On the water for the Ski Bees final show

Standing on the waterfront at Lake Breeze Ski Lodge makes for good people-watching. Parents sip adult drinks while kids clamber all over the nearby playground, and the smells of grilling hang in the air. On the water, boats zip up and down the lake, creating an ambient soundtrack overlaid with birds and other nature sounds that become hypnotic the longer you listen.

With imposing clouds threatening a spring break cool front on the horizon, the McQueeney Ski Bees took to the lake recently for their final show. Lake McQueeney is being drained so that they can perform needed repairs on the dam upriver.

Ski Bees President Jimmie Price is a lifelong lake resident and has been a part of the iconic Texas Ski group for a significant chunk of its history.

“Lake McQueeney became the ski capital of Texas back in the 50s when Buzz here at the Ski Lodge started putting on ski shows,” Price said. “They carried out through the 60s, and then when GBRA came in and changed some of the rules –– they couldn’t have night shows –– then it ended. Then, in the 80s, we picked it back up. In the 90s, I was president, and then we’ve carried on all these years to be what we are today.”

And what they are today is a team of fiercer skiers of all different ages that come together to perform doing something they all love ––waterskiing. Notably, most Ski Bees are younger members learning the sport, but that doesn’t mean they don’t throw down skills on the water. As they hit the lake for their last performance, girls did pirouettes on swivel skies while other squad members buzzed around the lake, getting big air on jump tricks, which earned cheers from the crowd that gathered to witness the spectacle.

“Most start them young so that they know how to ski and know how to act around the water –– how to be safe in a boat,” Price said. “You know, just get them out of the house, and get them some exercise. That’s something we’re really going to miss. A lot of these kids are just coming up to the age where they’re ready to go and then, bam; we’re going to take away not just our lake, but all three lakes are going to be gone for this whole time. Dunlap will be back this summer, so that will be some relief, but we’ve been looking at some other options. We might do some shows at Texas Ski Ranch, or somewhere like that. We’ve been invited to do some things, but it won’t be weekly. What we’re really hoping is that when the water goes down, there’s still a usable channel of water where we can put on our show. Just like a little tournament lake. That’s our hope, but we won’t know until the water goes down.”

For the past two years, the Ski Bees have also had Nick Wilson on their team. Wilson performs at Seaworld San Antonio in its high-intensity summer ski show as his second job. He discovered Lake McQueeney, as many people do, through a friend.

“It’s a good spot with great people,” he said. “I got introduced to this place because of my brother and a friend. Before a show, usually, you know, you get your stretches in and don’t think too much. Just go out and have a good time. When the lake is empty, the beautiful thing is not too far from here in New Braunfels, Texas is the Texas Ski Ranch. So you can go ride cable, you’ve got a lot of features, it’s a lot of fun. You can wakeboard, ski, wake skate –– that’s what I’ll do.”

Also out on the water for the last show was Josh Wright, who diligently tended ropes to ensure skiers were safe and helped scoop them up out of the water when they went down. As bravely smiling kids clambered into the boat, he’d make sure they were all right, and then off the speedboat would go with Price at the helm, deftly maneuvering it around the waterways as laughter erupted from the back. The energy and vibrance for the water the Ski Bees have flowed with the wind ripping at hair and hats as the boat rocketed toward the dock with Wright talking about lake life in the back.

“A lot of us are board members or dock help, or parents,” he said. “If we’re not involved in the ski organization, then there’s still a lot of volunteers. That brings families together and creates a brotherhood of individuals and families to meet and connect. You know, winter is when we wear jeans, or at work. The instant we come home they’re usually left on the floor, and we pick up board shorts, no shirt, and a hat, some sun glasses, maybe flipflops, but the number one rule about the boat is there’s no shoes in the boat, so we usually leave those at the house. We just live life.”

Of course, life is changing right now for Wright and many other lake residents. With the water being emptied, many livelihoods, including Wright, a full-time boat detailer, are now under threat.

“I had McQueeney Boat Detailing, and that was my number one job for the last three or four years. Then with the news of the lake going down and the dam and everything, that ended pretty much my whole career. And while there are still boats out here, it was an everyday thing. Not only does it affect the livelihood of people, I think it affects their mood and mentality. You’re used to skiing every day, you’re used to being on the water with your family, and now you have that taken away. You just have to find an alternative. We’re going to make the best of it, whether it be kayaks, paddleboards, or hovercraft. We have a lot of people trying to figure out different ways to keep that lake lifestyle here with or without this water.”

Right now, the expectation is for the lake to be empty for two to three years, but unknown factors could impact the timeline. Wright and others are all keeping spirits high and finding ways to make the best of it –– like investing in a hover boat, which he hopes will keep the lake life feeling alive until it is full again.

As the ski bees launched into the water one final time, they expertly maneuvered themselves into their final pyramid just as as the sunset behind them set and the clouds rolled in, putting the famous Ski Bees water show to rest...at least for now. •