ORLANDO, Fla. — Lake Eola and its iconic fountain is Orlando's crown jewel, and soon water skiers will be making jumps higher than the fountain itself.
On Monday, city officials and event organizers for "Soaked" provided a preview of what is to come this September.
More than half of the park will close for the event as competitors find out who can water ski the fastest and jump the farthest with $100,000 in prize money on the line.
"Orlando is the water-ski capital of the world and we don't know this," said event organizer Paul Lovett.
The last time the lake hosted a similar event was in the 1980s. This time around, it is expected to pump millions of dollars into downtown Orlando and attract about 15,000 people a day.
"We're talking about $5 to $6 million just in that weekend, for our downtown people," said Lovett.
Since Lake Eola is about half the size of a typical water-skiing course, organizers said they had to make some modifications like making tighter turns so athletes can make the jumps.
However, the waters are also home to the famous Lake Eola swans. City officials told Eyewitness News it already has a plan in place to make sure the animals will not be in harms way when the event takes place.
"They will be corralled in the morning and then released at night when the show is done, and we'll do that for both days," said Chris Wallace of Orlando Parks and Recreation. "And then they are out of the water and they have a safe place to go."
If all goes well, organizers said they would like to bring the event back for a second year.
"We want to make this an annual event, absolutely," said Lovett.
"Soaked" is scheduled to take place September 7 and 8, 2012. Tickets cost $15 if purchased in advance. During the event, almost half of Lake Eola Park will remain open to the public so it will be possible to watch the event from Central Boulevard for free.
In addition to the skiing competitions, "Soaked" will also feature local and national music acts, a car and motorcycle show, live graffiti art and activities for kids.
WFTV
