Tommy Bartlett

Thomson "Tommy" Bartlett (July 11, 1914 – September 6, 1998) was an American showman and entertainment mogul from Wisconsin. He is most often associated with the water skiing thrill show based in Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, known as Tommy Bartlett's Thrill Show. The success of this and other traveling water ski shows led to Bartlett's induction into the Water Ski Hall of Fame in 1993. His shows have toured the United States, the Far East, and four World Fairs, and have been seen by 50 million spectators. In 1945, he returned to radio, hosting a show called Meet Tommy Bartlett. In 1947, he hosted the Tommy Bartlett Show and Welcome Travelers.

Water skiing In 1949, Bartlett went to the Chicago Railroad Fair, where he witnessed a water skiing show on the Chicago lakefront. It was used as a backdrop by CNN while the network reported on Mir's re-entry to the atmosphere in 2001.

Bartlett was inducted into the Water Ski Hall of Fame in 1993 for his contributions to promoting the sport, despite having only water skied once in his life, on his seventieth birthday in 1984. His name, however, lives on in the Tommy Bartlett Exploratory, which continues to entertain thousands of visitors every year.