The lake Ken built.
2,100 feet of World Record Capable surface — 42 private acres in the North Saskatchewan River valley, 20 minutes from Edmonton International.About Shalom Park — Edmonton's Waterski Facility Since 1985
In 1985, Ken Nelson looked at 42 acres of Alberta prairie and saw a place where anyone — five-year-olds, seventy-five-year-olds, and everyone between — could discover the water. Forty years and 3,000 first-timers later, the invitation still stands.
"We are a fabulous world-class facility. But we would love to have you come and play with us."
— Ken Nelson, Founder · National Gold Medallist · Six Canadian Records · WSWC Hall of Fame Pioneer, 2011
Ken Nelson was born in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. He started skiing at fifteen — a fairly timid kid, by his own account, who didn't have a great deal of self-confidence. But the water changed that. By 1973, he was competing at his first Canadian National Championships, winning a bronze medal in slalom. By the end of the decade, he was a national gold medallist. Six Canadian records would follow over the years ahead. And by 1985, he was building a lake.
Ken didn't just build a lake — he innovated the sport itself. He was the first person to use cylinders as boat guides in the slalom course, a change that became an official rule. He designed a portable slalom course using brace lines. His ski jump design was approved by the International Water Ski Federation at their 1993 congress. And perhaps most importantly for the sport's future, Ken was the first person in the world to develop the concept of a recreational slalom course — a narrower course designed for beginners to compete on, making competitive waterskiing accessible to newcomers for the first time. By 1986, just one year after breaking ground, Shalom Park hosted the Canadian National Barefoot Championships. By 1996, the facility was hosting the Junior World Water Ski Championships.
Today, more than 3,000 people have learned to ski here. The lake has hosted World Championships, Pro Tour events, Canadian Nationals, and the Canadian Open. Ken's daughter Kristy — herself a two-time Canadian national record holder and past Junior National Team Coach — now manages the facility. His grandsons Sean and Evan both won U21 World Championships on this very lake in 2019. Three generations. One lake. And it all started with a man, a shovel, and a piece of prairie no one else could see the future in.
The lake Ken built.
2,100 feet of World Record Capable surface — 42 private acres in the North Saskatchewan River valley, 20 minutes from Edmonton International.
Father and daughter. Both medallists.
Ken and Kristy at a Canadian championship — two generations of competitors who built and run Shalom Park.A teenager from Wetaskiwin competes at the Canadian National Championships for the first time. Ken Nelson takes home a bronze medal in slalom — and discovers the sport that will define his life.
Now a national gold medallist with six Canadian records and a sport innovator, Ken acquires 42 acres southwest of Edmonton and begins building the competition lake that will become Shalom Park.
Just one year in, Shalom Park hosts its first national championship — two weeks after the North Saskatchewan River floods.
International recognition arrives. The facility proves it can host the world's best young athletes on a global stage.
Ken Nelson is inducted into the Water Ski and Wakeboard Canada Hall of Fame in the Pioneer category — recognizing his competitive career, his innovations in course and jump design, and decades of growing the sport.
Shalom Park hosts four Pro Tour events, including the first-ever Canadian Open Pro Event, establishing an elite competitive legacy.
Shalom Park hosts the U21 Worlds and the CanAm Challenge. Sean Kraus wins U21 Men's Tricks. Evan Kraus wins U21 Men's Slalom. Both on their home lake — in front of their grandfather Ken.
Back-to-back years hosting the Canadian National Championships and the first Junior Canadian Open Elite Event.
July 13–15. Three-day, three-round World Record Capability competition on Canada's finest waterski lake. The story continues.
Ken built this lake so anyone could learn. Forty years later, sets still start at $57 — because the water should be for everyone.
Whether you're picking up skis for the first time or training for nationals, Shalom Park is ready for you.
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Everything you need to know before your first set — what to wear, what to expect, and how to make the most of your time at Shalom Park.