Lakefront living has led to years of community service for Skip and Sheryl Wendt.
The Springfield Township couple have lived on Big Lake since 1975. After a couple years, both found themselves with positions in the township government. Since 1987, however, their biggest contribution has been their work with the Spray Masters Water Ski Show Club.
‘It has such a great emphasis on family and character building,? Skip Wendt said, summarizing their motivation for involvement with the all-volunteer organization.
With the cooperation of several lakefront owners and a permit from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the club has about 1,100 feet of shoreline from which to conduct team practices several nights a week each summer. (Winter doesn’t slow the team down much ? the team is currently practicing their pyramid-building skills at the Deer Lake Athletic Club.)
There are about 50 people in the program, including boat drivers and land support teams, with participants ranging in age from two to 50. While the youngest stay busy learning how to water ski, the main team travels several times each summer for competitive and show events on other lakes, not to mention shows given for the community on Big Lake itself.
Although the emphasis is on family fun, several members of the team have gone on to professional skiing at various points around the world.
Skip Wendt is the current president of the club, while Sheryl is the lead costume coordinator.
‘I like to sew,? she said. ‘It’s a hobby.?
It’s a busy hobby, because the show theme changes each year and she tries to alter costumes at least a little every year to keep the look fresh.
A former member of the Davisburg Rotary, Skip Wendt said he was drawn to the group when Bob Dowling started Spray Masters as an offshoot of a Fenton-based ski team. He was content to be behind the scenes for awhile, was a skiier for awhile, and now is a boat driver.
The couple’s two children and their children have participated in the program (and still live in the neighborhood), so they and others have seen the family benefits first hand.
‘My children have gone through this, and now my grandchildren are going through it,? Skip Wendt said. ‘That’s three generations. We must be doing something right.?
There are challenges, of course, including finances. The cost for equipment and insurance is about $800 per skiier per year, and membership dues are close to $300. Fund-raisers and sponsorships are needed to close the gap, and they are committed to welcoming anyone regardless of ability to pay.
‘We’re a community organization, not a privileged organization,? he said. ‘It’s open to anyone.?
There’s more than skiing to the program. Sheryl Wendt said the evening practice sessions are frequently followed by a picnic on the beach.
‘We’ll have full meals after practice, with whatever food is donated by the parents,? she said.
It takes a lot of work, however, and with today’s busy culture that is a challenge, as well.
‘The irony now is we’re having a hard time drawing more families to join, because this is a commitment,? Skip Wendt said. ‘This is all summer.?
He smiles when relating another reason for his active involvement in the water ski program: ‘I hate golf.?
The couple informally boasts of being second and third in seniority (behind Supervisor Collin Walls) in township government. Skip Wendt has been on the board of zoning appeals since 1976, while Sheryl Wendt has been a member of the board of review since 1977.
‘We were asked, and we said yes,? she said. ‘I enjoy socializing with the residents and trying to help in whatever way I can.?
Skip Wendt said he was one of several Davisburg Rotarians recruited by Walls to fill board and committee positions, and he remembers the conversation well.
‘What came out of that meeting that night was a pledge that we’re going to do the best job we can so 50 years after we left, people are going to say we did a good job.?
He is unabashed in his devotion to maintaining the rural nature of Springfield Township, and he admits to having a bit of a reputation on the board of appeals.
‘I’m in favor of controlled, environmentally and socially acceptable development,? he said, but he also bought land adjacent to his home and pledged never to build on it.
‘I need space. I need to be on the water, not in a subdivision,? he said.
His wife has a special claim to the rural nature of the area, as her father came via train from downtown Detroit to Andersonville depot in 1947, walking to his land to build his family home.
Combining the interests of government and residence, in 1978 Skip Wendt organized the official lake board for Big Lake, and currently serves as Springfield Township’s representative and as chairman.
By day, Skip Wendt is an owner and partner in a business supplying materials handling equipment for heavy industry. But he believes his greatest contribution has been through activities such as the water ski club.
‘We’ve had young people start with us who were four and five, and are now in the late twenties and early thirties, who have become very successful, well-educated people who are taking the same standards and goals we’ve had and made them part of their life.?
The Spray Masters continue to seek more members and more opportunities to perform.
For more information about the group, call (248) 625-0974.