Everybody loves a circus.

People can see the circus every Thursday on Edgewater Bay as the Albert Lea Bayside Skiers present their weekly free shows.

The club is also busy preparing for its annual July 4 show. Pre-show activities, featuring the younger skiers, begin at 1:15 p.m. Saturday, with the main show at 2 p.m.

Mikki Tuohy, who has been involved with the club for five summers, is this year’s show director. She chose the theme and wrote the script starting last fall.

“Circuses and fun and family-oriented,” she said. “Most people have seen one.”

The storyline revolves around a girl who runs away to join the circus. “She feels unloved at home,” Tuohy said. “The ringmaster helps her and they find she does have a special place in the circus.”

The ski acts — doubles, trios, barefoot, ballet, swivel, jump, wakeboards and human pyramids — serve as the circus acts.

“It’s amazing,” the show director said. “Everyone should see it. It’s a family-friendly show with a lot of amazing ski acts.”

Tuohy said she got a lot of help with the script and act order from Bayside President Mike Johnson. Deanne Zogg, the boat driving captain, made the costumes.

She said her parents and siblings, who are also involved in the club, are honest with their feedback.

What is show skiing?

Extremely popular in the upper Midwest, and practiced throughout the nation, show skiing combines components of all water ski disciplines. Water ski shows are an aquatic Broadway musical, featuring several water ski acts choreographed to music and built around a theme that tells a story.

Unique to show skiing are ballet/swivel skiing, adagio doubles, freestyle jumping and human pyramids.

Age is not a factor since ski club performers can range from children to grandparents.

Water skiers have been performing amateur and professional ski shows since the 1940s. In fact, in the 1950s, the most talented traditional competitors also were ski show professionals. Today, there are more than 650 water ski clubs affiliated with USA Water Ski.

— From USA Water Ski

Tuohy said she was interested in serving as show director because this is probably her last summer to ski. She just finished her junior year at Winona State University.

“I have a little different perspective,” she said.

The season got off to a slow start this year because of cool weather in early June, when the team usually starts to practice. They’ve been working to get back on schedule.

On Thursdays, the pre-show activities begin at 6:15 p.m. with the main show at 7 p.m.

The team plans to compete at the Midwest Regional Show Ski Tournament the last weekend in July.

The team will wrap up its season with a 2 p.m. show on Labor Day.

Admission to the Bayside Ski Team’s shows is free, but the club does “pass the hat” to help defray expenses and keep the show on the water. Concessions are also available.

Because of the park cleanup, the west entrance to the park is closed. People need to enter the park from the east side.