Heads often turn at the sight of Joe Duff on one ski racing across the water of Herrington Lake. Not only does he look totally comfortable on his slalom ski at 30 miles per hour, but he’s also 89 years old.
Since 1953 Duff has water skied at Herrington Lake in Central Kentucky.
His wife Joyce Duff remembers in the fifties there was not a lot of gear available in the area for Joe and friends. “Everything was trial and error. They were all determined to do it and went downtown. Oh, they bought clothesline, and I don’t know what all to ski with because there wasn’t any Overton’s (a large marine supplier online) or ski shop.”
For the next seven decades, Joe perfected his water skiing. He would go on to compete in water skiing tournaments around the country, win awards, and start a ski club at Herrington Lake.
Joe says he became good at three facets of water skiing: slalom which is on one ski, jumping off a wood platform, and trick skiing. He says his record in the 1960s for jumping on water skis was 113 feet.
For trick skiing, he would ski backward and attach his toe to the rope.
Joyce Duff recalls, “There’s a little toe bridge thing, and he did toe tricks front and back and jumped the wake.”
Joe is humble and a man of few words. He says in addition to trick skiing, “I could never be the best skier, the best jumper. But I could do all three fair, and that kinda keeps you around it.”
In the first few decades of skiing his wife drove the ski boat, but in the last ten years, that duty has gladly been taken by his friend Thad Holway.
Holway who is 58 and also skies on Herrington Lake, says he and Joe have become close friends.
“It’s not all about skiing. It’s just hanging out, enjoying each other’s company. We’ve gone through a few rough spots together which is life and we’ve been there for each other so it’s awesome.”
Holway feels honored to be a part of Joe’s water-skiing journey. “It’s incredible just to watch him, and people will ask me, do you ski a lot down there? And I go yea. They will go well I remember a guy named Joe Duff, and they’re talking thirty, forty years ago. And I still ski with him, and people are blown away.”
For Joe’s part, he appreciates his friendship with Holway and credits him with staying active in his later years. The pair exercise at a nearby gym in the Winter months to stay in shape for skiing.
Joe says “Back in the Wintertime he’ll say you know, 13 more weeks we’ll be at the lake. So, it’s all worked out pretty good.”
Holway says Joe has made a great contribution to water skiing in Kentucky.
“Joe is the definition of humility. I know he has some state records. He’s just basically been the backbone of water skiing in the state of Kentucky for a number of years. Everybody knows Joe Duff.” Does Joe plan to keep skiing into his nineties? “Well, if nothing doesn’t happen I will. My goodness yea.”
As Joe climbs onto the back of a ski boat he’s breathing hard and smiling. I ask him how it felt skiing.
He says, “It always feels good. It’s fun alright. Whoo!”
Joe Duff is not letting his age define what he can or can’t do. He’s an inspiration to many people on and off his water skies.
If you see him skiing, give him a wave. He’ll wave back to you with a great big grin.
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