This article brought to you by Sky Forest Inn Event and Retreat Center
Article by Christina Hernandez
Photos by Sergey Astakhov
McKenzie Water Ski School in Lake Arrowhead, CA is owned by Holly Frank, and J.R. McKenzie. Located on the docks of beautiful Lake Arrowhead, the McKenzie Water Ski School has been a part of the Lake Arrowhead Village since 1946, when it was started by J.R.’s grandparents, Mac and Lucy McKenzie. McKenzie Water Ski School has been family owned and operated for three generations, and they are going on their 76th summer.
The McKenzie Ski school specializes in water skiing lessons. They have lessons for skiers of almost all ages; the youngest student at this school was 18 months old! Lesson seekers start off on the docks, to get familiar with the skis. Once they are comfortable in the skis, the next step is getting them out on the water for the two mile course. With younger skiers, the ski instructors like to get them on top of the water to get them used to it, before they get into the skis. This helps them to get rid of any fear of the water and to instill a desire to be in the water. This way, they are more likely to be comfortable and confident when participating in water sports.
All of the lessons are private and customized for each student, from beginner through advanced. Those who visit McKenzie Ski School can buy anything from a beginner ski lesson for the day, to a boat rental with the driver and access to all equipment. There are packages geared towards locals, where you can buy five lessons and get the sixth for free.
Though Lake Arrowhead was privatized 44 years ago, because the McKenzie Ski School is grandfathered in, they are allowed all access on the lake. Most of the customers they see (about “85 percent of them”) are generational. What keeps McKenzie Ski School going are the families who love what the McKenzie Ski School does and those who love Lake Arrowhead. Many people ask if they are hiring, or where they get their instructors from, because their instructors are athletic, fun, and have great stamina. The McKenzie Ski School is blessed, because the majority of their employees are family, or, if not family, their relatives before them worked for McKenzie Ski School dating back to their great grandfathers. These employees are crucial to the success of this family-owned business, and because of their hard work and dedication to water skiing, The McKenzie Ski School can boast a 99.9 percent success rate.
Safety is the biggest priority at the McKenzie School, so much so that the instructors are all trained to be calm and to help students in any situation that may arise in the water, as well as a special “walk” that instructors use in the water to help skiers who fall off and need assistance. J.R.’s grandfather even created a rigging system to get any person of any shape or size up and out of the water and moving down the course, then the students get a break at the one-mile mark.
The McKenzie Water Ski School is a fantastic, local, family-owned business and they are part of our beautiful mountains thriving history.