Slough Ride
How an Albertan water skiing phenom, turned HVAC king, dredged out his world-class dream.
Leader of the Lake — Ron and the coaches he hosts in the Columbia Valley teach youth how to slalom ski: a type of water skiing that requires athletes to navigate a course of six buoys in a zigzag pattern, with the speed of the boat increasing, then the length of the rope decreasing, for each run of the course. Jeff Pew Photo
“I found this place by accident,” says Ron Smith. In 2006, he discovered a tiny 25-acre slough in TaTa Creek, B.C. that would soon host some of the world’s best slalom water skiers.
“A friend was flying from Invermere to Cranbrook to his daughter’s soccer tournament and saw it from the air,” the 68-year-old explains. “When they told me about it, I thought I’d talk to the rancher to see if he’d let me lease it. When I got here, it was for sale.”
Smith, who grew up in Southern Alberta, began water skiing on a nearby pond, eventually competing with an Edmonton club in slalom, trick, and jumps. Before long, he was competing in Florida and performing in ski shows at SeaWorld and Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri.
He later took a years-long pause, stopping skiing to build his thriving Calgary-based heating and air conditioning company. In 2006, business took him to Invermere, when he was hired to install a system at David Thompson Secondary School — and everything changed.
He pondered if he should begin skiing again. “But, if you’re into slalom skiing, it’s not the best place,” he states. “There are too many boats, so you can only ski first thing in the morning. When the TaTa Creek property came up for sale, I couldn’t resist.”
In 2006, he began clearing brush, dredging the middle of the lake to make it deep enough for skiing late in the season, and began setting up the course. By 2007, they were skiing. “A slalom course hasn’t changed since the ‘50s,” Smith explains, while a train whistled and ambled by, 40 metres from the shore. “Each time you successfully pass through the course, the rope gets shorter. Whoever skis around the most buoys with the shortest rope wins.”
In the beginning, what became known as Ron’s Ski Lake — known for its calm, warm water — hosted friends from Calgary, Invermere, and Fernie. They’d set up tournaments and camp throughout the weekend. Eventually, parents asked if he’d coach their kids. “You just got the eye,” Andy Mapple, regarded as the world’s best slalom skier, once told him. “You gotta start coaching.” It didn’t take long for Ron’s Ski Lake to become a prized location to ski and coach, hosting world record holders like Karina Nowlan.
In 2017, the BC Waterski Association approached Smith and asked if he’d be interested in hosting and coaching U17 development camps to promote the sport. Known for his high skill level, passion for the sport, and the fact that he has the only privately-owned lake in B.C. that runs a slalom course, Smith was the perfect fit. “You have to have access to a private lake to get good,” he says. “By 8 o'clock in the morning, there are so many boats on public lakes. You gotta get up at 5:30 to get any good. How many teenagers do you know who want to do that?“
His students ski all day, then camp on his property. “They cook their meals, have bonfires, and look after themselves,” Smith says. “The only thing I tell them is to be on the dock by 8 a.m., ready to ski.” Past students have successfully competed in the Western Canadian Championships.
Retired from the heating and air conditioning business, Smith’s full-time passion is continuing to develop the lake’s recreational and training capabilities. He’s been approached by developers to subdivide and sell lots, but according to Smith, that’s never going to happen. “It’s my lake,” he said from a chair on his deck looking over the water. “There’s nothing more I want. This is a dream come true.”
~ Jeff Pew
Find this full-length story and more in The Trench’s Summer + Fall 2024 edition: