The ‘No-Toll’ Effect
Now that the toll’s come to an end, is it a new frontier on Shawnee Bend? by Tegan Pasley In April 2024, the last toll was collected on the Lake of the Ozarks Community Bridge, two years ahead of schedule. The end of the tolls was celebrated by residents and...
Kirby <3s Malibu
Champion wakeboarder Kirby Liesmann, of Kirby’s School of Wake, talks about his Stateamind/Iguana partnership, and reveals why he loves Malibu and Axis boats. by Nathan Bechtold When three-time wakeboarding world champion Kirby Liesmann started wakeboarding...
DockBloxx Roxx!
This ingenius device is taking docks by storm. Why? Because it holds everything. By Annika Bringman Keeping a dock tidy can be tough. From fishing poles to life jackets to kayaks, figuring out where to store boating accessories is a perennial challenge. It’s tempting...
Big Developments on the Lake
After two or three years of talking about it, my cousin Trevor and I finally got our families together for an afternoon of boating. On a cloudy Saturday in September, we climbed aboard his wake boat—me, my oldest three kids, Trevor, his son, and his dad David (the...
Tales From The Deep: How To Float A Giant On Lake Of The Ozarks
When big things sink in the Lake, Tim McNitt — aka ’The Walrus’ — gets to float them by Nathan Bechtold & Al Griffin Ask Tim McNitt of Atlantis Dive & Dock Salvage for an interesting story, and you'd better get comfortable. When your job is diving for sunken...
These Vintage Boats On Lake Of The Ozarks Take Us Back To Simpler Times
Keep your superyachts. These classic boat owners turn heads everywhere they go. by Kate Robbins From flashy catamarans to sleek cruisers, Lake of the Ozarks is home to some incredible boats. But for some, the best boats on the water are from years gone by. Antique...
The Filmmaking Accident At Lake Of The Ozarks That Changed Hollywood Forever
by Michael Gillespie (posthumous) with additional information by Shore While Netflix could be credited with thrusting Lake of the Ozarks onto the global stage, Hollywood actually discovered the Lake in 1938. A movie production company used the still-new body of water...
‘Ozark’ & The Lake’s Casino
How much truth lies in fiction? by Sara Halverson & Nathan Bechtold Will Lake of the Ozarks ever have a casino? To hear some tell it, the Lake has already had one. In the 1930s, Lakeside Casino was built by Union Electric after finishing the dam. The venue offered...
Cold-Water Killer
The surprising truth about cold water that every boater should know by Sky Smith & Nathan Bechtold Summer is the season for boating at Lake of the Ozarks, but in many ways, nothing beats the weather of fall. Yes, fall soon turns to winter, and in the Midwest that...
‘We Were Blown Away’: Lake Of The Ozarks Shootout Brings More Boats Than Expected
Shootout coverage by Jason Johnson & Matt Trulio -- republished courtesy of SpeedOnTheWater.com The Lake of the Ozarks Shootout has completed its 32nd year, and with 189 total runs by nearly 100 boats, the event was a success by any metric. By spectators'...
The Ozarkian Rock Band ‘Ha Ha Tonka’ – An Interview
Ha Ha Tonka singer and mandolin player Brett Anderson talks Ozarks roots, “Ozarkian” music, and their favorite place to be on the Lake. Interview by Nathan Bechtold (Editor’s Note: Interview edited for brevity and readability.) Mention Ha Ha Tonka outside of Missouri,...
What’s In A (Boat) Name?
Some boaters have known for years what they’ll name their dream boat. For others, their new vessel’s christening is the result of an agonizingly long debate. By any other name, would the ride would still be as sweet? Each year, Boat Owners Association of The United...
The Harley Davidson Tomahawk Is A Boat From Another Time
Many people love bringing their Harleys to Lake of the Ozarks. Eric Miller’s is built to float on it. by Ariel Thibodeau In the summer of 2016, Eric Miller’s wife gave him a one-of-a-kind gift. Eric was at their home in Kansas City, Mo. while his wife Joleena and her...
My Happy Place
Dan Debert What I enjoy the most about the Lake is the diversity of people you encounter. You meet people from all over the country who enjoy the Lake. I have been coming down here my entire life. I've gone from enjoying weekends with my family as a kid, to working at...
Letters From Readers
I loved "A Lake Story,” [editor’s note] and related to so much of falling in love with this place by wonderful family vacation experiences and memories. My husband's family used to come to the Lake starting in the 1950's with other families to camp, stay in those...
A Kneeboarding Champion’s Lake Roots
Champion kneeboarder Mark Ritchhart has watched watersports grow and change, since his teenage years on Lake of the Ozarks. by Nathan Bechtold Mark Ritchhart remembers the first time he tried waterskiing on Lake of the Ozarks. He was 14 years old, and it was 1975. “I...
A Lake Family’s History, Through Childhood Memories
College student Sophie Shore reflects on sweet memories of growing up on the water. by Sophie Shore And I come to the fields and spacious palaces of my memory, where are the treasures of innumerable images… — St. Augustine, The Confessions (Harvard Classics) I have...
Wakeboarding: The Ultimate How-To Guide For Newbies
Teaching hundreds of kids to wakeboard every year, Kirby’s School of Wake has a few tips on learning for the first time. by Sydney Liesmann It’s another weekend at the Lake with friends and family, and wakeboarding sounds like just the thing after several fun tubing...
Editor’s Note: Wakesurfing And Life Goals
“My days are out of control,” I lamented to my pastor. by Nathan Bechtold Organization and structure aren’t my strengths; I like to think I’m the creative type. And the result is that, with three young children, two growing businesses, and heavy involvement in church,...
The Bravo Shop Kicks It Up A Notch With Boat Engine Building
by Deanna Wolff An outstanding boat engine mechanic since the age of 16, John Pfahl knows a thing or two about fixing stern drives. This knowledge came in handy after John and his wife, Michelle, bought an offshore power boat and one of their Mercury Bravo stern...
Pulled, Powered, Paddled: The Wake Of Watersports
A Brief History Of Watersports by Christy Wagner What is it that brings outdoorsmen and women alike back to the Lake of the Ozarks every weekend, from Memorial Day to Labor Day, rain or shine? What is it that draws these like-minded souls to commute for hours on end,...
How A Local Resort Inspired The Netflix Hit Series ‘Ozark’
Glimmers of the real Lake of the Ozarks shine through Ozark’s dark story, and at one place in particular… by Sara Halverson “Oh, Lake of the Ozarks? Is it anything like the Netflix show?” It’s a common refrain heard by those who live or vacation at Lake of the Ozarks,...
CWD Decks Out Docks
by Deanna Wolff It’s no secret that Lake Life is the Best Life. We live for those sunny summer days sitting on the dock with our toes in the water. And then suddenly we realize, “I think my dock needs an upgrade.” CWD Supply, just outside Osage Beach, has what dock...
The Legend Of The Lake’s Phantom Steeple
What lies beneath these waters? Structures—or ghosts of them—from the Lake’s lore and shore. by Michael Gillespie (posthumous) and Nathan Bechtold There is an air of mystery when the subject turns to what is under the waters of the Lake of the Ozarks. After 85 years...
Liftoff! The Rise Of Air Traffic At The Lake
Lee C Fine (Osage Beach/Kaiser - KAIZ) Runway - 6,497 ft long, 100 ft wide Surface - asphalt/aggregate friction seal coat Jet Fuel - 100LL Jet-A Traffic - avg 90/week Grand Glaize (Osage Beach - K15) Runway - 3,205 ft long, 60 ft wide Surface -...
Can Boat-Buyers Avoid Paying Sales Tax?
Boaters who’ve heard about no-sales-tax states, such as Delaware or Oregon, wonder if they could eliminate sales tax on a boat purchase if they simply buy a boat there. The answer is yes – but only if they use their boat in those states. Generally, boaters have to pay...
My Happy Place
Boaters tell us why they love Lake of the Ozarks, and some favorite memories of sunny days on the water. Ben VensI grew up spending summers at the Lake with family and working. I have been a full-timer now for almost three years.What I love most about the...
