On a mild late spring day when the sun glistened off the water , the Coventry Lake Water Ski Club held an open house to show the community and prospective club members how they spend their summer : having fun while practicing and perfecting their water sport skills in a family-friendly and encouraging environment .

“ Our mission is to provide a place for as many people as possible who are interested in water sports to get together and have fun safely , ” said Sean Butler , president of the Coventry Lake Water Ski Club .

The club , which has been organizing activities , practices and events for 18 years, is part of a longer tradition of utilizing Wangumbaug Lake ( Coventry Lake ) for water sport and boating activities , which dates back almost half a century .

Originally the Coventry Boating Club , the mission of the organization today remains to attract members from the greater-Coventry community and beyond to observe the summer months with activities which test individual physical drive and communal teamwork and derive enjoyment from their sheer entertainment .

Today , families and individuals may join as members of the club to participate in two-ski , slalom ski , show ski , wakeboard , kneeboard or bare-foot techniques . A weekly skier development program is held on Wednesdays , and successful passage is a prerequisite to participating in other , more complex activities , according to Butler .

“ A lot of people will stay with the skier development program , because it is more recreational and there is no pressure , ” Butler said , “ but we like having people crossover from different activities . Essentially , everyone will find their likes or dislikes within the club . ”

Currently , more than 60 club members of all ages and skill levels practice weekly and are preparing for several season events , culminating with the Coventry Ski Show on Sunday , Aug . 3 , at Patriots Park .

“ It is a great family sport . You can bring yourkids down no matter how old they are , and all of the kids get along . We have a great time , ” said Mike Meyer , of Coventry , the club’s vice president .

“ There is nothing better than to see kids learn a new skill for the first time . To see the smile on their face is priceless , ” said Butler , “ and when adults learn how to do something new , they are just like kids , too . ”

A key component of the club’s activities is instilling proper water safety , Butler said . Safety programs are required annually and cover all aspects , including moving equipment , safety on the water , on boats and life-guarding . A junior development program assigns a youngclub member to each activity to show them how to manage the program and to learn by experience , Butler said .

“ If youlearn the basics , which is what most people don’t want to do , then when youstart learning more advanced tricks , everything becomes so much easier , ” said club member Rick Dionne , who has introduced a wakeboarding program , which meets on Wednesday nights .

Butler said that he would like to see the club grow to a point where it extends beyond Coventry Lake .

“ We like to support the community in whatever way we can and are looking at doing fundraisers to raise money for good causes such as CoventryFest [ the town’s annual summer event ] and cancer awareness and support , ” he said .

To that end , Butler is exploring re-incorporating the club as an IRS 501 ( c ) ( 3 ) tax-exempt , non-profit organization and believes that it is appropriate for a club which places a high emphasis on education .

For more information on joining the Coventry Lake Water Ski Club , visit their Web site at www . coventrywaterski . com .