the origins of the sport are widely debated, with three prominent versions, from three parts of the world, usually presented - the version, most commonly adhered to, is that ralph samuelson, an 18 year old american, used snow skis pulled by a speed boat to glide across lake pepin, in 1922.
it took a further 20 years for the sport to make its way to brazil during the 1940s - members of the săo paulo society imported equipment from the usa - water skiing continued to develop in brazil. ideally practiced in small lakes with calm waters, there are some great locations for water skiing in rio de janeiro, which is why the sport has gained popularity in the marvelous city.
