Instagram

Instagram has returned invalid data.

Follow Us

Timeline

Home/Timeline
Timeline 2017-04-21T22:41:08+00:00

Tony’s Timeline: 1965-1990

Timeline: 1991-Current

1965: Tony learns to swim before he learns how to walk. He has great success as a competitive swimmer from ages 4-10.

Swimming Tony Klarich

 

1969: At age 5 Tony learns to ski on the Carlsbad Lagoon near San Diego, CA. “Little” Tony skis mainly with his grandparents, Nick and Mary Murphy.

Tony Klarich 1st Water Ski Ride

 

1970s: The young and impressionable Tony is heavily influenced by his uncle, Mike Murphy. Mike is world renowned as a show skier, speed skier, and is establishing himself as the “Father of Hot Dog Slalom Skiing”, and co-inventor of the kneeboard.

Mike Murphy Water Skier

Mike Murphy: A Water Skier’s Life Playlist

 

1970s -1980s: Stand-up hydrofoils become a favorite ride for Tony and uncle Mike.

Klarich Murphy Water Skiing Stand Up Hydrofoils

 

 

1980-1982: “Little Tony” goes to work for Mike at his ski school on the Parker Strip of the Colorado River. In his three summers with uncle Mike, Tony acts as shop grunt, salesman, boat driver, instructor, and show ski performer. In the summer of 1982 Klarich has his breakthrough year on the slalom ski, inventing 3 new moves.

Mike Murphy Klarich Water Ski Shop Colorado RIver Kneeboard Tricks

Tony Klarich Slalom Water Skiing Hot Dog Tricks

 

 

1983-86: Klarich gets a job as a professional show skier at he Six Flags Magic Mountain ski show in Valencia, CA just outside of Los Angeles.

Klarich Magic Mountain Water Ski Show

This Magic Mountain Ski Show highlights video includes one of Klarich’s best barefoot runs with a perfect stage landing.

 

1983-84: Klarich get his first paid ski sponsorship with O’Brien. He holds his own in a promotional video shoot with Camille Duvall, Andy Mapple, and many other top riders of the day.

Klarich was the original kneeboarder promoting the Black Magic.

 

1984: After years of training and hundred of attempts, Tony becomes the first skier to perform front flips on a slalom ski. He is immediately given a salaried contract by Herb O’Brien to represent his new line of skis: HO.

Klarich Slalom Water Skiing Front Flip HO Turbo

 

1985: Klarich makes a splash in the watersports media with numerous features and articles. He joins forces with Danny Churchill and Hydroslide as one of the nation’s top kneeboarders.

Klarich water skiing barefoot kneeboard slalom tricks

 Complete Powerboat Feature Story

Complete Trailer Boats Feature Story

 

1985: Klarich does the first of several TV commercials and joins the Screen Actors Guild.

Water Ski Commercials Playlist

 

1985: Klarich wins the first of 3 national overall kneeboarding titles in the top men’s division of the AKA Nationals (1985, 1986, 1989). Along the way he sets numerous nationals records in tricks and slalom.

Klarich Water Skiing Kneeboarding Tricks Hydroslide

 

1986: Uncle Mike, Mike Mack, and Tony hop a plane from the Hotdoggers’ Hangout on the Parker Strip of the Colorado River to Orlando Florida. They join Deena Brush, Cory Pickos, and the Larson Twins to shoot HO Sports first promotional video.

 

1986: Tony designs HO’s first kneeboard, the Aerial 360.

Klarich Water Ski Kneeboard HO Aerial 360 Ad Design

 

1986-1989: Klarich becomes an integral part of HO Sports promotions.

Klarich Pickos Deena Water Ski Tricks Kneeboard HO Team

 

1986-1990: Hot Dog slalom skiing catches the attention of water skiers everywhere, and Klarich writes numerous instructional tips.

Klarich Water Ski Magazine Cover Hot Dog

 

 

1988: Water Ski Magazine develops a book and video featuring Hot Dog Slalom Skiing.

Klarich Hot Dog Slalom Water Skiing Book Video

 

Click To Read “Hot Dog Slalom Skiing” Book

Click for “Hot Dog Slalom Skiing” Video Playlist

 

 

1987-1993 Klarich hires surf photographer Rick Doyle. The shoots are expensive, but Klarich now retains rights to his own photos. Along the way the pair develop some of the earliest use of remote water-cam pictures in water skiing.

Klarich Water Ski Kneeboard Rick Doyle Photos Original Hemet Cam

 

More on the Helmet-Cam & Ski-Cam

Photos by RickDoyle.com

 

1990 After years of performing as an exhibition act at the Water Ski Pro Tour, Klarich is chosen as the principal performer of the Michelob Dry Don’t Boat and Drink commercial. Stock footage from the Hot Dog instructional video appears in one of the most colorful commercial in water skiing.

 

1990: Hot dog slalom skiing is at its peak of popularity in large part to Klarich’s unrelenting appearances and promotions. HO Sports releases a ski designed by Mike Mack specifically for hot dogging.

Klarich Water Skier HO Vertical Air Mike Mack Bodyslide

 

 

Timeline: 1991-Current

twittergoogle_plusredditpinterestlinkedintumblrmailby feather