Winning performances against the best in water skiing are generally conceded to be the province of the young; in any list of exceptions to this concession, Chuck Stearns’ name is sure to lead the rest. Stearns began competing in 1954 after witnessing his fist National Championships the year before in Long Beach, Calif., and he finally decided to end a diversified career in August of 1979. What’s more, he finished on a winning note.
In between, Stearns earned such well-deserved nicknames as “Mr. Consistency” and “Steady Stearns” by capturing event and overall titles in the world’s best three-event tournaments as well as by wining and sitting records in speed and marathon skiing,
Stearns scored a victory in the first Nationals he ever entered, the 1955 championships at Lakeland, Fla., where he topped a field of 18 boys Division competitors with firsts in slalom, tricks, and overall. From 1956 to 1968, he competed in the Men’s Division, winning the overall crown in 1957, 1958, 1962, 1965 and 1967.
Click here to read more about Chuck at the Water Ski Hall of Fame site
