The world record books will remain unchanged in one water ski event this year.

Multiple attempts by the Wisconsin Rapids Aqua Skiers and five other area ski show teams ended in failure as they tried to break the world record for largest human water skiing pyramid on Lake Wazeecha. The current record consists of 60 people in the pyramid. Saturday’s attempt was for a record 72 skiers. The six ski show teams include the Aqua Skiers, Aquaducks, Backwater Gamblers, Badgerland, Beaverland Must-Skis and Water Bugs ski show teams.

The skiers had a hard time getting beyond the starting platform. Once the pull boat took off, the skiers slid from their platform, hit the water and seemed to stop almost instantly. Upon a failure, all the skiers had to return to shore, and recoil their ropes, which were nearly 300 feet long, before heading to the start platform and trying again. Each reset took about 30 minutes.

Aqua Skiers Show Director Amber Krohn said the problem was a matter of timing the pull boat’s throttle in order to keep pulling all the skiers.

“He needs to start going faster sooner. It’s not making it just yet,” said Krohn. “Every act that goes on the water for a ski show is about timing…they’re so close.”

She said the Evinrude engines were powerful enough to make the pull.

“The largest human waterskiing pyramid consists of 60 people and was achieved by Big Pull 2013 (USA) on Lake Wazeecha in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, USA, on 14 September 2013. Five different show ski teams (Aquaducks, Backwater Gamblers, Badgerland, Beaverland Must-Skis and Water Bugs) from Wisconsin and Illinois made up the 60-person pyramid,” writes the Guinness Book of World Records.

Due to a small, inexperienced team in 2013, the Aqua Skiers were not able to participate in the current record pyramid.

Despite Saturday’s failed record attempt, the Aqua Skiers had a successful season taking first place at the Wisconsin Ski Show Championships and Division 2 National Ski Show Championships.

“You can’t top our summer,” said Crohn.

The Aqua Skiers will return to Lake Wazeecha next summer where they will play host to the 2016 World Water Ski Show Tournament.