Bayside Skiers bring audience on a tour of Las Vegas
Published 12:59 pm Saturday, July 2, 2011
By Jill Jensen
news@albertleatribune.com
When she heard an Elvis song on the radio, Bayside Ski Team show director Kristen Dulas said the “entire show just wrote itself.”
Viewers will be taken on a “G-rated” tour of Las Vegas by the Bayside Ski Team on July 4.
The July 4 ski show is at Edgewater Park at 2 p.m. The Bayside Ski Team also has shows each Thursday at 7 p.m., with a pre-show at 6:30 p.m.
The show begins with barefoot skiers on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Dulas said, and concludes with a three-tier human pyramid of the Hoover Dam.
A guy-girl line of dancers skis into shore while the Bayside Skiers practice their routine this week. -- Jill Jensen/Albert Lea Tribune
The team of 32 skiers began practice for their Las Vegas-themed show about three weeks ago, but a no-wake zone on Fountain Lake prevented them from practicing at several rehearsals and performing their June 23 show, said Mike Johnson, president of the Bayside Ski Team.
“It won’t affect our skiing because we have good skiing talent, but it definitely affects the timing of the show,” Johnson said.
Dulas, who created the Las Vegas theme after hearing “A Little Less Conversation,” said she is confident in the ability of the skiers to perform well by their kickoff show on July 4 despite the reduction in rehearsal time.
“We’ll pull it off,” said Dulas.
She said the team got in several land practices to improve on skills like pyramids.
Dulas expects the viewing area will be “packed” on July 4; each year the team receives a lot of support from Albert Lea and surrounding communities.
Kevin Zogg, 20, has been on the team for about 16 years. He said the team practices up to four times per week, but the “sense of family” is worth it.
“I ski anything and everything they need me to,” Zogg, who said this year’s theme is very “light-hearted.”
Spectators will see shows like the Lion King Broadway musical and a performance by Celine Dion. Charley Fleek, 10, is one of several skiers who perform during the tour of the Blue Man Group.
“It’s basic, and I like basic stuff,” said Fleek, who joined the Bayside Skiers three years ago.
Dulas said the show is family-oriented and does not include “scandalous-type things.”
“We just try to ensure that it’s a fun, family atmosphere,” Johnson said.
