An animation of a science beaker with a bubbling green liquid appears on screen with a title that reads "Sports Lab."

Now Nykeem appears on screen walking on a dock at a lake. Nykeem is in his thirties, has shaved black hair, is clean-shaven, and wears a light blue tank top and a gray patterned bathing suit.

Nykeem says HEY EVERYONE,
WELCOME TO SPORTS LAB
WHERE SPORTS AND SCIENCE
WROTE THE BOOK ON FUN.

(Theme music plays)

The opening sequence begins.

Two light blue doors with a title that reads "Sports Lab" open where thousands of sports equipment encircles a classroom skeleton. The animated balls fly throughout the white room stopping at scenes of people playing different sports.

First Nykeem kicking a soccer ball, then a boy on a skateboard, then a tennis ball, then a hockey goalie, and lastly of a group of kids and Nykeem who break on a tennis court and say SPORTS LAB!

All the sports equipment turns into different colours and funnel into a science beaker with green liquid with a label that reads "Sports Lab."

(music plays)

Now Nykeem appears on screen walking on the dock with a helmet and gray fastened life jacket.

Nykeem says MY NAME'S NYKEEM AND TODAY
FEELS LIKE A GREAT DAY TO GO
SKIING, BUT I DON'T
SEE ANY MOUNTAINS.
SO IT'S TIME TO GO WATER SKIING.
(FANFARE MUSIC)

In the white room, the science beaker with green liquid bursts with colours and balls and a title emerges that reads "Water Skiing."

Now Nykeem sits on the back of a boat and a caption reads "Summer Water Sports, Port Carling, Ontario."

Nykeem says THIS SPORT PROOVES THAT YOU
DON'T NEED TO SCALE A MOUNTAIN
TO GET IN SOME SKIING.
ALL YOU NEED IS THE OPEN
WATER, SOME GREAT FRIENDS,
AND OF COURSE A BOAT.
WHAT DO YOU SAY DOC?

Now Dr. Heather appears on screen with a caption that reads "Dr. Heather, Sports Scientist." She has straight, dark brown hair in a ponytail and wears a blue shirt. She stands at a white desk with books and science supplies around her.

Dr. Heather says THAT'S RIGHT NYKEEM.
BOATS NEED TO MOVE BETWEEN
32 TO 40 KILOMETERS PER HOUR
TO KEEP THE AVERAGE
PERSON AFLOAT.
YOU NEED LOTS OF SPEED TO MAKE
SURE YOU SKI INSTEAD OF SINK.

Back on , Nykeem says SO GET READY.
SPORTS LAB IS ABOUT
TO GET ROPED INTO THE
WILD WORLD OF WATER SKIING.

Russel appears on screen with a caption that reads "Russel." Russel has short reddish hair and wears a gray T-shirt.

Russel says HI.
MY NAME IS RUSSEL, I'M TEN
YEARS OLD, AND I'VE BEEN
WATER SKIING FOR FIVE YEARS.

Clips of Russel water skiing appear on screen.

Russel says I GOT INTO WATER SKIING
BECAUSE OF MY BROTHER AND DAD
BEING SO ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT IT.
THEY JUST GOT ME TO GO ONCE
AND I ENDED UP LIKING IT.
I LOVE WATER SKIING BECAUSE
ONCE YOU GET OUT THERE
IT'S NOT LIKE A TEAM SPORT
WHEN THERE ARE PEOPLE
TELLING YOU WHAT TO DO.
YOU JUST GET OUT THERE
AND THEN IT'S FREE.

Nykeem walks up to Russel on the dock and says HEY RUSSELL,
WELCOME TO SPORTS LAB.

Russel says HI NYKEEM.

Nykeem says OKAY SO HOW DO YOU STAY
SAFE WHEN WATER SKIING?

Russel says YOU STAY SAFE WHEN YOU'RE
WATER SKIING BY FIRST,
WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT,
WEARING A LIFE JACKET
SO YOU FLOAT.
AND NUMBER TWO, HAVING
TWO PEOPLE IN THE BOAT.
ONE THE SPOTTER,
AND TWO THE DRIVER.
WHAT THE SPOTTER DOES
IS LOOK FOR YOUR SIGNALS
SO THEY CAN TELL THE
DRIVER WHAT TO DO.

Nykeem says HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE
WITH THE SPOTTER?

Russel says YOU COMMUNICATE WITH THE
SPOTTER BY USING THE SIGNALS,
AND THESE ARE THE SIGNALS.
FASTER, SLOWER, CUT IT.
TURN AROUND, BACK TO
THE DOCKS, AND THIS IS
THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE, WHEN
YOU'RE DOWN IF YOU'RE OKAY
AND NOT HURT, YOU HAVE TO
WAVE, WHICH MEANS YOU'RE SAFE,
BUT IF YOU DON'T WAVE
THEY THINK YOU'RE HURT.

Nykeem says OKAY WELL THOSE ARE REALLY
COOL AND THEY SEEM LIKE
THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT.
IS THERE ANYTHING ABOUT
WATER SKIING YOU'D LIKE
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT?

Russel says YEAH I ACTUALLY WANNA KNOW
WHO INVENTED WATER SKIING.

Nykeem says THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
I THINK IT'S TIME TO DIP OUR
TOES INTO THE HISTORY OF...

They both say WATER SKIING!
(FANFARE MUSIC)

Back in the lab, a book opens and a title flies out that reads "History of Water Skiing."

Nykeem says WATER SKIING WAS
INVENTED IN 1922
BY RALPH SAMUELSON, WHEN
HE WAS ONLY 18 YEARS OLD!
RALPH TRIED TO USE SNOW
SKIS, BUT THEY DIDN'T WORK.
INSTEAD HE USED A PAIR
OF WOODEN BOARDS AS SKIS,
AND A CLOTHESLINE AS A TOW ROPE.
WATER SKIING DIDN'T BECOME
POPULAR UNTIL DICK POPE SR.,
WHO OWNED A THEME PARK IN
FLORIDA, LET WATER SKIIERS
PERFORM AT HIS PARK.
PICTURES STARTED TO
APPEAR IN MAGAZINES,
AND THE SPORT EXPLODED.
DICK POPE'S SON, DICK POPE
JR., WENT ON TO PIONEER
WATER SKIING, WITHOUT SKIS.
BOTH DICK SENIOR AND JUNIOR
WENT ON TO BE INDUCTED
INTO THE WATER
SKIING HALL OF FAME.

Back with Russel, Nykeem says OKAY RUSSELL, SO NOW WE KNOW
WHO INVENTED WATER SKIING.
WHAT'S UP NEXT?

Russel says TIME TO HIT THE WATER.

Nykeem says LET'S GO!

Russel and his other teammates start water skiing behind the boat.
(PEOPLE CHEERING)

Nykeem says YEAH BUDDY!
WOO!
OH YEAH, WOO!

Nykeem tries water skiing for the first time and a woman on the boat says HE'S GOOD, THAT'S
HIS FIRST TIME!
(INAUDIBLE)

After Nykeem and Russel water ski, they sit and talk off the dock.

Nykeem says RUSSELL, THAT
WAS SOMETHING ELSE.
IS THERE ANYTHING
YOU'D LIKE TO LEARN
MORE ABOUT IN WATER SKIING?

Russel says YEAH.
HOW COME WHEN YOU GO IN
CIRCLES, YOU GO FASTER
THAN WHEN YOU GO STRAIGHT?
AND YOU CAN SOMETIMES
EVEN CATCH UP TO THE BOAT.

Nykeem says WELL THAT SOUNDS FUN.
LET'S BRING IN OUR SPORTS
SCIENCE EXPERT, DOCTOR HEATHER.

Nykeem looks at his watch and says HEY DOC!

Back in the sports lab, Dr. Heather says HEY YOU TWO.
THE BOAT, ROPE, AND RIDER,
NEED TO COMBINE FORCES
TO GET UP TO SPEED.
AND TO CHECK OUR WORK, AN
EXPERT IS GOING TO TAKE A TURN.

Back on the dock, Nykeem says LET'S GO!
(FANFARE MUSIC)

Back in the lab, the science beaker with green liquid appears on screen with a label that reads "Pop Quiz." The bottle swirls and flies over to the blackboard with a question.

Nykeem says POP QUIZ TIME!
WHY ARE LONG WATER SKIS
GOOD FOR BEGINNERS?
A. MORE FASHIONABLE.
B. LESS EXPENSIVE,
OR C. MORE STABLE?

A skeleton with a red cap says THE ANSWER IS C!

Nykeem says MORE STABLE.
THE LONGER THE SKI, THE MORE
SURFACE AREA OF WATER IT COVERS
MAKING IT EASIER TO STAND UP.
(UPBEAT MUSIC)

Back in the lab, out of the science beaker launches white foam that turns into a slate that reads "Meet the Pro."

Charlie appears on screen with a caption that reads "Charlie." Charlie has short brown hair under a black cap, and wears a navy blue fleece.

Charlie says HI MY NAME'S
CHARLIE, AND I'VE BEEN
WATER SKIING FOR 15 YEARS.
(BEACH ROCK MUSIC)

Clips of Charlie water skiing appear on screen.

Charlie says I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH
TO GET A JOB WORKING
FOR SUMMER WATER SPORTS,
AND THEY DID SKI SHOWS.
FROM THERE I PROGRESSED INTO
BECOMING A PROFESSIONAL.
I LOVE JUST BEING
BEHIND THE BOAT AND
JUST HAVIN' A BIG SMILE ON
MY FACE AND ENJOYIN' THE SUN.

Nykeem and Russel walk up to Charlie on the dock.

Nykeem says HEY CHARLIE.

Charlie says HEY NYKEEM.

Nykeem says THIS IS RUSSELL.

Charlie says HEY RUSSELL.

Russel says HEY CHARLIE.

Nykeem says WHERE'S YOUR LIFE JACKET?

Charlie says MY LIFE JACKET IS
BUILT INTO MY WETSUIT.

Nykeem says THAT'S PRETTY COOL.
SO HOW OFTEN DO YOU WATER SKI?

Charlie says I WATER SKI ALL YEAR ROUND.
I TRAVEL TO CHASE THE SUMMER.
DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S SPRING,
SUMMER, WINTER, OR FALL,
I'M ALWAYS WATER SKIING.

Nykeem says WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?

Charlie says IT FEELS GREAT.
HAVING THE NICE WARM
SUN ON YOUR BODY,
PROTECTED BY SUNSCREEN,
MY SUNGLASSES ON,
THE NICE WARM WATER.
IT'S JUST AWESOME.

Nykeem says THAT SOUNDS SO COOL.
RUSSELL DO YOU HAVE ANY
QUESTIONS FOR CHARLIE?

Russel says YEAH I HAVE ONE.
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE
TYPE OF SKIING?

Charlie says MY FAVORITE TYPE OF
SKIING IS BAREFOOT,
SKI JUMPING, THE HYDROFOIL,
SLALOM SKIING, AND THE DISC.
I LOVE ALL TYPES OF SKIING!

Nykeem says I CAN'T EVEN KEEP COUNT.
RUSSELL, HOW CAN
CHARLIE HELP US TODAY?

Russel says CAN YOU SHOW US HOW TO
SKI IN A CIRCULAR MOTION?

Charlie says I SURE CAN.
AND TO DO THAT, YOU WANNA
STAY ON YOUR OUTSIDE EDGE,
LEAN AWAY FROM THE BOAT,
AND CUT REALLY HARD.
COME ON, LET'S GO DO THAT.

Charlie water skis behind the boat.

Nykeem says YEAH CHARLIE, WOO!
(UPBEAT ELECTRONIC MUSIC)
Nykeem and Russel give each other a high five and they say WOO, AW YEAH!

Nykeem looks at his watch and says HEY DOC.

Back in the sports lab, Dr. Heather says HEY EVERYONE.
HERE'S WHAT I'VE GOT FOR YOU.
TO MOVE AS FAST AS
A SPEEDING BOAT,
CHARLIE NEEDS TO HARNESS THE
POWER OF CENTRIPETAL FORCE.
CENTRIPETAL FORCE HAPPENS WHEN
A BODY MOVES AROUND AN
OBJECT, AND THE OBJECT
EXERTS A FORCE TO
KEEP THAT BODY MOVING.
IT'S LIKE WHEN A SATELLITE SPINS
AROUND AND AROUND THE EARTH.
THE BODY IS THE SATELLITE,
THE EARTH IS THE OBJECT,
AND THE FORCE IS GRAVITY.
IN THIS CASE, THE OBJECT
IS CHARLIE, THE BODY MOVING
AROUND CHARLIE IS THE BOAT,
AND THE FORCE IS THE ROPE.
WHEN CHARLIE SKIS IN A
STRAIGHT LINE AND LEANS BACK
THE ROPE STAYS
TIGHT, AND HE MOVES
AT THE SAME SPEED AS THE BOAT.
BUT WHEN CHARLIE SKIS FROM
ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER,
HE SKIS IN A CIRCULAR MOTION.
THAT'S WHEN CENTRIPETAL
FORCE KICKS IN.
CENTRIPETAL FORCE COMBINED
WITH THE TIGHTNESS OF THE ROPE
MEANS CHARLIE SKIS FASTER
THAN THE BOAT IS MOVING.
WHEN HE CHANGES DIRECTIONS,
HE NEEDS TO MAKE SURE
TO KEEP THE ROPE TIGHT, OR
ELSE HE COULD LOSE SPEED.
SO USE CENTRIPETAL
FORCE OUT ON THE WATER
AND YOU TOO CAN BE FASTER
THAN A SPEEDING BOAT.

Back with Russel and Charlie, Nykeem says ALRIGHT GUYS, CENTRIPETAL
FORCE PUTS YOU AND THE BOAT
ON EQUAL FOOTING.
RUSSELL, YOU READY FOR A SPIN?

Russel says YEAH OF COURSE!

Charlie says GO GET 'EM BUDDY!

Russel gets behind the boat and water skis.

Nykeem says WOO!
(ROCK MUSIC)

Charlie says WAY TO GO, BUDDY!
KEEP THOSE ARMS STRAIGHT,
YOU'RE DOIN' GREAT!
NICE CUTS!

Nykeem says YEAH!
(FANFARE MUSIC)

Back in the lab, the green liquid in the science beaker spills and then dries up to reveal a title that reads "Fun Fact."

Now Nykeem appears on screen and says WE'VE ALL HEARD THIS BEFORE.

A male voice says EAT YOUR VEGETABLES,
THEY'RE GOOD FOR YOU.

Nykeem says THAT'S FOR GOOD REASON.
VEGGIES ARE FULL OF GREAT
THINGS FOR YOUR BODY
LIKE ANTIOXIDANTS,
FIBER, AND VITAMINS.
AND DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU
CAN TELL THAT A VEGETABLE
OR FRUIT IS ESPECIALLY
GOOD FOR YOU BY ITS COLOR?
THE MORE VIBRANT THE COLOR,
THE MORE NUTRITIOUS IT IS.
WHEN A PLANT IS VIBRANT IN
COLOR, IT'S FULL OF SOMETHING
CALLED VITAL CHEMICALS,
WHICH MEANS PLANT CHEMICALS.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES
A BLUEBERRY BLUE
AND BROCCOLI GREEN.
THERE ARE OVER 10,000
KNOWN VITAL CHEMICALS
AND THEY CAN HELP IN
LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS,
LIKE MAKING YOU STRONG
ENOUGH TO HOLD A TOW ROPE.
SO IF YOU WANNA BE BRIGHT,
EAT VEGGIES AND FRUITS
THAT ARE ALL THE
COLORS OF THE RAINBOW.

Back with Russel, Nykeem and Russel sit in the water and say OKAY SPORTS LAB ON THREE.
ONE, TWO, THREE...

The boat starts driving and they both start skiing behind the boat.

They both say SPORTS LAB!
(UPBEAT ROCK MUSIC)

Back in the lab, colours and balls fly out of the science beaker and a slate reads "Pro Tip."

Now Charlie appears on screen and says ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
THINGS ABOUT WATER SKIING
IS GETTIN' UP OUT OF THE WATER.
YOU WANNA STAY IN A
CANNONBALL POSITION WITH YOUR
KNEES UP TO YOUR CHEST
AND YOUR ARMS STRAIGHT.
FROM THERE, YOU WANNA WAIT TEN
SECONDS BEFORE YOU STAND UP
SO THE BOAT HAS ENOUGH
SPEED TO PULL YOU UP
OUT OF THE WATER.
MY NAME'S CHARLIE,
AND THAT'S MY PRO TIP.

Now Nykeem appears on screen and says TODAY ON THE WATER WE CAUGHT
SOME RAYS AND DISCOVERED
HOW YOU CAN CATCH
A SPEEDING BOAT.
WE ALSO PROVED THAT SKIING
CAN BE AN ALL-SEASON SPORT
EVEN WHEN SNOW IS SECONDARY.
NOW I GOTTA SAY GOODBYE,
BUT I HOPE WE MEET AGAIN.
IN THE SPORTS LAB, WHEN
IT COMES TO LEARNING,
WE'RE ALWAYS THERE
BECAUSE WE ALWAYS CARE.

The credits roll scenes of kids playing sports appear on screen.

Written and directed by, Johnny Mitchell.
Host, Nykeem Provo.
Editor, David Mitchell.

Produced in association with TVO Kids for riverbank pictures, copyright 1919216 Ontario Inc.