to magically appear as a character who had disappeared from the stage (we had kiosks and “magic boxes” where supposed “sawing” of a character occurred). What actually happened was that tunnels were used for hiding or we would change clothes curled up in the magic boxes. When this character “disappeared,” she somehow “reappeared” at the top of the ski jump. But the audience was fooled, as they saw the same costume of the character, but actually a different skier who had been taken to a hiding spot under the ski jump where, upon her cue, she would climb up the jump while the audience was focused elsewhere. Then she would stand and “appear” when the announcer told the audience to look. The audience and the children, especially, were amazed. [So] before the show, I was told, “Don’t worry about that funny smell inside the jump where you will be hiding; those moth balls are there to keep the water moccasins out.”

Another time, a very sweet female skier was stung by a bee and she continued with the show. However, she was dangerously allergic to bee stings and afterwards was rushed to the hospital for medicine so that she would not go into anaphylactic shock. She could have died if she had waited too long. Her response was, “I knew I had fifteen minutes before it became serious.” Most of us had no idea…
Doby Buesse: The multi-swivel was an all-girl ballet-type performance behind one boat. Because they held the rope with their foot, a safety release rider was required to prevent injury if one were to fall. If a fall looked imminent from one skier, a release would be pulled disconnecting all of them from the boat. The flick of a wrist could turn the graceful multi-swivel into a flailing multi-munch. Many of the guys took sadistic pleasure in this. Especially if it was cold out.
Jeff Parnell: We were always playing tricks on each other. Spraying the announcers with the jump boats was one of the most fun. We would drive those jump boats almost on the beach to get to those announcers. It was like we were out of our minds.
Kerry Lloyd: Fontaine did a lot of Batman. He looked like Batman and I did Robin. Part of show was where we take a volunteer in the Batboat. During that we’d get attacked by villains and we’d scare the s*** out of these kids! Nobody from the audience would know what was going on out in that boat. The kids practically cried but not really.

It was funny every day. We had a guy named John Gaffey who’s now deceased (about 1992). He was a natural comedian. He did that Riddler character. He could steal the show at any time. He got reprimanded constantly. Suzie and Sharkey—here’s some big characters right there. Sharkey was a star skier and got in a motorcycle accident and hurt his ankle. He moved into maintenance to take care of the boats. So a skier that becomes a supervisor—there’s a guy to pick on. [said good-naturedly]
Linda Knapp (Moffett): We were always playing practical jokes on one another, but got in trouble if it negatively affected the show. I remember putting elephant feces in the guys’ binders before pyramid…then in the backstretch (the portion of the show circle—the pattern the boat travels in—that goes behind the set so the skiers are out of view of the audience), they dropped us.

A rare glimpse of Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel, Ohio;
the other is a black-and-white shot, but face-forward

Nancy Radant Combes: Keeping wigs on was always a challenge. Supergirl was particularly tough because she slalomed and had to duck under a rope while crisscrossing across the wake. My friend Janalee got clothes-lined once and she totally lost her wig.
Sherry Wickstrom: The first show I started as Catwoman. To wait for my cue, I hung out by the elephant barn. I would talk to Sunja the elephant while I waited. So another day that I was Catwoman, I walked around the stadium into the park and Sunja was out there with no handler. She recognized either me or the outfit so she started following me. I could not get her into her pen. Then I heard my music cue and I went onto the beach, Sunja right behind me.
Shirley Duke: They [at Sea World] were so meticulous. You were actually part of the comic book. We ruined a whole bunch of costumes by throwing them into the dryer. The Velcro got stuck all over the costumes. They didn’t want any photographs taken [until they were fixed]. [Also,] I was in charge of the weight chart; we had weigh-ins every Tuesday. We had an 108-pound limit for the top of the pyramid. Also I was the first female to drive during the show. I was always available to drive during practice when the regular boat drivers were not available.

Linda Lavoy, male unknown, Gay Schwartz (Peteet), Shirley Duke

Sherry Satterfield Runion: One memory was skiing at night with one of the Gatlin brothers (think it was them). He wanted to ski after one of the concerts held at Atlantis Theater. The powers that be said okay...if someone went with him. I was with [my now-husband] Britt (shooting the concert and VIPs) in the tunnel after the event. It was decided our celebrity guest could ski if I skied alongside. Unheard of in today's legal world.

What was your salary/compensation for performing in the SWSH show?

Al Kelley: $600 to $1,000/month.
Andy Hansen: I calculated 50 cents/hour when I started. LOL! True story.
Betsy Maher (Hawkins): I was an hourly employee. Starting maybe slightly above minimum wage, with health insurance, dental.
Bill Peterson: $4.10/hour starting pay, in 1976 dollars.
Cindy Barhoff (Clasen): The guys made much more. : )
Dave Madeline: Paid hourly. The more stunts you did, the more money you made.
Doby Buesse: When I left in 1981, it was about $8/hour.
Greg Galloway: I think I started out at $6.50/hour, way better than the $2.60 I was earning selling popcorn at Disney.
Janalee Zimmerman (Addleman): I was making $7.30/hour. At that time, that was a lot of money to an 18-year-old (even though I did have to pay for my living expenses)! :-)
Jeff Parnell: Between $8 and $10/hour.
Jody Spence: I think I started at $7/hour.
Kaci Whittenton (Hedstrum): Gosh, I think I started at around $4 and ended up making around $6.50.
Linda Knapp (Moffett): I remember making $800/month, but that changed over the years. It was a decent salary but we worked long hours.
Mary McMurtrie: Not a whole lot. Way under $10/hour.
Nancy Radant Combes: My first summer (1977), I made $3.30/hour. We did 6-7 shows a day.
Paula Nelson (Bloemer): I think about $175 or $200/week.
Randy Messer: I started at $4.35/hour in November 1976. I was paid a bit more than other new skiers because I could back barefoot, jump and perform helicopter spin, and fly a kite.
Roland Hillier: Below industry standards.
Shirley Duke: If you were able to portray all characters, you got the highest compensation.
Steve Fontaine: $650/month.
Suzanne Schwartz: The salary for skiers back in those days was pretty awful. We were paid hourly (not salaried). Can’t recall how much but I’m thinking less than $1,500 per month. We did have full benefits that included excellent medical and dental insurance.

Next: skiers, part 5 of 10—the mistakes.

Super ‘70s and ‘80s: Sea World superheroes water ski show—the skiers, part 3 of 10

Introduction to series “Super ‘70s and ‘80s.”

Introduction to subseries “Sea World superheroes show” (including list of interviewees).

Skiers, part 2 of 10—the characters.

SWSH = Sea World superheroes

THE COSTUMES

Who made the costumes?

Reyna Blasko: Two designers out of Hollywood. You had to have everything exactly like the comics, body types and all.

boat driver (rear)—Sharkey Schwartz, boat driver (fore)—Ric Jones, Batgirl—Lori Taylor,
Jimmy Olsen—Curt Rector, Green Lantern—Scott McMurtrie, Aquaman—Greg Galloway,
Black Canary—Suzanne Schwartz, man behind Aquaman and Black Canary—Mike Whittenton,
Supergirl 1—Janet Shave (Rooks), Supergirl 2—Gay Schwartz (Peteet), Penguin—Bill Peterson,
Superman—Jack Krips, first man in bathing suit—Jeff Parnell,
second man in bathing suit (and mask)—John Macqueen, third man in bathing suit—Brad Whitmore,
Wonder Woman—Sherry Satterfield Runion, Mera—Diane Smith

Did you keep any of the costumes?

Al Kelley: No, I would have liked to but even the well-worn costumes were not allowed to leave.
Andy Hansen: LOL, nope, they would not allow the costumes to be taken from the park. Although it would not surprise me if a couple snuck out. You will have to let me know what you learn here.
Bill Schwartz: Wish I did but unfortunately no. They kept a good eye on them.
Bubby Snow: I did not keep any costumes, but I wish I had some.
Doby Buesse: No, but that Batman costume was the best.
Jacque Cook (Kuntarich): No. We used to have these guys come from Las Vegas who did the showgirls. We would put on a skimpy bathing suit and they’d measure us everywhere. Property of Sea World.
Jeff Parnell: Nobody wanted those flesh-colored spandex tights.
Linda Knapp (Moffett): No, darn it.
Lori Taylor: No though I should have kept one of those bras.
Margie LaPoint (Bates): I never kept any of the costumes (did anybody ever do that?) and I loved the way I felt when wearing them.
Nancy Radant Combes: No, but I heard someone took a Wonder Woman.

How did you feel dressing like a superhero?

Al Kelley: Great. It was very empowering and very cool meeting the kids when the show was over.
Andy Hansen: Superhuman. During the autograph session especially.
Betsy Maher (Hawkins): More about the skiing than “being a superhero.” [Jacque Cook on Betsy: Betsy was the only one who was allowed to do Wonder Woman without a wig. She was the maid of honor at my wedding. For John Macqueen’s party, she made CDs of pictures for all of us.]
Bill Schwartz: Really cool. It was like my childhood fantasy to become a superhero.
Bubby Snow: I was used to dressing for shows, but out of all the shows I skied in, this was one of the more prestigious shows. I feel it was one of the best ski shows ever performed at Sea World.
Carl Lipsit: Kind of fun, but still had to wear muscle pads to get into superhero form. At least most of the costumes were tight fitting and didn’t drag when they got wet.
Cindy Barhoff (Clasen): Strange at first, however I loved the kids in the audience because they believed we were the real thing. I was a third grade teacher in the area during the year. My students would come to watch the show.
Sherry Wickstrom: We laughed a lot because of the padding for the chest area.
Doby Buesse: It’s all about the chest padding. : )
Janalee Zimmerman (Addleman): The whole experience was amazing! I did feel the part! Performing for an audience that size was humbling and awesome at the same time!
Jeff Parnell: Cool for Green Hornet [he later confirmed he meant Green Lantern] and Flash, Robin was okay. The bad guys were fun. A little silly as Superman, with the wig and all.
Jody Spence: Lots of fun, especially Wonder Woman—black hair and I’m blonde.
John Gillette: Sometimes special, sometimes corny.
Kaci Whittenton (Hedstrum): Sometimes silly, especially when taking a bow after a crash landing or wardrobe mishap.

Kerry Lloyd: It was fun. Totally fun. It was a trip.
Linda Knapp (Moffett): It was a lot of fun. The kids absolutely adored the heroes and it was fun seeing them interact with us after the shows. They really did believe we were the heroes—even my nephew’s friend; he had his picture taken with Wonder Woman (who happened to be me that show) and argued with my nephew when my nephew kept calling Wonder Woman “Aunt Linda.”
Margie LaPoint (Bates): My perspective of skiing at Sea World was based on the acts of the ski show, having skied at Cypress Gardens and Aqua Follies (another ski show in Fort Myers, Florida). The cartoon theme was not really foremost on my mind.
Mark Gutleben: It built your ego up a little bit.
Nancy Radant Combes: Are you kidding? We all felt like we had super powers.
Paula Nelson (Bloemer): You get used to it.
Randy Messer: Combine heightened awareness, heightened senses, the youth and vitality of a young athlete in front a large crowd displaying a feat that only a few people are capable of performing, and a costume that has been etched in our common psyche to represent extraordinary powers, and for the briefest of moments when the adrenaline spikes and exhilaration floods your body, you [do] feel [like] a superhero. A couple of things I have felt missing in many of the comic books I grew up on was that the writers did not have the superhero display the sheer joy of not only having the power but also the thrill of training. When this happens to a mere mortal, you are literally bouncing with energy. I also felt they missed expressing the many frustrations related to training and the body dealing with pain and aging. Captain America was one of the few that I read which did.
Shirley Duke: Once I put on the costume, wig, and makeup, I was in character. We were critiqued after every show so, for me, it never got to be “routine.” Kids in the audience made it enjoyable and worthwhile.

How did the costumes affect your ability to ski?

Al Kelley: No costume problems other than the occasional mask coming off.
Andy Hansen: LOL…some of them. Especially for some people. We had one guy who was too skinny try to play Batman. The cowl over his head would move to the side in the wind and cover his eyes. One time the cape came up over his head. Even better, one time it flew off and revealed his orange carrot top hair. It was soooo funny to us.
Betsy Maher (Hawkins): Capes, masks, and wigs could get in the way.

Bill Peterson: None, except sometimes the head gear, like on the Flash, would impair your vision.
Janalee Zimmerman (Addleman): The only costume that was at all difficult was the dress for Lois Lane. I had to jump on Clark Kent as he skied by and that was tricky to do in a dress! Two things I hated about skiing at Sea World: one, because your feet were always wet it would be very sore between my toes; two, I hated having to get in the water when it was cold!
John Gillette: No real effect, though we had a significant effect on the costumes. They were very expensive, custom spandex. [Exposure to] 35-40 mph of barefoot “tumbleturns” and other difficult maneuvers often tore them up pretty badly.
Linda Knapp (Moffett): The capes got in the way and were a real drag if they got wet. The wigs had to be maintained and the guys hated to wear them!
Nancy Radant Combes: You did feel like you had a certain responsibility to do your best since you were representing a character that was respected.
Randy Messer: Technically, masks and capes were hindrances; emotionally it had little affect except on rare occasions. Sometimes it may have boosted your self-image. Batman and Flash both had masks and the spandex would pull and lose it elasticity and many times you could only see out of one eye.

Lor Radant, Jeff Parnell

Roland Hillier: Unusual at first because the air against your body without the suits helped with sense of speed.
Sherry Wickstrom: No problems except for the capes. They were heavy and if you fell you had to get them off before they pulled you down.
Suzanne Schwartz: [At that time,] it was almost impossible to wear a wetsuit under the girls costumes, so during the winters, we froze our tushies off and that definitely hampered our ability. The Batgirl costume was challenging because it was a full headpiece/mask and a huge, heavy cape that weighed a ton when it got wet.

Next: skiers, part 4 of 10—the show (including stunts, funny incidents, and salary).

Third round of Bill Finger sketches—now in color!

Please come back tomorrow for the continuation of the massive "Super '70s and '80s" series, running most days between now and 10/12/11! And for today, a post of "regularly scheduled content":

In January, I saw Ty Templeton's stellar first sketches for my 2012 picture book on Bill Finger, the uncredited co-creator of Batman.

In March, Charlesbridge sent the first round of revisions.

This month, I received the first color art.

All three sets came postally, not digitally, and all three came in envelopes hand-designed by my peerless editor Alyssa Pusey. This is a testament not only to Alyssa's cleverness but also to the versatility of Batman's iconography.

To recap...

Round 1:

Round 2:

And now, round 3! Drum roll please...

Will there be a round 4, and if so, can Alyssa outdo herself yet again? I'm sure she thrives on the pressure I'm publicly applying!

Super ‘70s and ‘80s: Sea World superheroes water ski show—the skiers, part 2 of 10

Introduction to series “Super ‘70s and ‘80s.”

Introduction to subseries “Sea World superheroes show” (including list of interviewees).

Skiers, part 1 of 10—the training.

SWSH = Sea World superheroes

THE CHARACTERS

Which character(s) did you portray?

Al Kelley: Mostly Robin; also played Superman, Green Lantern, Flash, some super villains (Penguin, Riddler, Mr. Freeze, Captain Cold). [NOTE: I haven’t seen Mr. Freeze in any photos; Al may be confusing him with Captain Cold.]
Bill Peterson: Because I was 5’5” I could not play characters such as Batman, so I would be Robin. Also the Red Flash, Green Lantern, and the Penguin.
Bill Schwartz: Due to my small size, I tended to play Robin quite a bit. It didn’t look good to have a smaller Batman or Superman.
Carl Lipsit: Superman, Perry White, thugs, Batman—probably others but it seems a looooong time ago.
Dave Madeline: I was a boat driver. If a skier got injured, they’d put a driver into a costume until the skier got better. For myself it was a rare occurrence; [at least once] I was a Penguin. You’re more valuable as a driver.
Greg Galloway: All the male parts. If Batman was a big guy, I could play Robin. If Robin was a small guy, I could play Batman.

Jacque Cook (Kuntarich): Supergirl was my first but we all did all of them. I was the littlest so I was always on the top of the pyramid.
Jeff Parnell: Robin, Flash, Green Hornet [he later confirmed he meant Green Lantern], Penguin, Riddler. I was very young and felt silly when I played Superman.
Kerry Lloyd: Everybody but Batman. I’m only five foot four. But I had three Batman costumes for $1,500 apiece. The money they spent on costumes was remarkable. They’re stored somewhere [by Sea World]. I bet they’re in California. Everybody had three of every costume of every character!
Margie LaPoint (Bates): I can’t remember all of the superhero names but I did most all of the acts on a regular basis (except the green costume) [Mera], which was the doubles act, as I was on the big side. I did do that only a few times, but loved it all the same.
Mark Gutleben: I played Aquaman mostly because they had me do the back barefoot all the time. I fell only 11 times out of 250-300 shows. I also played Superman, Robin, Lex Luthor [NOTE: I haven’t seen him in any of the photos], Flash, Penguin.
Paula Nelson (Bloemer): Let’s see, Mera (I think you have a picture of me winking),Wonder Woman, Batgirl, Catwoman, Supergirl, and Lois Lane.

Randy Messer: Lots of Batmans, Aquamans, and Supermans. Batman was an easy ski spot but needed to be taller than Robin. Batman drove the Batboat. He would take a child for a ride. When another skier wanted to prank you, he would find a heavyset child. Batman had to carry the child across beach and place in the boat. Also in the show, Captain Cold would spray Batman with a snow-gun that was a fire extinguisher. Of course skiers loved to overdo it; Batman would be covered in white dust. My lungs are probably damaged from this fun activity. After shows, Batman, Robin, and Wonder Woman would stand outside whether it was 90 or 40 degrees and shake hands. Sometimes you didn’t have a good show, maybe falling a few times, and facing the crowd was a bit humiliating, but for the most part the kids made you feel very special.

There was one skier, Randy Jones, who was as good a Batman figure as any on the big screen.

Aquaman and Superman were in the jump act. I was the first skier to perform a gainer off the jump (skiing forward and performing a back flip). My wife Robbi (just dating back then) says she was first attracted to me when I did gainers as Superman.

A tall, skinny, red-headed skier named John Gaffey wanted so much to be Superman. His skiing skills were inconsistent but his comedic timing flawless. He was Superman once and fell in the shallow surf coming in on parade—the show opener when all the heroes were introduced. When he arose, the cape was wrapped around him, he held the black wig, his tights were down to his knees, and he was covered in sand. With a straight face, the announcer presented the Man of Steel to a dismayed crowd of kids.

Superman also played Perry White in comedy doubles. A girl jumped on your back as you skied by a dock. (The girl was often one of the trainees because it didn’t require skiing skills and in the end the girl was tossed into the water.) Girls hated seeing Lois Lane by their name on the show schedule.

No one liked doing the Flash because of the shoe ski act which never garnered much respect from other skiers even if you were good at it, and most of us weren’t and there were often falls and the following act would be coming in so if you fell you had to swim like crazy to get out of the way.

Green Lantern was fun and the costume was great because there was no mask [NOTE: photos show there was], cape, or wig—just a plastic ring. Easy skiing and you always won the jump boat race, even if your boat was not running very well.

Green Arrow was a high diver (literally, when it was [name redacted, but not Dan Poor!]). He dove from 70 feet into fire. The diver would walk in a few minutes before the show, do his one dive, then leave. We kind of envied his schedule and some skiers attempted to learn to dive.

Penguin wore a padded stomach and rubber nose. Wonder Woman would catch you and the challenge was to make Wonder Woman lose her composure as she was delivering her serious lines about her magic lasso. Many unusual comments were whispered as Penguin kneeled beside Wonder Woman.

Dick Monday, Suzanne Schwartz, Kerry Lloyd?

Steve Fontaine: In the very first show in Ohio, I was the first water ski act, portraying the paperboy. I skied by the audience screaming “Extra, extra, read all about it!” And that began the superhero show! My next act was Superman! Then at various times I played Batman, Robin, Aquaman, Green Lantern, and thugs.

Which characters did you prefer to portray and why?

Al Kelley: Robin was fun but I liked to play Penguin so I could do the beach barefoot. [This was] water skiing on your bare feet—[meaning] without skis.
Andy Hansen: Aquaman. He got to do the more difficult water ski tricks. Although Batman was the most fun because the audience’s, especially the kids’, eyeballs would pop out of their heads during the post-show autograph sessions. In my opinion, Batman had the most authentic-looking costume. Superman’s was also great, but I did not have black hair. I had to wear a dumb wig.

Betsy Maher (Hawkins): Lois Lane (the comedy act) was fun.
Bubby Snow: I enjoyed playing Superman, even though it did not require the more difficult water skiing stunts. I liked playing Aquaman because it was the more challenging water skiing stunts.
Carl Lipsit: Batman/Perry White. In those roles, you worked in a harness and/or performed lifts and other acts with a partner.
Cindy Barhoff (Clasen): I preferred Supergirl because I got to slalom and ski around the boat. I also liked Lois Lane because it was a comedy act. I was terribly shy in high school and I surprised myself when I was in that costume. New outfit…new personality!
Diane Smith: I thoroughly enjoyed being Supergirl because she seemed to best fit my size and exemplify my personality.

Either she or Wonder Woman climbed to the top of the pyramid, and I was small enough to be carried by the taller girls as “top girl.” Believe it or not, my part was easy; I did it so often that I never worried about it. Actually, the girls on whose shoulders I stood had the more difficult time because they supported my weight and secured my flag; then they helped me as I climbed down to the “middle man” who skied me to the beach while I stood on the top front of his skis. The female skiers were expected to weigh less than 110 pounds and preferably to be around 100 pounds (although for the tallest girls, who did not do the lifts, go to the top of the pyramid, or contort themselves in the magic boxes, there were exceptions).

Doby Buesse: The Penguin. A relatively easy but crowd pleasing act. You got to drive the small clown boat. You also could act silly on stage and perform the beach barefoot. The beach barefoot was a ski act. The Penguin (in an attempt to avoid the Dynamic Duo smackdown on the stage) would run down the beach and grab the ski handle, wherein the boat would take off. He would slide off the beach on his butt and then barefoot ski around the lake. After throwing the rope and sliding back up onto the beach, the Penguin would proclaim to the announcer (Jimmy Olsen) that he was the best barefoot skier in the world. This is when Wonder Woman and her “Truth Lasso” would make an appearance. “Curses, foiled again. The greatest barefoot water skier is…Aquaman.” Aquaman would take his queue and perform the backwards barefoot.
Gary Thompson (who was also a show manager): I liked the Flash for the costume, the character, and the acts in the show that he did.

Jacque Cook (Kuntarich): My favorite act was doubles, or adagio (where the guy lifts the girl above his head). That was usually Aquaman and Mera. You’d go into work and your name would have a number next to it, 1 for Wonder Wonder, 2 Mera, 3 or 4 was Batgirl, and so on; 8 was Lois Lane which was the comedy act. I mostly played more star acts. The big show was the 1 o’clock.
Jeff Parnell: Green Hornet [he later confirmed he meant Green Lantern]. It was a cool costume and you got to do cool acts like boat jumping and ski jumping.

John Gillette: Aquaman was the lead ski 1 position and did the backward barefooting, which was my specialty.
Linda Knapp (Moffett): There were quite a few that were outstanding, but for different reasons. Catwoman was fun because it was a dry act and she came in from the side of the stadium giving you a chance to stop and visit Sunja (the elephant) and check out the crowd before going on stage. Her costume was very cool with the mask, boots, and whip. It was also fun disappearing on stage—a real crowd pleaser!

A rare glimpse of Captain Marvel and Mary Marvel, Ohio;
the other is a heads-turned shot, but in color

row 1: Tom Weber, Andy Hansen, Linda Knapp (Moffett), Tom Freeburn, Karen Weber,
Sharkey Schwartz, Dave Madeline
row 2: Penguin—Mark Gutleben, Joker—Ken McCabe, Catwoman—Shirley Duke,
Riddler—Kerry Lloyd, Gary Thompson, Dave Blasko (elephant trainer)
row 3: Reyna Blasko, Wonder Woman—Kaci Whittenton (Hedstrum), Annette Botti (Hoffman),
Aquaman—Bob “Bullet” Borth, Mary Marvel—Sherry Wickstrom, Captain Marvel—Randy Jones,
Supergirl—Valaree Morris, Superman—Steve Fontaine, Flash—John Macqueen,
Black Canary—Debbie Blake, Batman—Roger Hansen, Batgirl—Sheri McNary, Robin—Al Kelley,
Green Arrow—Brad Whitmore
row 4: elephant—Sunja, Tarzan—?

Supergirl was fun because you landed on the beach and talked with the announcer. The year we had the wet bike [NOTE: described as cross between motorcycle and jet ski], most of the time you landed on the beach was a real challenge. The wet bike was big and heavy and hard for the girls to handle. If you landed it on the beach too far up, you couldn’t push it back into the water—which was embarrassing because, after all, you were Supergirl. If you landed it too deep, you had to drag yourself up through deep water with a dripping wet cape.

Linda Knapp (Moffett)

Mera was fun because I liked doing doubles and her costume didn’t have an annoying cape. Wonder Woman was the crowd favorite and was the star of the show. She was awesome.
Margie LaPoint (Bates): I loved being Wonder Woman and did it sometimes but not always because Wonder Woman climbed to the top of the pyramid and I was considered big for that. I went through a starvation period in my life and got down to 110 pounds, which was the cutoff for doing both of those acts, which was why I was able to do them at all! (I do not recommend it to any young girls.)
Mary McMurtrie: Wonder Woman…I think you actually felt the power in that costume.
Paula Nelson (Bloemer): Each of the roles had their advantages and disadvantages. Mera and Batgirl had to be chopped in half—which involved lying in a cramped box on stage in the blistering summer heat while changing (actually putting on an additional costume half). At least Mera didn’t have a face mask and cape. Wonder Woman got to jump the boat through the set and save the day and also had a sort of ski solo on swivel. She was fun to play if everything went well. It certainly was a rush jumping boats. Prior to that summer, the only boats I navigated were canoes! Sometimes it was fun to play the villain, Catwoman—that is, once you got the hang of cracking a real 10’ or so leather bullwhip without zapping the audience, Blue [sic] Canary, or yourself in the face.


Shirley Duke: My favorites were Wonder Woman, Lois Lane, and Catwoman. I was awesome with the bull whip.

Catwoman

Suzanne Schwartz: I liked being Supergirl because the costume was cute and I liked the acts she was involved with—performing the doubles, as an example. I also like being Catwoman because the costume was slinky and sexy.

Which characters, if any, were more in demand among the performers to portray?

Al Kelley: Aquaman for the backwards barefoot and Flash who flew the kite.

Andy Hansen: Aquaman. That was the ski 1 position. It took the most water ski talent to perform.
Bill Peterson: I would say the characters that did star doubles. [NOTE: Star doubles was when an accomplished male and female skier performed a doubles routine together. The boy did lifts with the girl. Only the strongest boys got to do it. It was an honor to get this position.] It took strength, good skiing skills, and balance.

Bill Schwartz: The big stars of the show were Batman, Robin, and Superman for the men and Supergirl, Wonder Woman, and Batgirl for the girls. Villains were always fun. The Joker had a big part and was a crowd pleaser. The Joker was an actor who performed only on the stage and was not a skier.
Carl Lipsit: I don’t remember competition for particular roles among the men. Some had height restrictions. I was too tall to play the Penguin or Robin.
Dave Madeline: Batman, Superman. Kids were going nuts. After the shows there were kids hanging all over the place looking for the superheroes. After a while Sea World realized this was a great op to get the PR they were looking for so they had skiers go out and rub flesh, meet the kids after the show. Now it means something. Back then we were just kids.
Doby Buesse: The acts were set up by difficulty 1-8 (1 being the hardest). Aquaman was the “1”—backward barefoot and star doubles. The Riddler was “8”—I don’t think he even got wet. The girls had difficulty scale, too, but I don’t remember it.

The scale, as Doby remembers:

1 Aquaman
2 Flash
3 Green Lantern
4 Superman
5 Batman
6 Robin
7 Penguin
8 Riddler
Gary Thompson: The stars, of course, were Wonder Woman and I suppose Batman and Robin. Superman and Supergirl were cool, and so was Aquaman and Mera, and the Joker was the best villain, along with the Penguin, Catwoman, and the Riddler.
Janalee Zimmerman (Addleman): I think Wonder Woman was the most prestigious character to play. First of all, she was gorgeous and also she skied alone as a feature in the show. She used the swivel ski and it was impressive! I did not ever play that part. The swivel ski was the same and I never did master that feat! Also, I wasn’t built tall and thin like the girl who played her was! I think her first name was Kaci. She was fabulous.



Nancy Radant Combes: Each character was attached to a specific act that required a certain talent. Some acts were more difficult than others. Black Canary was probably the easiest, then Batgirl and Supergirl, then Mera, then Wonder Woman.
Steve Fontaine: The crowd loved Batman and Robin. They also loved Aquaman, Flash, and Green Arrow.

Suzanne Schwartz: I think for the gals, Wonder Woman was probably the popular character. It was a great-looking costume and the character was very well known. Wonder Woman also got to perform solo swivel—the only solo act for the girls—so Wonder Woman was the act you’d hope for, particularly if you had friends or family coming.

Tom Weber: Aquaman. He appeared in the highest number of acts.

Did you portray any characters that you hadn’t heard of before?

[Most who answered said Black Canary, Mera, or both.]

Next: skiers, part 3 of 10—the costumes.

Super ‘70s and ‘80s: Sea World superheroes water ski show—the skiers, part 1 of 10

Introduction to series “Super ‘70s and ‘80s.”

Introduction to subseries “Sea World superheroes show” (including list of interviewees).

SWSH = Sea World superheroes

THE TRAINING

How did you get the job with the SWSH show?

Andy Hansen: I was already working at Sea World of Ohio during the previous summers. We did a different themed show the previous year. Sea World changed themes about every two years. The previous show was the “Roaring Twenties Water Frolics.” When we went to the superheroes, I was transformed from Charlie Chaplin to Superman overnight. That involved some real superhero kind of power.
Betsy Maher (Hawkins): My cousin Jeff Parnell told me they needed girls who could ski. I was working a summer job at Disney at the time with friends from college.

Bill Peterson: Tom Weber said I had to learn back barefoot to be able to get the job. [NOTE: Back barefooting is skiing backwards (facing away from the boat) without skis.] For two weeks I took the hardest falls trying to learn to step off a free board. I would call him on the phone for tips. We would discuss how I was falling and he would coach me over the phone since he was at the Sea World in Ohio. Tom was very patient and helped very much in my getting the job for the superhero show in Orlando. My family and I drove to Ohio to audition but not in costume. I got the job. This was before Sea World Orlando opened.
Cindy Barhoff (Clasen): At the end of my senior year in high school, I took a group of girls up to our cottage on Lake Chautauqua in New York and taught them how to ski. The next summer, one of them dated Sharkey Schwartz at Sea World. They were short one skier and called me to try out.
Dave Madeline: I watched the show and everything that they were doing on the water I was able to do. I auditioned same day I went there and went to work two days later.
Diane Smith: Since it was necessary to pay back the loan I had taken out in order to attend graduate school, I arrived at the employment office inquiring about a position as a tour guide, but no job was then available. I was aware that Sea World had a water ski show, though I had never seen it. I was told that the ski department might be hiring and that I should fill out an application. I was immediately called in for an audition. Although I had not water skied for many years (I had been in college and then I taught school prior to enrolling and completing graduate school), my audition went well and to my delighted surprise, I was hired.
Doby Buesse: Had an interview with Gary Thompson and Tom Weber. Gary wore a barrister wig. I think they were just clowning around. The wig was a prop from a previous show just laying around the office. This being my first ever job interview, it really broke the ice and made me feel less nervous. I got the job. No audition. Woo-hoo, $3.25 an hour! I was rich!
Jacque Cook (Kuntarich): I was dating a skier. I got up the first time I tried. The 13th time I skied, Sea World called me.
Janalee Zimmerman (Addleman): I went to see the show and decided to apply for a job. I was called by Tommy Weber and made plans to audition. He hired me after that audition. I was thrilled! I was only 18 and was just graduating from Shanksville Stonycreek High School. As a matter of fact, I had to leave high school a week and a half early to begin working in Ohio. I came back for graduation in June of 1977. This was also the year of the Johnstown (PA) Flood.
Jeff Parnell: My mom saw an ad for skiers for Sea World. I showed up with no appointment. I told them what I could do they gave me an audition and I was hired.
Kaci Whittenton (Hedstrum): Via Sharkey Schwartz encouragement.
Kerry Lloyd: Me and Steve Fontaine went to Florida to Cypress Gardens in 1975, snooping around for a job. We talked to Lynn Novakofski and he told us about Gary Thompson. Gary sent us applications and we filled them out and sent them. In May 1976, Fontaine got hired and went to Ohio. Three weeks later they called me because Andy Hansen broke his arm. So I went to Ohio. That was the first year of the superheroes show. I was 20 when I got the job. Saved my life. I was just some young punk kid doing nothing. Next thing I know I’m in a huge production and did that for next 25 years. Everything I’ve done my whole life’s been dangerous.
Mark Gutleben: Sea World built a stadium in Orlando. I left Sea World Ohio. Sea World paid you to move. I lived in a van in a parking lot in Sea World until I had enough money to share rent on a house. I lived with Dave Madeline, Sharkey.
Mary McMurtrie: My cousin Dave Madeline groomed me for the show. We used to summer ski some tournaments together while I was in high school. I was 18 and very naïve when I started and 30 when I finally called it quits. BEST YEARS OF MY LIFE.
Nancy Radant Combes: I applied for the show the summer before working there. I would have just graduated from high school. The day I visited the show it was very busy and there was no time to audition. I was hired based on my amateur experience and because I was the right size. The smaller the better for girls in a ski show.

What was your training/water skiing background before taking the job?

Betsy Maher (Hawkins): Grew up in Florida on a lake. Learned to ski when I was five years old. My first skis had my tennis shoes nailed to them (small feet).
Bill Schwartz: I began skiing at age five in upstate New York. When I was 10 we moved to Candlewood Lake in Connecticut where my older brothers and I meet Pete Knapp [who skied for Cypress Gardens and] who introduced us to advanced skiing tricks like trick skiing, barefooting, and jumping. There also was a water ski show club on Candlewood which we joined. This introduced us to show skiing. Being the youngest in the group, I was the guinea pig and was forced to learn everything they did and more. For example: they took me to the middle of the lake, threw me out of the boat, and told me I either had to learn to barefoot or swim home. Being two miles from home, I learned to barefoot. [In] my teens I became a solid skier with a strong foundation in all areas of water skiing.
Kaci Whittenton (Hedstrum): I did not know how to ski! They taught me how and that was the start of the training program.
Mary McMurtrie: Summer skiing…in other words, not much.
Randy Messer: Most skiers were around college age and came from show ski clubs, which are very popular some Midwestern, Northeastern, and a few Southern states, but Wisconsin is the mecca of show ski clubs. I learned to ski in Iowa on a muddy water lake off the Mississippi.
Suzanne Schwartz: [My husband] Sharkey was an experienced skier, as he grew up spending his summers at Lake Berryessa in Napa County (CA). He was hired as a professional skier at MarineWorld right out of high school. A motorcycle accident in January 1976 shattered his right ankle and ended his professional skiing career, but he continued to be a part of the show as a driver and all-around equipment maintenance guy. I, on the other hand, had no skiing experience whatsoever. I did have dancing experience.

How long was the training for the SWSH show?

Betsy Maher (Hawkins): For me, just a week. During my two-week notice period for leaving the Disney job, I would train during the day and work nights at Disney.
Jeff Parnell: It depended on how good you were—two weeks to a month.
John Gillette: On one hand, I had no training, but jumped right into the show. On the other hand, the training was continuous through the seven years I worked for Sea World.
Steve Fontaine: In Ohio, we started the first of May and it snowed about five inches that first day of practice! We began the show over Memorial Day weekend.

How would you describe the training?

Andy Hansen: I was already trained from previous shows. I just had to train my posture from dancing the Charleston to standing with my hands on my hips while flashing my newly installed “girdle” muscle garment. Because it was a water ski show, training was more fun than anything else. I was at a stage of life where I would go into Sea World on my day off just to hang out and watch the others perform in the show because I loved it so much.
Bill Peterson: Fun and very group-oriented. Always with safety in mind so that the skiers would not get run over [or otherwise hurt]. Such as when you fell, you were to swim a direction to avoid getting run over by the boat as it made its pattern around the show circle. The drivers were incredible.

Linda Pyle?

Bill Schwartz: I loved skiing so much that I couldn’t get enough. It was tough in the beginning. I was only 125 pounds—skinny kid—and had to learn to pick up girls my own size to do doubles, pyramids, and group acts. When I first got there, the hardest thing for me to learn was to land on the beach with a girl on my skis. I would crash every time. There was only one female skier that would work with me. Her name was Reyna. She stuck it out with me and one day it clicked and I never missed another beach landing ever.
Bubby Snow: We were expected to perform just like the superheroes. We did as much superhero training as water ski training.

Kerry Lloyd, Greg Galloway, Lor Radant

Janalee Zimmerman (Addleman): I remember being very impressed that everything was planned out and timed perfectly, even down to the ropes and how they were wrapped and laid! I remember that I had to learn to slalom ski with my right foot first because the majority of the other girls put their right foot first. I also remember the comedy act—Lois Lane—was difficult for me to learn. I had to jump on Clark Kent as he skied by and I had trouble with the timing. Timing has always been an issue for me! LOL.



Randy Messer: Started early morning before the first show and the skiers were constantly wet, sore, and cold. The conditions bonded the friendship among these trainees that lasts to this day. One trainee was hired and later became my wife. Back barefoot was one of the premiere ski acts and only a few skiers at that time could end their run with a back to front turn. [One was Mark Gutleben.] We all marveled at Gute. If you asked him how he did it, he couldn’t tell you. When he was working something out in his mind, his body would twitch as he mimicked the moves in his head.
Sherry Wickstrom: First time I saw them build a pyramid, I was dumbfounded—it was a free-for-all. To build it for the first time, we were on land. When they started to do it, I just stood there. The show director asked me what was wrong. So I explained and I believe Reyna backed me up.
Shirley Duke: It was on-the-job, usually three weeks, 8-9 hours/day. I can’t remember if we had weekends off. Intensive, especially for the guys. It wasn’t just the skiing; we had beach work, we even had “waving” practice to learn the proper way to wave. We had to memorize songs (I still know the words to the intro song).

[I asked]

OMG—I knew it last week, but when I was trying to write it down, nada. Here’s what I got so far:

“We’re the heroes that you all adore
We fight bad guys to even the score
Crime and justice is all just the same
We fight bad guys and ruin their game”

Captain Cold—Bob “Bullet” Borth

Next: skiers, part 2 of 10—the characters.