CLOSE
Sign up to get news on contests, pro events, new products and special offers.
WATERSKI MagazinePlanning a family ski trip can sap all of your energy – not to mention your bank account – before you even break the water. And even the most enthusiastic water ski families are bound to get bored running the boat all day once they reach their destination. Purity Springs Resort has a simple solution – variety.
Located among New Hampshire's White Mountains about an hour east of Portland, Maine, this all-inclusive vacation spot is a natural alternative to the normal “hook up the boat and pile in the car” ski trip. In fact, Purity Springs doesn't even allow you to launch your own boat on its 150-acre lake.
“We just want families to come up here and have a good time without having to pull out their wallets again,” says Janice Crawford, the resort's marketing director. Purity supplies the ski boats and gear, so visitors just have to bring toiletries and pajamas.
The lake itself is purely ordinary, but the down-home service guests receive is something special. Ski trips are announced each morning by the boat master, who does all the driving while skiers lie on the sandy beach waiting for their turn. More advanced skiers can even take a crack at the tournament-regulation slalom course. And every June skiers of all ages and levels come for the “Great Family Water-Ski Getaway” to receive individual instruction from one of the country's top coaches, Bill Peterson.
Off the water, the resort runs family hikes through the adjacent Audubon Sanctuary. There are also pick-up basketball games, cookouts and some of the most hotly contested croquet match- es in New England – all included in the price of your stay.
Air temperatures during the summer months can be anywhere from 60 to 85 degrees, with the water temp running somewhere in the low 70s. To be safe, you'd be wise to pack a shorty with your slippers – the resort will take care of the rest. – Tony Smith
