Our History
Bill Campbell is the founder … he skied with Bob and Cathy Woodmass, Bill Martin, et al. in Minnedosa way back when (late 70?s). He moved operations to Brandon (likely early to mid 80s). Then, Roger MacDearmid acted as president until 1993 (he probably started as president in later half of ’80s). Ron Drake was president from 1993 until end of 1998.
During his reign as president, he operated the Kirkcaldy Ave. site until end of 1996. Construction of new Dinsdale site was finished in early 1997 … we ran old Kirkcaldy site that year, whilst Bill & Ron installed and prepared Canada Games water site … so club officially took over new Dinsdale site at end of Canada Games in August of 1997.
We were the host club and organizer for 1994 Canadian National Barefoot Water Ski Championships, 1994 Provincial Barefoot Water Ski Championships, 1997 Manitoba Provincial Water Ski Championships, 1997 Canada Summer Games Water Ski Championships, and Manitoba (Grassroots) Recreation Tournaments from 1993 to 1998. Club incorporated over the winter of 1997/1998 with acquisition of new Dinsdale site & equipment.
Bob Woodmas, Herman Lepp and Todd McKim were the executive when Daryl Makinson assumed the role as president in 2004. In 2005 the club hosted Trent Finlayson on the HO tour and a couple of tournaments.
Wakefest was hosted, the site was host to Dragon boat races and the Ski Club from Metegoshe came up to Brandon to put on a ski-show during the lunch hour intermission.
2011 Season – The Assiniboine River flooded and the club did not operate. The flood was hailed as a 1 in 300 year flood. Our docks needed to be removed and our sign at the site was washed away by the high flood waters. To give some scale of the flood-levels, it is estimated that there was 10 feet of water in the parking area of Dinsdale Park.
2012 Season – River levels were low in the beginning but around the time that we would normally install the slalom course, the river levels rose due to excess rain in the upper basin of the river and the Shellmouth Reservoir was full. Farmers in the area blamed improper management of the reservoir over the 2011/12 winter by suggesting that the level was not drawn down enough to account for typical rainfall. (there was little rain and snow from Nov 2011, to April of 2012). The slalom course was eventually installed on August 25, 2012 for a last blast gasp at some skiing. It was well worth is as two weeks in September turned out to be great weather. Check out the post ==> We Made the Paper!
2013 Season – The river was very high again, almost all summer. The slalom course we put in mid-August and a few sets were taken. Basically Herman Lepp, Scott Whaley, Brock Turner and Daryl Makinson did some skiing late in these season.
2014 Season - with a very positive spring run off, some free skiing was done in May. However, at the beginning of June, record rainfall caused flood levels at the site that were higher than the 2011 flood. The entire season was lost.
