A look at when the Aquatic Sports Club ruled Whitefish Lake with their daring stunts on surfboards and waterskis.
Daring? Absolutely!
Dangerous? Sometimes.
Doubtlessly the best show on Whitefish Lake? Of course!
During the 1940s, beachgoers on Whitefish Lake enjoyed the theatrics of the Aquatic Sports Club (ASC). This fearless group, led by Irving McKeen, performed wild stunts on specialty surfboards that produced some of the most remarkable photos in the Stumptown Historical Society collection! This Stumptown Stories newsletter shares the best moments from the ASC along with a few moments when things didn't go as planned. (Plus, Monte the surfboarding dog!)
Pictured above, Irving McKeen supports Lillian Lauzon as they perform a stunt to entertain the crowds during the Whitefish Lake Regatta. Notice that Lillian's eyes are closed and her hair is completely dry. Also pictured above, Irving McKeen and Jack Downey support the bar while Lillian Lauzon balances over the water. Once again, note their dry hair and t-shirts!
Staying dry wasn't easy but they were experts at their craft. The surfboards they rode on were handcrafted with carpeting on the top for traction along with handles for support during some of their inverted stunts. The surfboards also weigh a ton! If you want to get your hands on one, come visit the Whitefish Museum to see one of the original ASC surfboards.
Patriotic Pyramids in Big Mountain's Shadow
The history of the Aquatic Sports Clubs was recorded and donated to the Stumptown Historical Society by John McKeen, the son of the group's founder. We're grateful to him for these photos and the wonderful info he provided. Here is John explaining how the Aquatic Sports Club operated:
"The "Aquatic Sports Club of Whitefish Montana" was managed by Irving McKeen. The group consisted of four men and four women with a mind for action and entertainment. Between the years of 1942 and 1948 you could bet they would be part of the show at the Regatta Boat Races.
Generally, there would be 7 or 8 of the group available for an event. Bob Marcus owned and operated the boat, and he would use an assistant to stay near the back of the boat to watch the skiers. That person would watch for hand signals from the skier, as to when to start, stop, or turn one way or the other.
Irving and Jack Downey did most of the stunts for the men. They made a good team because they were both the same height and build and could balance each other off. When two fellas were on skis, and they were carrying a lady between them, she needed to be evenly balanced, and not roll to one side or the other. On this type of stunt, Irving and Jack worked well together. Frank Guay, also from Whitefish, would do some stunts, but would generally help by preparing the rigging, sorting out the equipment, and generally supporting the execution of the events. The ladies who participated were Leona Frerich, Lillian Lauzon, Betty Berger, and Irma Kastella."
Pictured above is a pyramid of Irving McKeen, Jack Downey, and (likely) Lillian Lauzon surfing across Whitefish Lake performing their pyramid stunt while carrying an American flag. Also pictured above, Irving McKeen shows off his style by surfing in a suit. Notice how dry the suit is! No surprise swims for these performers.
Waterski Jumps at City Beach
Have you ever jumped off the dock at City Beach? You might be able to say yes to that question, but we bet you weren't doing it with waterskis! Aside from the surfboard stunts, the ASC also performed by jumping off jumps built into the docks especially for the Regatta. Pictured above is Jack Downey jumping off the dock while two boats cruise by in the background.
John McKeen recalls that his father, Irving, used to make all of his own water skis. Irving would find good pine boards and then cut and shape them into the perfect waterskis for himself and his family. We are not sure if Jack is using a pair of Irving's custom waterskis in this photo, but it's likely!
Waterskis weren't the only things jumping out of the water during the shows at the Regatta. In 1950, plans were made to jump an entire wooden boat. The Whitefish Pilot reported plans to build a special boat to launch up a ramp and into the air! Sadly, we couldn't find any info about the result of those plans, which leaves us wondering if it fell apart either before the event or when the boat hit the ramp. We may never know...
Big Crowds with Big Stunts
The ASC and the Whitefish Regatta had a close partnership. Here, John McKeen explains how it worked:
"The Aquatic Sports Club would be on deck to perform at the Regatta between each individual race. There would be a dozen or so races, or "heats", that would take place. After the race was finished and the winner was called, the racing contestants would be forming up for their next race. That is when the Aquatic Sports Club would do its part.
They would be prepared and on deck to perform as soon as that race was done. At the proper time, the Aquatic group would be given a signal, and they would go into action. They would do a sweep across the bay in front of the crowd. You could see Irving and Jack coming while balancing the lovely Lillian on the balancing bar. And that was it. After the next race was over, they would appear again, and do something else amazing; then they would meld into the crowd until their next appearance.
This would happen a dozen or more times each afternoon. It added a moment of spontaneity and was a big hit. Bob Markus, or his crew person, took many of the photos that we still have that show the activities of the group. With all the action and timing, it was very difficult to get a good photo. But you can see, they did pretty well."
Pictured above is Bobb Markus in his boat pulling Jack Downey while he does a headstand in front of the crowd at the Regatta. The surfboards used by the ASC had handles and foam headrests to help make these stunts possible.
Monte the Surfboarding Dog!
While researching for this story, we started reading references to "Monte" and how much the crowds enjoyed seeing him. Sometimes the papers only mentioned his name but other times they hinted that he might have four legs. But we couldn't find a photo of Monte and our curiosity was piqued! Who (or what) was this Monte the Great that everyone wanted to see?
Finally, we happened across this column from 1938 explaining the lore behind Monte:
After much searching, we turned up a single photo of this famous canine! Pictured above is Monte the Great riding a surfboard behind a boat during the Whitefish Regatta. This photo ran in a throw-back column in the Whitefish Pilot in 1947. Thanks to the Whitefish Pilot archives for these snapshots into Whitefish's history.
The Chamber of Commerce Issues Challenge
In 1939, the Chamber of Commerce President threw down a challenge to any other Chamber presidents who wanted to match up against him in a surfboard race!
If the current leader of Whitefish Chamber of Commerce (Executive Director or Chair of the Board) happens to be reading this and is interested in recreating an event like this, please drop us a line. The Stumptown Historical Society is on board to help make it happen!
It doesn't even need to be surfing. Maybe ping pong? Or pickleball? Whatever it is, we are all in for the Whitefish legacy of cordial competition.
Thank you for reading this month's Stumptown Stories newsletter about the history of the Aquatic Sports Club in Whitefish!
-The team at the Stumptown Historical Society
I grew up in Whitefish in the 50's and early 60's. I was friends with Mike and Denny McKeen, but didn't know Irving had a son named John.