A new show at the New York State Fair is leaving fairgoers extremely impressed. It’s an action-packed water sport stunt show, all done in less than eight feet of water.
It’s called Ski Extreme, a show featuring gravity-defying stunts, speedy jet skis and enough waterski flips and tricks to keep fairgoers on the edge of their seats.
The show comes with a warning: Do not try this at home; these tricks are best left to the professionals.
(Spectrum News/Emily Kenny)
Robby Allen, who started Ski Extreme, says he grew up competing with his family in show skiing before going professional and performing around the world at places like SeaWorld and Universal Studios.
“I was born into professional water skiing,” Allen said, “I’ve been planning this company, like, literally my entire life.”
Now, he’s really making a splash. Allen and the rest of the daredevils behind Ski Extreme have been putting on shows and delighting fans across the country since 2024.
But it’s not all fun and games. The stunts the team performs require lots of training and a deep understanding of the sport.
“It’s a small body of water and high horsepower,” Commentator Kevin Michael explained. “These jet pilots need to be carefully synchronized and calculated at every turn.”
When the training gets tough and the daily shows feel like the daily grind, the crew says there’s one thing that helps them through: Salty the Sailor.
“Salty … he’s our staple, the cornerstone of Ski Extreme,” Michael joked. “You know, he’s just a loveable loser, just trying to make it out here and trying to get a spot on the team.”
(Spectrum News/Natalie Mooney)
All jokes aside, what really keeps the team moving and grooving is the people.
“You go out and land a jump off the launch ramp, stick it clean and hear the roar of the crowd, there’s no better feeling in the entire world,” Michael said.
“To have large, massive fairs like the New York State Fair invite us out and have people come up to us that have said, ‘I’ve been at this fair for 25 years, and this is the best show we’ve ever seen,’ and that stuff is truly awesome to hear,” Allen said.
There’s still plenty of time to catch Ski Extreme at the New York State Fair. Ski Extreme will perform three times daily, at 11 a.m., 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. through Labor Day.
(Spectrum News/Emily Kenny)