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WATERSKI MagazineYeah, we know. Lake Elsinore is within a whiff of the nation's second-biggest city (Los Angeles). Boaters run rampant. Maximum speed on most of the water is 35 mph, and noise levels aren't to exceed 86 decibels. But answer this: Have you ever seen someone ski 100 mph in person? Ever try to go, oh say, a conservative 65 yourself? This is where you'll witness ski racing at its best and, given the gumption, try it for yourself.
While speed barriers are crushed when the National Water Ski Racing Association comes rumbling into town, the aforementioned rules aren't. The maximum speed and noise levels are waived in designated areas, turning the center of Elsinore into a virtual 2-mile racing oval.
“It's one of the few places that's tailor-made for racing, which is what you'd want if you're a novice,” says Rick Lemmon of the National Water Ski Racing Association.
Jackie Nanette operates a ski school on one end of the lake with two slalom courses for more traditional types who have no interest in G-force speeds. But the reality is that Elsinore has become synonymous with longboards and neck protection.
