Skiing in Grand Rapids, MI

[DaveD]

Starting next week, July 8th, I'm going to be spending 3-4 weeks in GR for work. Does anyone know if there's a place I can get time in a course? I looked on Placid Waters web site but it looks like it's only set up for wakeboarding. Thanks

[MISkier]

Placid Waters has 2 courses on it. The Grand Valley State University ski team and the West Shore Waterski Club ski there. I belong to West Shore, but I live 100 miles away. So, I am not there very much. PM me for more info.

[DaveD]

Thanks. It sucks having to travel during the summer but GR is a lot better than Hermosillo. It would be nice to ski as opposed to spending my evenings in Founders and HopCat.

[Stoner]

@DaveD

I am about thirty minutes south of GR with a few options that might work. PM me your number- I will be available through the 3rd then up north with no electronics.

[Stoner]

@DaveD‌

make that going up north on the 3rd then will be back on the 6th. I will be around most of the summer...

[DaveD]

West Michigan skiers rock!!!

 

I had a great time skiing with some great people last week. Stoner burnt his hand really bad just before I got to his place and he still still skied. He's got an beautiful set-up on a great skiing lake. The couple sets with him sure helped for the next day when I got to ski in my first tournament.

 

The tournament host was awesome, the lake was perfect, and the boat pulling the tournament was a new MasterCraft from Action Water Sports. What a way to start skiing tournaments.

 

All of the skiers I met last week were outgoing and welcoming. On top of that, MIskier was a big help giving me the ins and outs of skiing in a tournament.

 

Thanks to all the skiers I met last week and hope I can ski with you all again. Dave

[kurt]

@DaveD‌

glad you had a good time , hopefully we will see you around some more

[GRSkier]

Have to resurrect this thread. I'm new to BallofSpray. Trying to hunt down a place in/around GR to do some course skiing. I occasionally ski on Green Lake, but my friend down there is only interested in skiing every few weeks. Anyone from this thread still around? Anyone here ski that course on the Thornapple near the GRR airport?

[MISkier]

@GRSkier, I believe the only access to the Thornapple course is if you are a property owner along the river. There are no public launches.

[freeski41]

GRSkier, I have access to the Thornapple River and I am looking for ski partners.

PM me if you want.

[GRSkier]

Nice. PM sent.

[dhofert]

Anyone here still around? Looking for some people to ski with.

[A_B]

@MISkier knows everyone up that way.

[MISkier]

@dhofert,

 

Are you looking to do some course skiing or free skiing? Are you looking to join a club? Most of the people I know are course skiers and club members. I did check with someone last fall who also lives on Gun Lake, but didn't get a follow up response as to their availability.

[dhofert]

@MISkier I would like to do a little bit of both. I have never skied a course yet so there would be a learning curve for sure. Don't think I am ready to join a club yet, just looking for the ability to go out more than the once a week my driver wants to go out. It's hard to learn with 15min or less a week.

 

If it makes a difference I am between Lowell and Caledonia about half hour south of GR.

[Akb2914]

I'm in Ada, but keep my boat in Spring Lake.. new to the area, and also to skiing.

 

Would love to get out more and make some progress this summer!

[wtrskior]

If you can swing it, Join a club, you will learn more and faster. Any club I've been to there are always the full gamut of ability levels.

 

I started at a club about 10 years ago on a public lake and couldn't barely run a pass through the course and now ski into shortline at tournaments.

[kurt]

@dhofert ,@Akb2914 there is a tournament tonight at our place , come and connect with others .

PM me for details

[MISkier]

@kurt,

 

Awesome idea! I was going to mention these new skiers to all you guys tonight, but it's far better to meet them.

[dhofert]

@kurt pm sent. @Akb2914 we should ride together if this sounds like something you would like to do.

[dhofert]

Does anyone else have to drive by the Lowell, Caledonia area that could stop and grab me on the way tonight?

[JAG]

Isn't Ty Oppenlander's place near Grand Rapids?

[MISkier]

@JAG,

 

Ty's is in Kalamazoo. Not too close. I think it might be inactive at the moment.

[MISkier]

@dhofert and @Akb2914, there are more Thursday night tournaments and a couple Saturday tournaments where you can connect.

 

Also, at the West Shore Water Ski Club site in Conklin, there is the water ski portion of the State Games of America (a.k.a., Meijer State Games). Slalom is on 6/24 and Trick/Jump is on 6/25. The same skiers, and probably more from the area, should be there.

[skifrk]

Hi All, Just moved to Grand Haven, working in Holland. Would like to free or slalom ski somewhere around here. I can go deep into fall and early into spring with drysuit. Just need a boat and partner. will pay for gas and drive.

 

Roy/Skifrk

[Ckrueg]

I'm in Belding and I work in GR. Just joined a few weeks ago but I'm looking for people to ski with. My parents have an old IO we use but the wake is pretty huge. I hope to have an old prostar by spring though.

[seveet]

skifrk and Ckrueg. I am always looking for people to ski with. We don't have a coarse, but Mona is a great water sports lake. PM me. We still may be able to get out this year if the good weather continues.

[BraceMaker]

I'll be moving there shortly - spring should be great for 2018

[skifrk]

Hi BraceMaker, Do you have a boat? Where you moving to?

[Mateo_Vargas]

@Ckrueg Scott Dobrowolski is the greatest skier I know from Belding. PM me if you want contact info.

[MISkier]

+1 for Scott D. Skied with him at West Shore Water Ski Club for years and at tournaments every summer. Great skier. I bought my current boat from Scott.

[GWaterski]

@MISkier -

I also bought my current boat from Scott!

[mfjaegersr]

Aaaaand....another resurrection for this thread.

 

Work brings me back to Grand Rapids Aug 26-29, 2019 and I would love to catch up with fellow Ballers this trip, for a few sets in the early evenings Mon, Tue, Weds. Can one of y'all offer fresh info/contacts for these previously proffered prospects?: West Shore ( @ MISkier ); Thornapple ( @ freeski41 ?); Billy's Puddle ( @ kurt ?). Standard gratuitous gas and beverage fees gladly covered!

[MISkier]

@mfjaegersr, I sent you a PM with contact info for West Shore.

 

@kurt

will also know many of the skiers and options over there. He lives in that area and I live quite a distance away.

[mfjaegersr]

Thank you! @MISkier - I’ve sent an email already.

 

@kurt

- I’m only wanted in 7 states; Michigan isn’t one of ‘em. I’d welcome your thoughts, connections for a set or two ‘near’ GRR!

[kurt]

@mfjaegersr

PM me when the time is closer I am sure we can hook up on one of those nights

[mfjaegersr]

@kurt

Will do; thank you!

[MIfootski]

Anybody skiing Spring Lake or Mona lake? I'm always in for some free skiing and barefooting.

[JPwaterski]

Anddddd Another Resurrection of this Thread.

 

The GVSU Waterski & Wakeboard Club is in search of a lake in the Allendale/Grand Rapids area that has a ski course for 2022.

We currently ski at West Shore roughly once a week and on public lakes the rest of the week.

We need another location that has a ski course, as practicing once a week for a couple of hours is not near enough time for a team of skiers to learn the course.

We are open to the idea of negotiating payment, but we're a club sport so we can only afford so much.

Any information or help provided would be greatly appreciated.

[lpskier]

I think that most of the Grand Rapids (and nearby) water ski scene is at LaPoint Ski Park this week. I visited those guys this summer on the way to Nationals and even caught a Thursday afternoon tournament. What a blast!

[klindy]

@ForestLake

[JPwaterski]

LaPoint does run a nice ski operation from what I've heard. Never had the pleasure of going myself.

We're looking for somewhere to ski locally for next season.

[MISkier]

@JPwaterski, you're going to need to do some leg work, but I have some information on options that West Shore considered when the lease at Placid Waters was terminated. I'll post here as I locate my old notes.

 

You will need to get your approach together, so that you present your request professionally and assure these folks that you will address any liability concerns and other stewardship of the property. It always helps to have someone with a connection to the owners or the company that can work a back channel to get your request presented in a relaxed, low pressure setting.

 

Option 1: Huizenga Gravel Pit at Fillmore and 22nd

 

This site is about 1800 feet long. I did a course layout in Google Earth that would fit, but there were a couple narrow spots. The most notable would be the glide area on the pullout for the gates on the East End. Your proximity to shore might be approaching what it is at Van Wert. Some other previous West Shore members visited the site and took some drone video. I can't remember if they checked the depth or not.

 

When I did my initial research, the company that owned it was Huizenga Development Land LLC, which was related to Huizenga Redi-Mix concrete. US Representative Bill Huizenga appeared to be tied to the ownership of those companies. Perhaps he may be looking to garner the water skier vote or just help out some constituents. The company address is 10075 Gordon St in Zeeland.

 

 

[MISkier]

These sites will be valuable when you see a body of water and want to identify the owner (and ensure it is wholly-owned by a single entity).

 

https://gis.kentcountymi.gov/public/publicviewerjs/

https://gis.miottawa.org/ottawa/geocortex/propertymapping/

 

Zoom in on the parcels and click to reveal the owner.

 

[MISkier]

@JPwaterski, here is another lake that is basically next door to the Huizenga site and was not there at the time we were looking for a new site. It is at 2511 Fillmore. The property is owned by Cedar Valley Associates, which is a development company. Very likely, they will be developing this into homesites, as they did on the lakes across the street. But, until they do, you might try to persuade them to support GVSU with some access to it, assuming the depth is good. Length is fine at 2000 feet (see the yellow line).

 

The website for the development company is http://www.cedarvalleylakes.com/

 

See the contact page there. If you have your club organized as a 501©(3) and/or can somehow arrange to consider lake access or discounted lease terms as a donation, perhaps the company can write off your usage. Consult a qualified tax advisor on this.

@MI3Eventer may know something about the financial aspect of this.

 

 

[MI3Eventer]

@JPwaterski @MISkier yeah so GV Waterski as a club no longer has a 501C status, however if you worked with club sports and somehow got the "Donation of the site" to be to Club sports then there would be the tax write off option such as what was done with the club boat.

 

I would love to have either of those sites used as an additional site as West Michigan is booming with more skiers that want private courses, but theres just not the locations at this point. If any of these sites were to be interested West Shore would be a great resource for adding a surveyed course, and other resources.

[MISkier]

@MI3Eventer, thanks for the info. I agree that more sites are needed across the State.

 

It would be great if the club could somehow talk the DNR into allowing a full time course again at Buddy’s Pond in the Bass River Recreation Area, but that ship has probably sailed. Heck, even getting a course put back into Max Lake (the Grand River bayou right next to Buddy’s Pond) would be a reasonable location. The public water course permit problem in Michigan is such an impediment to cool options like those. The long time West Shore guys will remember those sites. Buddy’s Pond was especially good. Great wind protection and skied really, really well.

[MI3Eventer]

@MISkier Grand Valley has actually been using Buddy's pond to ski as noone else uses it so they can always have calm conditions and it is pretty protected. If we could get a permit to drop a course in there then they would be well set up. Personally I am not sure of the process, but I probably should have a conversation with Dan C. Talk to some of the memebers at WS the course is still in, but with all the weeds that have grown up it was impossible to find the anchor lines.

[Mastercrafter]

This doesn't help the GR area search but figured someone needs to ski this pond in Howell, MI. Problem is, no lease possible, he just wants to sell it for $1M+. It's about 1750' long, I forget the exact details but something like 20 acres of water and 20 acres of land. 6-10' deep. He mined peat there and finished a couple years ago. Would be a cool place to put a few houses, sans the active railroad track next to it.

 

42.55810203957971, -83.89638931708731

 

If anyone wants details, I can put you in touch with the owner. Nice guy.

 

 

[MISkier]

@MI3Eventer, the DNR officer from PJ Hoffmaster State Park was previously the contact for obtaining the Buddy's Pond permit. In 2015, that was Patrick Whalen. At that time, they were following a new developement/use plan for the Bass River Recreation Area, which was their primary reason for terminating the West Shore access there. I do not know whether they have continued with the plan or would be open to again discussing slalom course use in the park. At the time we were attempting to regain/retain the course there, we presented a plan and even had a letter of support from AWSA to assure the DNR of the safety and low environmental impact of skiing there.

 

If you were inclined to approach the DNR about Buddy's Pond, I do have some of the old emails and documents. I also have the information and application form for obtaining a permit (I have my own course permit on a lake up North). One thing that has changed since 2015 is the slalom course permits now have the option to get a waiver on provision 6, which requires the course to be removed each day when not in use. Now, with that waiver, courses can be installed continuously, which is key for Buddy's Pond. Perhaps the new terms might be something the DNR would be willing to consider and give a waiver on the course removal. And, as I have mentioned previously, it always helps to have a contact who has a close relationship with the officials that would be considering your proposal. Approaching someone with a cold call is often less successful.