Michigan USA-1961: Shirtless Man Water Skiing on 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.

Shirtless Man Water Skiing on Lake — Clip Details

Vintage 8mm home movie footage from Michigan USA in 1961 captures a man water skiing on a lake. The grainy, color-bleached film shows a shirtless man in dark swim trunks and a white life vest, gripping a tow rope as he glides across the water, creating a spray of white waves. The footage is framed by dark borders, typical of old home movie reels, with a nostalgic, authentic 1960s aesthetic. The man maintains balance on a single ski, showcasing a classic summer recreational activity from the era.

Licensing & Technical Details

Original Format: 8mm / Super 8 Home Movie
Resolution: 4K restored master (MP4)
License: Direct license: commercial and editorial use
Delivery: Instant Digital Download
Duration: 5s
Price: $149 USD
Clip ID: 121080528

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

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Archive Intelligence

Archive brief fit: 1961 Michigan 8mm home-movie footage suits requests for midcentury U.S. summer recreation, lake leisure, or water-skiing inserts in documentary and educational edits.
Period detail: The clip may show early-1960s recreational styling through the single water ski, tow rope, swimwear, and soft color 8mm home-movie rendering.
Home-movie behavior: The value is an unstaged lakeside family-film view of a skier balancing behind a boat while spray briefly overtakes the frame.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include a shirtless adult water skier, white flotation belt or vest, dark swim trunks, tow rope, orange buoys, lake water, spray, and dark film-frame borders.
Film character: The footage carries 8mm texture through heavy grain, soft focus, dark gate edges, muted color, and uneven handheld framing across the lake action.
Edit role: An editor could use this as a short recreation insert, summer memory beat, sports cutaway, or transitional flash of midcentury lake activity.
Historical context: The footage documents recreational water skiing as seen in a private home-movie context, without visible signage or landmarks to identify a more specific place.
Research note: People are visible, so likeness review may be needed; no logos, private property, or music are apparent, and copyright clearance remains separate from personal rights.
Research search match: Useful search matches include 1960s Michigan home movie water skiing, vintage 8mm lake recreation, man on single ski, and midcentury summer vacation footage.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with adjacent reel footage, then other Michigan 1961 lake scenes, then broader 1960s U.S. vacation, boating, and water-sports material.

Still Frames From This Clip

1961 Michigan 8mm frame of an adult water skier at the edge of view, pulled across lake water with a large white spray. — Water skier throws spray while moving across the lake.

1961 Michigan home-movie frame showing a shirtless adult water skier in dark trunks and a white flotation belt on the lake. — Skier balances on the water while holding the tow rope.

1961 Michigan 8mm frame with an adult water skier receding left as a long band of spray crosses the lake surface. — Spray trails behind the skier as he passes out of frame.

1961 Michigan home-movie frame of an adult man water skiing across open lake water with tow rope, spray, and orange buoy visible. — Water skier glides across the lake near an orange buoy.

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