SHAWANO, WI (WTAQ)- The highly anticipated Shawano Ski Shark water ski season is starting on a low note.
Dave Passehl of the Ski Sharks says that because the waters on the Wolf River are so low, they have to make adjustments to keep everyone safe.
“One of the first questions we had is can we safely pull our boats through the shallow water? Secondly, what if someone falls in the shallow water?”
As the season gets underway for the Ski Sharks, Passehl says they have to adjust their program until the water goes up.
“Around our dock is two and a half feet deep, which is an unsafe level for a lot of the big stuff we do. If you can imagine falling from the top of a pyramid into the shallow water, you have a huge chance of hitting the bottom and having a significant injury.”
Since the summer season started Memorial Day weekend, many water enthusiasts have noticed the lower levels, and some have wrecked their boats with realizing how low the water is.
Passehl spent time over the holiday weekend, helping to pull boats off of unexpected sandbars. He says he even witnessed some scary situations.
“We witnessed a skier hit a sandbar that is not normally there, and actually fall flat on her face.”
The early season for the Shawano Ski Sharks water ski team will start smaller than expected.
“Our already shallow ski site is even more shallow because of this ridiculous water level. We are using smaller acts to start the season.”
The Ski Sharks also compete at the state level later in the summer. Passehl is worried that if the water is not raised in enough time for them to practice a full routine, they may not be able to go to competition this year.
Even though the Ski Sharks bring excitement once a week and bring in a large crowd, Passehl says the big issue is not just with the water ski team.
“This is about the recreation of Shawano where we are seeing half the water traffic on a holiday weekend. This is about a lower number of boat rentals or people damaging their boats because they are not expecting the water to be low, and most importantly this is about the chance of people being hurt.
The DNR decided to lower the water level based on a study.
Water management groups and elected officials are trying to get them to change their mind.
