Wisconsin Historical Society to display Tommy Bartlett show boat

-
2:21
Schlesinger’s Saturday Spotlight (6/25)...Succulent strawberries...
-
2:38
Woman shares story of abortion 20 years later
-
2:41
Hundreds of people march through Milwaukee to protest overturning...
-
1:46
Hundreds take to the State Capitol amid Supreme Court decision
-
2:55
Illinois pro-choice groups offer support for those in other states...
-
2:03
Public reacts to SCOTUS Roe vs. Wade decision
-
1:53
How the SCOTUS overturning of Roe v. Wade affects Wisconsin
-
2:23
Milwaukee abortion clinic volunteers, anti-abortion protesters...
-
2:08
’Today is Roe, is it contraception tomorrow?’: US Senate...
-
1:07
Brewers players build bikes for kids in the community
-
1:42
Supreme Court’s decision on abortion could open the door to...
-
2:58
A Half and Half Weekend on the Way with Some Rain
MADISON (CBS 58) -- The Wisconsin Historical Society has a new collection piece.
It's a 20-foot wooden-hulled boat that was used in the Tommy Bartlett Water Ski Shows from the late 1950's to the 1970's.
The iconic showman and entertainer died in 1998, but his ski show is still going strong in the Wisconsin Dells.Â
The boat is rare -- one of only two made by 'Correct Craft Inc.'
It uses an extremely powerful engine for pulling a lot of skiers at once.
"You think of those dramatic water ski shows -- this is the tool that made the pyramid water ski act happen, and it's important for us to collect that, but more important for us to share that," said Joe Kapler, Lead Curator.
The Historical Society says the boat is in remarkable shape considering the hundreds of hours of water ski shows each summer season in Wisconsin and winter season in Florida.
The next step is to determine the best way to clean the boat. They hope to have it in the museum within the next five years.Â