The Villa Lagos story begins with 12 year old Eric Pettinger watching ABC’s Wide World of Sports. Eric see’s the Masters Waterski Tournament and is immediately hooked as he watches the skier making their way through the slalom course. He is determined and decides he wants to do that too. 

 

Eric begins by gathering milk jugs from his mom’s kitchen, and pieces of string and steel from his dad’s shop.  He then drops the makeshift course in the Sacramento River East Slough in Red Bluff.  Enlisting the help from his brothers, he instructs them to drive their hydroplane boat (made of two sheets of 4x8 plywood laminated together with a 10 horse motor strapped to the back) through the center of the buoys and Eric skies his first slalom course.  

 

Over the next 8 years Eric thumbs rides behind any boat (over 100 different types) that would pull him. Fast forward 20 yrs and Eric's passion continues as he spends his summers participating in numerous slalom, jump, barefoot tournaments up and down the west coast.

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In 1998, on a rural piece of dormant land in the El Camino District of Tehama County, 8 miles south of Red Bluff, Eric begins construction of his very own waterski haven, Villa Lagos. The ski lake officially opens with the first ski rides in May of 1999.

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In the years since, Villa Lagos has hosted many INT, USA Waterski, and CSUC Collegiate tournaments, as well as many private, social and celebratory events.

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We welcome you to our lake, come see our passion first hand!

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Eric & Connie Pettinger