1970: While working on his Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the Tennessee Tech in Jackson Tennessee, Mike Harris became interested in the sport of ski racing after a college friend got him started. Mike's first tournament was in 1971. In 1972, Mike won the National Ski Racing Championship hosted in Portsmouth Ohio sponsored by National Outboard Association. Around the same time, Mike was exposed to three event skiing by his mentors Vic Varallo of Nashville, Tennessee and Bill Cameron from Cookeville, Tennessee.

1974: After earning his Aviator wings, Mike was transferred to NAS Cecil Field for the A7 Corsair fleet replacement squadron. In May of1975 Mike joined Attack Squadron Fifteen while on deployment in the Mediterranean aboard USS Roosevelt (the old one Franklin D. CV42), then USS America CV66. He did three cruises to Mediterranean and one to South America. During that time he added to his resume approximately 300 carrier landings. Needless to say, the tour of duty at sea allowed very little time for Mike's skiing. Mike returned to Shore duty at Cecil Field in November of 1977 as instructor pilot at Attack Squadron 45 flying the A-4 Skywhawk where he taught Air Combat Maneuvering (ACM) and instrument flight. Mike then attended Top Gun, which is the Navy Fighter Weapons School Adversary course, hosted Miramar California. Shore duty afforded the time and opportunity to resume waterskiing activities and tournaments. Mike joined the Ski Skats Club of Orange Park. The Ski Skats had a slalom course and jump that they maintained on Doctor's Inlet.

1978: Mike met Misky in early 1978. A friend of Mike's from flight training came into Jacksonville on a cross-country flight and brought her over to go skiing in the river. Mike's friend returned to Texas and Mike promptly asked Misky out on a date, which of course, would involve water-skiing. Skiing is also where they spent most of their dating time together. Mike and Misky have been together since they met in 1978.

1979: After becoming frustrated with trying to maintain a slalom course in public water Mike began looking for a suitable body of water to create a private ski facility. As a Navy A-4 instructor pilot he was easily able to get a birds eye view of all bodies of water in the area. Mike found a track of property on the Northwest side of Jacksonville which had a 30 acre lake created by the state of Florida as they removed dirt to be used in the construction of Interstate 10. Unfortunately, the track of land that Mike was interested in, was owned partially by the state and partially by a private individual. This would prove to introduce some additional complications as he worked towards ownership.

1979: Mike was able to get the state to put their portion up for bid and negotiate to buy the rest, which was owned privately. At the time and lacking appropriate funding, Mike offered part ownership to some of the Ski Skats club members but they were unable or unwilling to come up with the money. Mike then asked Jim Cleveland to become his partner and together they were able to scrape up enough cash to buy the original 60-acre portion that now encompasses the North and South Lake. In addition, Mike also bought a 10-acre tract for his current residence. Mike built a small cottage on the lake in the fall and winter of 1979 and Mike and Misky moved there in spring of 1980. At the same time his squadron was transferred to Key West. For six months he came home on weekends on cross-country flights. Then in October of 1980 he was hired by Eastern Airlines and was based in Miami, then Atlanta, then New York, then Miami again. He was flying in the Navy reserves 4-5 days a month, commuting to fly with the airlines about 18 days a month, and working on Victory Lake the rest of the time which simply did not leave much time for skiing.

1980: The land had no access, was grown over in brush, weeds and trees and only the South lake in existence. Mike was able to negotiate a deal to get the North lake dug under his specifications and supervision with special attention to reshaping the shoreline and embankments. The work begun in 1980 and was not complete until 1984. In 1989, Mike retired from the Navy reserves. In 1990, Mike acquired about 50 acres to the west and got the West lake built finishing in August of 1995.

Nowadays, Mike spends a great deal of his time fishing and hunting. Misky can be seen riding her horses around the property. During the warmer months, you can still find Mike out on the lake ripping up the slalom course but his real pleasure coming from the lake, is knowing how many people have enjoyed the facility that he, Misky, and Jim made possible.

More photos of Victory Lake: August 2003 Aerial