Out of Office: Kris Ausborn

My dad purchased a boat when I was 13, and it came with a pair of skis. After a couple of weeks, we decided it was time to see how these things worked. That really started my love for waterskiing, and I’ve been skiing now for over 50 years. … I learned on my own, and it took a few tries to actually get out of the water. It’s challenging and fun to complete cuts or turns, and cross the boat wake in one smooth motion. 

About 10 years ago, I was meeting with a consultant in my office, and he saw a picture on my credenza, one of me skiing. He invited me to ski with his club to see if I would be interested in joining them, and I’ve been skiing with this group ever since.

Most of my skiing has taken place either in Iowa or Minnesota. Today, we ski at West Okoboji Lake in Iowa. The lake has very good clarity, so it’s just an enjoyable experience being on the water in the morning with friends who share an appreciation for waterskiing.

Water skiing requires a team effort. It’s always safety first … It’s very important that the driver and the spotter are in sync, as the boat pulls a slalom skier at 34 mph. At that speed, slalom skiing requires concentration and trust in your teammates, traits that easily translate to working in a community bank.

—Aveya Hannan and Axel Moctezuma