Press release from Mystic Waters Lake Lure:
Grab your lawn chairs and sit lakeside at the Mystic Waters Ski & Skeet Pro-Am Tournament and family festival at Mystic Waters in Lake Lure, N.C. on Saturday, Aug. 23 from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Presented by Carolina MasterCraft with Rutherford Regional Health System, the event continues onSunday, Aug. 24 with professional ski lessons. The tournament is hosted by Mystic Waters, a private water-ski lake heralded by skiers across the world, and the Lake Norman Ski Club.
“Rarely do waterski tournaments take place in a dedicated ski venue that also has space for spectators,” said Lynn Carnes Pitts, festival co-director, avid skier and co-owner of Mystic Waters. “Our venue allows skiers to enjoy the perk of skiing in excellent conditions before a cheering crowd, which is an uncommon treat for competitors in this sport.”
In addition to watching some of the world’s best water-skiers compete alongside their amateur partners on Saturday, attendees to the free event can also enjoy a full day festival featuring live music, performances from the A-Lure “Dirty Dancing” dancers and the Lake Lure Cloggers, health and wellness vendors, local artists, food, tai chi and fly fishing demonstrations, guided hikes and more. A pro-am skeet-shooting tournament will also take place on the property, but will not be open to spectators due to safety concerns. On Sunday, people can sign up for ski lessons from some of the pros.
Jeff Cochrane, president of the Lake Norman Ski Club and co-director of the Mystic Waters Ski & Skeet Pro-Am, explains that the overall goal of the weekend is to promote health and wellness while bringing added attention to the sport of waterskiing. “Mystic Waters is amazing and there’s not another lake like it that has the quality and scenery with a great, big grassy area where people can watch skiers up close and personal.”
Professional tournament water-skiers – like Austin Abel who is one of the top-ranked skiers in the world – say that Mystic Waters is a “one-of-a-kind” ski lake.
“There is no tournament lake in the world like Mystic Waters,” said Abel who towers at 6 ft. 8 in. and competes in most pro tournaments held each year. “Here I can have an intense time on the water and then stick around to really enjoy the peace and the area and not just ski, ski, ski, then leave,” explains Abel, who is also an instructor at Trophy Lakes in Charleston, S.C. “I could stay here for weeks, and after training on Mystic Waters, go mountain biking, hiking and then play on Lake Lure.”
Festival attendees can enjoy Abel’s talent as well as other pros on the tour this August when they return to compete in the Mystic Waters Ski & Skeet Pro-Am Tournament presented by Carolina MasterCraft with Rutherford Regional Health System.
About Mystic Waters Lake Lure
Located behind Ingles in Lake Lure, Mystic Waters Lake Lure is a leadership retreat center, farm, and tournament ski lake. Owners Lynn and Russ Pitts have conserved over half of the land to protect the watershed and natural beauty of the camp. Learn more about the lake and tournament at www.facebook.com/mysticwaterslakelure.
About Carolina MasterCraft
Carolina MasterCraft is the area’s full-service MasterCraft boat dealer and inboard service shop in partnership with Carolina Watersports, a watersports equipment company. They have set the goal to share their passion for the water with as many people as possible. Learn more about Carolina MasterCraft at http://carolinawatersports.com.
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