Collections record Beta

Water skis

2016-23-1 a,b

Pair of trick water skis manufactured by Cypress Gardens Skis of Cypress Gardens, Florida, and endorsed by Al Tyll. Skis are made of two different woods, with three wide planks of a light yellow wood separated by narrow strips of a dark brown wood. Skis taper slightly at the front and back, and have beveled edges (more pronounced at the ends). The bottom of the skis are painted a red-orange color. Both skis have an adhesive graphic of a man water skiing with a woman on his shoulders, as well as the text "CYPRESS GARDENS SKIS/Cypress Gardens, Fla." The text "Trik-Master/ENDORSED by Al Tyll/TWICE NATIONAL CHAMPION/TM-21-A" engraved in black underneath, with "Al Tyll" styled after Tyll's signature. One ski has two bindings; the back binding is original to the ski and is marked "CYPRESS GARDENS/Ski," and the front binding is a two-piece of grey and red rubber. The other ski has a single, two-piece binding of grey rubber, with the rear piece cracked and misshaped.

Purchased by Rich O'Connor, who learned to trick ski on Lake Beseck in Middlefield. O'Connor also competed at Bantam Lake, where Al Tyll was living at the time. The skis were purchased from Tyll's boat driver in Meriden in the mid-1960s. The owners believe the skis were once used by Tyll himself.

• Cypress Gardens

c.1960

Length (each) 48", Width (each) 7.75"

• metal
• wood
• rubber