Doug, a former resident of White Bear Lake, and his wife Mary raised their five boys on Bald Eagle Lake. He first learned how to water ski in 1946 in Spirit Lake, Iowa on a pair of boards with shoes nailed on them.

He was no doubt influenced to water ski by a cousin on his Mother’s side of the family, the Father of Water Skiing, Ralph Samuelson.

Doug became seriously involved in the sport while a student in grad school at The University of Minnesota after meeting avid skiers Paul Hassselquist and Ed Bidwell.

• Joined the Bald Eagle Water Club in 1954 during it’s second season.
• Skied in the first tournaments at Bald Eagle Lake in 1954 and in the inaugural Minneapolis Aquatennial Water Ski Tournament on Lake Calhoun in 1955
• Tournament Chairman of the 1959 Midwest Regionals on Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis, sponsored by the Bald Eagle Water Club.
• Co-Chair of the 1960 and 1965 AWSA National Water Ski Championships on lake of the Isles in Minneapolis, both sponsored by The Bald Eagle Water Club. The 1965 Nationals were televised on ABC’s Wide World of Sports
• Founding member of the Minnesota Water Ski Association in 1960
• Chief Judge, 1963 Midwest Regionals, sponsored by the Sugar Loaf Ski Squad, Winona, Minnesota
• AWSA Senior Judge
• Chief Judge at The All American Tournament at Cypress Gardens, the Southern Regionals, The Masters at Callaway Gardens, and at the 1972 Nationals in Seattle.