Ralph Samuelson

Ralph Samuelson (* July 3, 1904; † 28 August 1977) was an American inventor and farmer. Samuelson is considered the inventor of the sport of water skiing.

Life

Samuelson began his first experiments on Lake Pepin in the summer of 1922 in Lake City, Minnesota, shortly before his 19th birthday. He succeeded with self-made water skis from wood on the lake water skiing to drive. In 1925 he succeeded the first jumps over a ramp on the lake. At age 23, he suffered a back injury, so that he could no longer sporty continue. He worked in another life as a turkey breeders. Samuelson was married and had three children.

A patent on his invention of water-skis had not caused Samuelson. Only Fred Waller of Huntington, New York applied for a patent for this.