Twiggy water skis into boat, sport & RV show

Take it from Twiggy the water-skiing squirrel, water safety is important. Twiggy arrived on the scene in 1978 after being blown from her nest during a hurricane. She was taken in and raised by Chuck and Lou Ann Best as a regular member of the family in Sanford, Fla.

After some time had passed, Chuck bought their daughter Lalainia a remote-controlled boat for her birthday. However, Chuck played with it more than she did.

“Everybody kept saying that he bought it for himself, not for Lalainia. Finally he just said ‘No, I have to learn to drive it so I can teach my squirrel to water ski,'” recalls Lou Ann.

And that’s where the idea was born – Why not teach Twiggy to water ski?

Lou Ann credits her husband with teaching Twiggy the ropes of the sport. “He’s always trained animals. He trained a French poodle that was the mascot of our local skating rink and he also trained a monkey to roller skate for someone.”

Using strips of Styrofoam, Chuck was able to engineer a pair of skis for Twiggy. After that, “…we just started practicing with her and, eventually, she learned to [ski]. She was like our kid,” adds Best.

“We always took her everywhere we went…to work, to play. We’d go out in the water with her on our shoulder, so she was already used to that. It was just a matter of getting her on the skis to do what she was supposed to.”

Twiggy started training in March ’79 and was featured in The Sanford Herald in May ’79 – it took just three months to get her up and running, or skiing. Twiggy’s first show was in Minneapolis, Minn., at a Realtor’s convention.

From there, Twiggy went to West Palm Beach to perform at a boat show. “It was a huge hit,” says Best. “That’s how we got our start. It just mushroomed, word of mouth and things like that.”

While the original Twiggy was rescued from shaky weather, the current performers – Twiggy VII and VIII – were donated. Nearly 30 years later, and with sponsors like Progressive auto insurance, the show goes on in a bit of grander fashion.

With a heated pool in the garage, Best continues to train her squirrel to ski. About twice a week, Twiggy practices – after all, practice makes perfect. “I train her for about 15 minutes at a time. Then I let her rest for a couple hours. She’s not doing it everyday, all year long,” says Best.

Twiggy also has her own room. And to complete the life of luxury, she is well traveled. “We’ve gone as far as France and Germany and all over the United States and Canada,” adds Best. “We’ve been in most of the states at least once.”

A typical workweek is two performances on weekdays, four on Saturdays, and three on Sundays. According to Best, shows last about 15 minutes and include around 40 minutes of public interaction where audience members can pet and play with Twiggy.

This year, the water-skiing squirrel has performed around 17 times and has 14 events booked for 2010. Crowds at popular venues can reach up to 2,000 people.

Aside from a full-time job as an entertainer, Twiggy is also a hailed as a lifesaver. Before the fortune and fame, Best witnessed the importance of water safety first hand.

Her husband Chuck attempted to save his drowning stepfather in November 1997. Their struggle to stay afloat in frigid waters produced grim results for the Bests, resulting in an untimely death for both Chuck and his stepfather.

“If my husband would have had a lifejacket on, he wouldn’t have had to think to grab it, which he didn’t,” explains Best. But even still, Lou Ann marched on to redefine her goals as a promoter of water safety.

“I know that I’ve heard a number of people come to shows and bring their children to get them to wear a lifejacket. I’m going a step further, trying to get the adults to wear [their lifejackets] the whole time, like they would a seatbelt. Because you never know when something is going to happen.

“I’ll probably never know what the water safety [campaign] accomplishes. But you have to keep an open mind and be positive that you’re going to reach somebody…and make a difference.”

Best says her ultimate goal is to get Twiggy to become a national spokesperson – or “spokes animal” – for water safety. “Twiggy is loved by people of all ages. Businessmen, moms and dads, grandma’s and grandpa’s.”

See Twiggy In Action

12th Annual Southern La. Boat, Sport & RV Show

Where: Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center, 346 Civic Center Blvd., Houma

When: Friday, Jan. 15, from

3 to 9 p.m.

Saturday, Jan. 16, from

11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Sunday, Jan. 17, from

11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Cost: $7 adults, $2 children ages 6-15

Children under age 6 are admitted free

For More Info: (985) 850-4657 or www.bacshows.com