WISCONSIN RAPIDS, Wis. (WSAW) – If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, head out to Red Sands Beach in Wisconsin Rapids for the annual State Water Ski Show. It’s the world’s largest water ski tournament and it’s right here in north central Wisconsin.

This is the 58th year of the Wisconsin State Water Ski Show. The event brings back several performers every year. Including the Wisconsin Rapids Aqua Skiers.

Before this weekend, these performers are putting in hours of work.

“Pick music, select dances, they write the script,” Wisconsin Rapids Water Ski Show Co-Director Katie Ness said. “It’s endless and endless hours, and it’s not for profit. We’re here because we love it.”

The three-day tournament welcomes 24 teams to compete across three divisions. They also perform on dry land to bring back the history of water skiing.

Ness says it’s to remind everyone where show skiing originated from.

“There are still professional teams, there’s just not as many. It’s important to highlight the history of that,” Wisconsin Rapids Water Ski Show Co-Director Jordan Moon said.

The event also welcomes many returning teams again this year.

“It’s just such an amazing tournament, it’s a great location, we just love it here,” Aqua Nut Water Shows President Bob Koehler said. “And it’s such a good time. It’s the biggest water ski tournament in the world. What started up in this area honestly was Tommy Bartlett.”

That feeling of the crowd cheering them on is a rewarding feeling competitors won’t forget.

“Once you come to stage and hear everyone cheering for you, especially those that may no longer be on the team, but are past Aqua Skier members, or just past ski family, it’s a great feeling,” Ness explained. “It gives you goosebumps.”

Organizers and performers alike say the best part of it all is seeing the rewarding feeling in the end and seeing the smiles on people’s faces.

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A fire started in a bedroom late Thursday afternoon at Hilltop of Pepper, 630 Pepper Ave. in Wisconsin Rapids.

WISCONSIN RAPIDS − A fire that started in a bedroom late Thursday afternoon has displaced 19 residents of Hilltop of Pepper.

At 4:47 p.m. Thursday, a caller reported a fire in a bedroom at the assisted-living facility, which specializes in caring for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, Wisconsin Rapids Fire Department Division Chief Brennan Agen said. Hilltop of Pepper, 630 Pepper Ave., has a sprinkler system, which activated and extinguished a large portion of the fire.

When firefighters arrived, they finished putting out the fire, Agen said. There were 19 residents at the facility who had to be placed at a different facility for the night. The Hilltop of Pepper building currently is not inhabitable.

Agen didn’t know how long the residents would be displaced.

At 9:30 p.m. Thursday, a Wisconsin Rapids officer driving by Hilltop heard an alarm and reported it, Agen said. Firefighters responded to the alarm, but the fire had not rekindled, Agen said. Because the home cares for people with dementia, the building is equipped with an alarm system that goes off if a resident tries to open an outside door, Agen said. The electricity to the building had been shut off and when it was turned back on it set the alarm off, Agen said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

More local news: Want to own a paper machine or bulldozer? Second auction planned for Wisconsin Rapids paper mill.

More local news: Take a look inside Immanuel Lutheran Church’s new Mission Center and church building as construction continues

Contact Karen Madden at 715-345-2245 or kmadden@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @KMadden715, Instagram @kmadden715 or Facebook at www.facebook.com/karen.madden.33.

The latest northeast Wisconsin weather forecast from Storm Team 5…

Another beautiful day Friday! High pressure will deliver the sun again, temperatures go up a slight bit from yesterday, and humidity levels will remain comfortable. Rain chances bump up this weekend with afternoon/early evening rain both days. On Saturday, the best chance for rain will favor areas north of Green Bay, and on Sunday, the best chance will favor communities well south of Green Bay.

Rinse and repeat forecast for Friday. Sunny in the morning and partly cloudy in the afternoon. SW winds from 5 to 15 miles per hour will bring all communities into the upper 70s and lower 80s.

Looking great Friday night, mostly clear with a low of 62 degrees.

Most stay dry Saturday with rain popping up in the pm hours over the north. You’ll feel a little humidity again with a high of 84 degrees. Severe weather is not expected.

Partly cloudy and 81 degrees Sunday. The same boundary that brings the small rain chance Saturday will be in central and southern Wisconsin on Sunday. That could be the focus for more isolated showers or weak thunderstorms in the afternoon, this time south of Green Bay.