Michigan USA-1961: Water Skier Towed Behind Motorboat on Calm Lake

$149 · CommercialDirect license: commercial and editorial use. $149 flat from Stockfilm. Royalty-free worldwide license for commercial and editorial use, delivered as the restored 4K master.

Year1961
Decade1960s
LocationMichigan, United States
Duration5s
Price$149 USD
Collection1961 Michigan

$149 · CommercialDirect license: commercial and editorial use

$149 USD flat · royalty-free worldwide · 4K restored master (MP4)

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Stockfilm licenses the rights identified in the applicable agreement. Additional use-specific review may be required. See the Licensing Guide and Archive Integrity.

Water Skier Towed Behind Motorboat on Calm Lake — Clip Details

Vintage 8mm home movie footage from Michigan USA in 1961 captures a classic summer watersport scene. A person water skis behind a small motorboat on a calm lake, pulled by two individuals aboard. The grainy, slightly faded color palette and soft focus reflect the era's film stock, with a dark border framing the action. The shoreline is lined with dense green trees under a bright, overcast sky, evoking a nostalgic, carefree 1960s family vacation atmosphere. The footage shows natural motion and subtle camera shake, typical of handheld Super 8 recordings.

Licensing & Technical Details

Original Format: 8mm / Super 8 Home Movie
Shot details: Exterior
Resolution: 4K restored master (MP4)
License: Direct license: commercial and editorial use
Delivery: Instant Digital Download
Duration: 5s
Price: $149 USD
Clip ID: 121079222

Rights & Clearance

$149 · Commercial Direct license: commercial and editorial use. $149 flat from Stockfilm. Royalty-free worldwide license for commercial and editorial use, delivered as the restored 4K master.

Editorial use is the safest path. For commercial use, a clearance review is recommended for the flags below.

People visible: Yes
Minors visible: No
Logos / trademarks: No
Audible music: No

Flags come from automated catalog metadata, not a legal opinion. The source is an original 8mm / Super 8 Home Movie reel. For high-stakes commercial use, request a full rights review.

Source & Documentation

Source reel: Reel 2015 · 8mm · 3″ reel
Original reel label: xmas,linda communion,,d danielar
Reel-level year note: 1961-1962
Reel-level location note: detroit michigan,
Date: 1961 Estimated (Catalog estimate from the footage and file metadata; not independently confirmed.)
Date evidence: Catalog estimate. A reel-level note shows the same year, but the clip-to-reel link is itself a catalog match, so this is not counted as independent confirmation.
Location: Michigan, United States Estimated (Catalog estimate from the footage and file metadata; not independently confirmed.)
Location evidence: Catalog estimate. A reel-level location note is linked, but the clip-to-reel link is itself a catalog match, so this is not counted as independent confirmation.
Licensing route: Direct license available from Stockfilm

Confidence labels are defined on Archive Integrity. Fields without a recorded value are shown as not recorded rather than assumed.

View source reel context Open Clip Documentation Record Request source information

Topics & Keywords

Archive Intelligence

Archive brief fit: 1960s Michigan lake waterskiing footage suited for documentary or educational sequences about summer recreation, family travel, and small-boat leisure.
Period detail: The small motorboat, water skis, faded color, and 8mm home-movie handling may show early 1960s recreational lake culture.
Home-movie behavior: The scene has an unstaged family-vacation feel, with the camera watching a skier trail a boat from shore or another fixed lakeside position.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include a calm lake, wooded shoreline, small motorboat, distant water skier, wake spray, pale sky, and dark film gate edges.
Film character: Soft focus, visible grain, muted color, gate shadow, and slight handheld instability give the clip recognizable 8mm home-movie texture.
Edit role: An editor could use this as a brief insert, transition, or memory beat for midcentury summer leisure and outdoor recreation.
Historical context: The footage supports a general view of postwar American lake recreation without identifying the specific lake, family, or boat model.
Research note: People are visible at a distance, so likeness review may still be needed; no logos, music, or private property are apparent in the frames.
Research search match: Useful search matches include 1961 Michigan 8mm waterskiing, vintage lake motorboat home movie, and 1960s family vacation water sports.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with same-reel summer footage, then Michigan 1961 lake scenes, then broader 1960s boating and watersport home movies.

Still Frames From This Clip

1961 Michigan 8mm frame showing a distant water skier being towed by a small motorboat on a tree-lined lake. — A water skier trails behind a small motorboat on calm water near a wooded shore.

1961 Michigan lake scene with a water skier behind a small motorboat, framed by 8mm gate shadows and shoreline trees. — The boat moves rightward as the skier crosses its wake on the lake.

1961 Michigan 8mm frame of a water skier and small motorboat moving across a calm lake below a wooded shoreline. — The skier remains upright as the towing boat continues across the lake.

1961 Michigan waterskiing frame with a skier near the boat wake and two distant figures aboard the small motorboat. — A skier cuts across the wake while the small boat carries two distant occupants.

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