Water skiing is thrilling summer sport

Water skiing may have been born in the US in the 1920s, but it didn’t make a splash internationally until the 1940s. This Australian Diary segment dives into the thrill of the sport – equal parts skill and spills – on the glassy Nepean River in NSW. It’s a vibrant snapshot of a rising craze that hit its peak when water skiing featured as an exhibition sport at the 1972 Summer Olympics.

Today, its popularity has waned, overtaken by surfing and wakeboarding – but back then, water skiing was the ultimate ride.