A Lyme Regis Water Skiing

From the collection of

Established in 1992, the South West Film & Television Archive collection spans from 1893 to the present day containing more than 250,000 items. Formed from a variety of depositors, including broadcast news and programmes material from the Westward and TSW archive. In 2018 the archive collection transferred to The Box in Plymouth.

A Lyme Regis Water Skiing (Westward Diary)

The Box
Lyme Regis
1977-04-18
Mute
1m

Stand upright and keep your head over your feet.

Spectators gather on the beach at Lyme Regis in Dorset to see a water skiing event. Water skiing was invented in 1922 by Ralph Samuelson when he experimented with different techniques and boards as skis, in Minnesota USA. Samuelson travelled the country teaching the skills he had learnt and the sport became an international past time when photographs of the sport started appearing in magazines worldwide in the 40s and 50s.

Sporting Action

The camera dramatically changed the ways we interact with sport.

Watching sports on the screen allows us access that would be impossible for the ordinary spectator, whether it’s running with footballers, floating above the clouds with skydivers or drifting so close to surfers we're getting splashed. Sports broadcasting brought these elite athletes into our homes. On-pitch dramas and post-match interviews transformed athletes from sporting heroes into celebrities, flogging everything from training tips to new fashions to crisps.

Nowadays there are screens in every stadium – enhancing the in-person experience and assisting the umpire. Wherever you are, you are in the best seat, enjoying extraordinary access to the energy, excitement and agility of sporting action.

29 videos in this collection

Newquay's Fistral Beach plays host to the Fosters Draught Euro-Pro and attracts top surfers.

Splashdance

Fistral Beach
1983-09-26

WBO World Championship: Duke McKenzie V Gaby Canizales

1991

London 2012: Imagine

2004-11-04

New Era

1992-06-11

George Best

1969-01-31

Skiing with Gina [15/09/74]

1974-09-15

Swimming - David Wilkie

1979

Tennis Doubles Match

1940

Barry McGuigan Fight Preview

Belfast
1984-12-10

Play the Game Table Tennis

1974-06-29

The end of the season at Somerset and an award for Viv Richards

Ian and Viv at Somerset CCC

Taunton
1981-09-21

Santos Football Club bring Brazil's world cup talent to Home Park in Plymouth with Pelé playing his beautiful game.

The Day Pele Came to Town

Plymouth
1973-03-15

Swimming: The First European Community Championships

1987-05-10