| Name: |
BamaBob3
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| Subject: |
New water sport?
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Date:
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8/12/2008 3:11:52 PM
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I watched a boat of young fellows in a Ski Nautique play around this in front of my place that past weekend. I thought they were trying to teach someone to ski. The more I watched the more that I realized that was not the case. Then I thought mayb the guy was trying to barefoot...but not the case. He would grab the rope and the boat would just drag him around like a torpedo. Is this some new think the kids are doing?
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| Name: |
Kizma Anuice
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/12/2008 3:20:39 PM
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all you need is a fifth of your favorite. you can also tie the rope around your waist like the guy at double bridges did. they wrote a hit song about him. "Ski-King"
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| Name: |
nelems,robert
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/12/2008 4:23:49 PM
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I have an original 45 rpm record of "Ski King" by E.C. Beatty (1959) on my jukebox. Had always heard it was a true story,but never sure.Please fill me in.
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| Name: |
longtimer
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/12/2008 5:45:15 PM
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And here I was starting to think I was the only person who had ever heard that song, much less who still had the 45!
"The sun was a-shinin',
The water, it was smooth;
Ski King was in perfect form,
Daddy-O was in the groove."
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| Name: |
Kizma Anuice
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/12/2008 5:52:43 PM
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I am not sure and have only been told this story. That back in the fifties there was a recreational area around Kowliga for white folks and a recreational area on the Elkahatchee call double bridges for black folks. If you go far enough up the creek you can still see the area and parts of the bridges.
The story goes that a black family came into some money unexpectedly and bought a pink Caddy convertible and a ski boat with a 50 HP motor, the biggest available at the time. One day they got some skis and took the rig to Double Bridges. One guy, the son, the story goes put skis on and tied the rope either to his hand or around his waist. He stood on the bank and the father known as Daddy-O backed the boat close to shore. Ski-King yelled out "let her go Daddy-O", and Daddy-O drove around the lake dragging Ski-King. The skis were still on the bank.
There were several songs recorded about the incident including the Beatty version, one by Felton Jarvis and latter a song called "This Great Society" by Ski-King and the Life-Bouys.
The latter song is about how LBJ is going to give out checks and Daddy-O can use his welfare check to get the boat going again and Ski-King can use his check to buy new skis. By that time Double Bridges and Kowliga were both shut down because of segregation issues. And Wind Creek was a private park that Russell had developed, I was told for its employees. What is now Russell Lands was still part of Russell Mills. Latter Russell mills had a cash problem and sold Wind Creek to the State of Alabama, at basically a give away price because it was draining cash.
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| Name: |
Kizma Anuice
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/12/2008 5:57:41 PM
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you can hear the Beatty song at
http://www.bigbobh.net/dowop/skiking.htm
and the Great Society about 3/4 of the way down the page at
http://thehound.net/19880416/
There is a third song "Letter go Daddy-O" but I can not find it.
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| Name: |
nelems,robert
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/12/2008 6:06:01 PM
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Thanks,Kizma. This reinforces my thought that it was a true story,but had no idea it was an Alabama story. I searched for that record for maybe 30 years,wound up finding it at a little internet record shop for $10.Too bad the owner didn't know how badly I wanted it,and how much I would have paid! It is not a reproduction,it's a 1959 original. I will reference your posts to any friends that doubted me.
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| Name: |
JIM
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/12/2008 6:11:14 PM
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Robert, I remember that record well, a little before I was a grocey delivery boy. Named a friend of mine ski king.
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| Name: |
nelems,robert
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/12/2008 6:21:09 PM
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Flip side is "I'm a Lucky Man".It's so bad I never play it,but "Ski King" is a classic.I remember calling in to an oldies late nite radio station maybe 25+ years ago and requested they play it,they thought I was crazy.But I got the last laugh when I found the record.
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| Name: |
JIM
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/12/2008 6:39:34 PM
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I got 45`s and 33 1/3 by the hundreds, most are from the late 50`s and 60`s. Never play them, need to.
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| Name: |
JIM
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/12/2008 6:42:16 PM
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BTW, Jack Scott was one of my favorites. Ever herd of him?
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| Name: |
nelems,robert
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/12/2008 6:51:52 PM
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Sure.Everyone thinks Tom Jones did "What in the world's come over you?"But it was Jack Scott. Need to find that for my 1961 AMI Continetal 2 jukebox.
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| Name: |
JIM
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/12/2008 7:13:21 PM
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I got it on a 33&1/3. What about Good By Baby By By, Burning Bridgers Behind Me. This really takes me back. Duane Eddy thats another one.
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| Name: |
nelems,robert
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/12/2008 7:21:27 PM
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Most of my favorite artists are gone. I have every single and every album Bo Diddley ever made.
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| Name: |
Hawks Nest
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| Subject: |
New water sport?
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Date:
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8/13/2008 8:23:57 AM
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My child calls this "gator dragging." He tried it....didn't like it.
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| Name: |
Hawks Nest
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| Subject: |
New water sport?
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Date:
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8/13/2008 8:28:41 AM
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Probably didn't like it because my boat was a Stratos w/ 225 hp. hehe.
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| Name: |
Lakeman
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| Subject: |
New water sport?
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Date:
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8/13/2008 8:30:35 AM
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Hawk were you trolling?
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| Name: |
Hawks Nest
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| Subject: |
New water sport?
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Date:
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8/13/2008 10:56:37 AM
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Well...that's one of way of looking at it. Probably would work better if I took him to Lake Eufaula. I could troll for gators using the "gator dragging" technique.
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| Name: |
longtimer
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| Subject: |
I don't think that it is new
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Date:
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8/13/2008 3:33:48 PM
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It's a funny song, but I wouldn't bet on it being true, or if it is that it happened in Alabama, much less on our lake. (Probably elements of truth, though, considering the number of stupid things that can happen-- and have happened to most of us-- when boats and skis are involved.)
One reason I say that is because I had some family in Wisconsin back in the day, and they swore up and down that my Ski King record was based on a "true story that happened on a lake in Wisconsin!" I have a feeling that the location is one of those things that changes depending on where you are when the story is being told.
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