ZACHARY — Bennett's Water Ski & Wakeboard School has been welcoming skiers of all skill levels to its lakes in Zachary for 50 years.

Jay Bennett and his wife Ann started the water-ski school at False River many years ago with a small crew before building out the lakes, which were once catfish farms.

"It teaches anywhere from first-time water skiers all the way up until the best of the best professional athletes. World record holders train here and even if you're an intermediate skier, you can come here," said Anjelica Werning, an assistant at the school.

Before getting on the water, students learn the basics on land, then move on to putting on water skis, which are first dunked in the water to make the bindings easier to get on.

The lakes are designed to help beginners build confidence, and one visitor put it simply.

"It's easier than it looks. I mean it's definitely difficult and challenging, but if you focus and apply yourself, you can do it," the visitor said. "It's like overcoming a really big challenge."

The community around the sport is part of what keeps people coming back.

"The camaraderie that you get when you go to tournaments or even if you just come here at Bennett's and learn how to ski for the day, the people in the sport definitely make a big difference," she said.

Beyond skiing and wakeboarding, the school also has an aqua park on the water with slides, trampolines and a rock climbing wall.

"Now we have the aqua park, the pool, the game room, so it's a really cool environment for all age levels," Werning said.