Butch Peterson

[Ron Hill]

Chuck Sterns and I lived in Bellflower...Chuck, probably was the greatest water ski racer in the WORLD...Long before the Australian Style of holding the rope, Chuck used arms in front, pure MUSCLE to Ski Race.....

Butch Peterson was a MUSCLE SKI RACER...He was training for the Olympic in BICYCLE RACING when a car backed out of a driveway and Butch hit the car. To my knowledge, Butch never recovered to normal....

Pictures from Powerboat, November 1968...

[Powercat]

I remember a Catalina Channel Ski race that Butch and Chuck were neck and
neck as they came thru the break water into the smoother water of the
LA harbor, and the boat drivers both kept changing the lead as each would
push faster and faster with both skiers ready to fall at any moment from
fatigue after 50 miles of open ocean skiing.. As they made the turn past the
old restaurant that used to be on what was the point just past where the
Queen Mary is today both boats were at full speed heading for the finish
line at Golden Ave. Chuck's boat was slightly faster and pulled
ahead for the win..... I also remember the two of them were always the
fastest at the ski drag racing at Marine Stadium... with each trading off
new speed records from run to run... Both were amazing athletes to
watch..
Danny Leger

[Ron Hill]

I never knew Butch drove boats, thought he only skied...

[Skyskier]

This photo was taken in 1961, I was 14 yrs. old and had won the men's open race at Parker. Butch walked down to our pit to congratulate me on the "win".
I'm the skinny little kid in the pic Butch was a class act probably the best all around waterskier I ever knew, could do it all, trick, jump, slalom and speed, him and Chuck were competeing against one another in tournament events as kids in the jr. boy's division back in the '50's

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I can remember seeing pictures of Butch behind an SS or SK boat or some such boat speed skiing. One picture in particular that I can see clearly was of him with every muscle straining and being pulled somewhere around 120 mph. Even if most people could get up to that speed, I don't think they could hold it long. Butch's training and endurance put him at the top. It looked like a tremendous strain to balance the pull of the boat against the friction of the water. That must have been something to meet him. Especially after a win at Parker.

[Skyskier]

I can remember seeing pictures of Butch behind an SS or SK boat or some such boat speed skiing. One picture in particular that I can see clearly was of him with every muscle straining and being pulled somewhere around 120 mph. Even if most people could get up to that speed, I don't think they could hold it long. Butch's training and endurance put him at the top. It looked like a tremendous strain to balance the pull of the boat against the friction of the water. That must have been something to meet him. Especially after a win at Parker.

Butch skied ( in my day's ) behind an 18 ft Mandella, named " Kini Po Po Lua ", Bruce Izatt sr. drove for him............I think Butch drove one of Lou Brummet's rigs in the enduro's at Salton City & Parker 9 hr. enduro's. I learned a lot of my "tricks" on trick ski's from Butch,...........while he was riding a standard slalom ski many a time we'd finish racing and then go out an play ski

[SS 201]

I was racing Ski in Miami in the mid sixty's Lou Brummett and Peterson were parked next to us in the pits. I believe Butch Peterson just had broken a leg in a ski event. Both were nice people, boy that's years ago.

[Skyskier]

I can remember seeing pictures of Butch behind an SS or SK boat or some such boat speed skiing. One picture in particular that I can see clearly was of him with every muscle straining and being pulled somewhere around 120 mph. Even if most people could get up to that speed, I don't think they could hold it long. Butch's training and endurance put him at the top. It looked like a tremendous strain to balance the pull of the boat against the friction of the water. That must have been something to meet him. Especially after a win at Parker.

was it maybe this one ?

[Skyskier]

Here's one of Chuck making a pass at LBMS

[Harlan]

Butch skied ( in my day's ) behind an 18 ft Mandella, named " Kini Po Po Lua ", Bruce Izatt sr. drove for him............I think Butch drove one of Lou Brummet's rigs in the enduro's at Salton City & Parker 9 hr. enduro's. I learned a lot of my "tricks" on trick ski's from Butch,...........while he was riding a standard slalom ski many a time we'd finish racing and then go out an play ski

Shortly after my uncle bought the Mandella Boat Co in 1956, from Joe Mandellas' widow Mary, we rebuilt the KINI PO PO in 1957. It was one of Joe Mandellas boats. We had to replace the engine stringers and the bottom frames.
HARLAN ORRIN