Michigan USA-1961: 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.

Man Water Skiing on Lake — Clip Details

Vintage 8mm home movie footage from Michigan, USA, in 1961 captures a man water skiing on a calm lake. The grainy, slightly faded color film shows the skier in dark swim trunks, holding a tow rope, gliding across the water with a spray of white waves. The footage has a nostalgic, authentic feel with natural film grain, soft focus, and a dark border typical of old Super 8 reels. The skier maintains balance as he moves across the frame, showcasing a classic summer recreational activity from the early 1960s.

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: 121080582

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: Useful for requests needing early 1960s Michigan home-movie footage of summer lake recreation, especially water skiing inserts for documentary or education edits.
Period detail: The dark swim trunks, tow rope, single slalom-style ski, and faded 8mm color stock may show a mid-century family vacation or lakeside leisure scene.
Home-movie behavior: The camera watches from shore or a nearby boat as the skier passes by, giving the scene an unstaged family-film view of recreational skill and motion.
What appears in frame: Visible elements include a male water skier, tow rope, lake surface, white spray, dark swim trunks, reflected sunlight, soft focus, and black film borders.
Film character: The clip has visible 8mm grain, soft focus, uneven exposure, slight fading, and dark frame edges that preserve the texture of a scanned home-movie reel.
Edit role: An editor could use it as a brief recreation insert, a summer-memory cutaway, or a transition into lake culture, leisure, or family vacation material.
Historical context: The footage documents personal water recreation on a Michigan lake in 1961 without identifying the exact lake, participants, or surrounding property.
Research note: A person is visible and likeness review may be needed; no logos, private property, or music are evident, and copyright clearance is separate from rights review.
Research search match: Matches searches for 1961 Michigan 8mm water skiing, vintage lake recreation, early 1960s home movie sports, and family vacation water-sports footage.
Archive pairing path: Pair first with nearby shots from the same reel, then other 1961 Michigan lake footage, then broader vintage water-skiing or summer recreation clips.

Still Frames From This Clip

1961 Michigan home-movie frame showing a man water skiing across a lake, with white spray, soft focus, and dark 8mm frame edges. — A water skier glides across the lake while holding the tow rope.

Man in dark swim trunks water skiing on a Michigan lake in 1961, seen through grainy 8mm color footage with bright water reflections. — The skier stays upright as the tow rope pulls him over the water.

Closer 8mm frame of a man water skiing on a lake in Michigan, 1961, leaning back with spray and reflected light around the ski. — A closer frame shows the skier leaning back as the ski cuts through the lake.

Partial 1961 Michigan 8mm frame showing the water skier cropped close, with his arm extended and rippled lake water behind him. — The final frame crops close to the skier as he passes through the shot.

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