ndiana" is provided by Columbus Visitors Center, celebrating everywhere art and unexpected architecture in Columbus, Indiana.

Tickets for guided tours and trip planning information at Columbus.in.us.

And by WTIU members.

Thank you!

>> BRANDON: Coming up.

>> ASHLEY: Get behind the wheel of the fastest racing boats of the world at the Madison Regatta.

>> BRANDON: Discover the Lake City Skiers, Indiana's only competitive water ski show team.

>> ASHLEY: Learn how to square dance in Hamilton County with the Do-Si-Squares Dance Club.

>> BRANDON: And get muddy with the folks at Badlands Off Road Park in Attica.

>> ASHLEY: That's all this episode of -- >> TOGETHER: "Journey Indiana"!

♪ >> ASHLEY: Welcome to "Journey Indiana."

I'm Ashley Chilla.

>> BRANDON: And I'm Brandon Wentz.

And we're coming to you from Indiana Beach in White County.

Indiana Beach Amusement Park has been thrilling visitors since 1927.

The park has something for everyone, a host of thrill rides, a scenic boardwalk, a massive water park and more, right on the banks of the Tippecanoe River.

And we'll learn all about this amazing park in just a bit.

But first, we're headed to Jefferson County, where Producer Nick Deel takes us out on the river for the Madison Regatta.

>> The city of Madison in Southern Indiana, is a charming river town full of quaint shops and broad boulevards.

♪ But every July weekend, it transforms into this.

♪ >> There's several port towns all over the nation, but Madison is very unique in its historic tradition that it's kept over the years.

>> You know, this is a river town, and what do you do on a river?

Well, we race boats, and that's how we look at it.

♪ >> Since 1951, the Madison Regatta has been drawing thousands of spectators to the banks of the Ohio River It is one of five stops on the H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Racing Series.

These hydroplanes are the fastes racing boats in the world, reaching speeds in excess of 200 miles an hour.

>> They're monsters!

I mean, they're 30 feet long.

They're 12 feet wide, and then when you throw in the fact that they're going 180 miles an hour, it's really breathtaking to watch one of them up close go by you and to realize a machine is that fast, that close, on a substance that we don't think about.

It's one thing to be in the air like an airplane, or even on asphalt, but on water, it's just a unique experience.

>> In order to reach those dizzying speeds, the boats utilize turbine engines from Chinook helicopters.

>> The engines turn about 16, 17,000 rpm, and they're right at about 3,000-horsepower.

So I've got 3,000-horsepower turning really fast about 8 feet behind my seat in the boat.

We're feeling about 5 Gs, going from 200 miles an hour, and then turning as hard left as we can.

And so it's a very unique experience.

These boats run so fast because you are literally flying on a cushion of air, a bubble of air, and the higher that you fly the boat up off the water, the faster you go because there's less drag in the water.

>> Jimmy Shane has been the lead driver for Miss Madison, the hometown team, since 2014.

The town is deeply invested in his success, literally.

The Miss Madison team is owned by the city of Madison, all 11,783 residents.

It's a tradition going back to 1961, when industrialist Sam DuPont donated his racing boat Nitrogen to the people of Madison.

>> So if anybody lives in the city limits, like I do, I'm literally an owner of the boat.

So I think the rooting interest that you get from here with that team is a lot different than you get in literally any other sport.

It makes it a very meaningful weekend, this weekend for sure, Madison Regatta.

We get the entire town, we get all the surrounding cities, People come from Louisville, Detroit, Cincinnati, and you'll see, the park is packed with people.

It really is an honor to be a driver of this team and of this boat.

And be a representative of the city.

>> The checkered flag is out.

The crowd is on its feet, and here's the finish of the Gold Cup Race and Miss Madison has won it!

>> In 1971, Miss Madison driver Jim McCormick put the team and the regatta on the map when he won the sport's top prize, the Gold Cup in front of a hometown crowd in Madison.

Back then, the boats were often powered by World War II airplane engines, and the drivers were exposed to the open air.

Injuries and even deaths were not uncommon.

Today, the drivers are enclosed in covered cockpits.

There's an oxygen supply on board, and boats are equipped with an escape hatch if they roll over.

>> You know, we're doing something on the water that really it's not against physics, but it -- I mean, it's not really natural.

You are not supposed to hover above the water and do 200-mile an hour.

I don't think that was part of God's plan.

>> Obviously, we know that this sport is -- has a lot of high hazards and a lot of risk.

We're doing 200 miles an hour on the water, but at some point, you know, you want to go faster, and so you try to get the boat higher off the water.

The higher you go, the faster you go.

But then you'll hit a limit where they call it the point of no return, and the boat will just get too much air under it, and you cannot recover from it.

And the boat will do a complete 360-degree in the air, and you're flying upside down in the air.

>> That's exactly what happened at this year's regatta.

As he jockeyed for position, Dri Corey Peabody flipped his boat on the last lap of the race.

>> Peabody has blown over.

He's done a complete 360!

>> Fortunately, he escaped the boat unharmed.

>> Regardless of the risks, or perhaps because of them, H1 Unlimited Hydroplane Racing remains one the most thrilling and unique sports anywhere in the world, >> It's something that everyone should really try to experience.

I mean, we all get boxed in to staying in our norms, not trying new foods or going new places.

Get out there and try boat racing.

Like, give it a look because I guarantee if you are into competitive sports, if you are into fast hot rods, you are gonna love boat racing.

>> BRANDON: All right, Ashley, how do you feel like you would handle one of those boats out on the water?

>> ASHLEY: Um, my guess is not well.

I don't do well at high speeds and I don't think I have the accuracy to get a boat through, like, tiny waterways.

>> BRANDON: Yeah.

Want to learn more?

Just go to Madisonregatta.com.

>> ASHLEY: Earlier, we talked to Tom Crisci, the Vice President of Marketing here at Indiana Beach, to learn all about this amazing attraction.

>> Indiana Beach Amusement Water Park opened up in 1926.

What you can find here at Indiana Beach, about 50 dry rides, a full water park, a pier pool, a sandy beach, a splash pad, as well as a lazy river.

All located on beautiful Lake Shafer, right here in Monticello, Indiana.

We have -- presently, we have seven roller coasters.

We have three wooden roller coasters and four steel coasters.

We have a wooden coaster that pretty much runs the entire length of the boardwalk.

That's call the Hoosier Hurricane.

That's a fan favorite.

We also have two coasters, the Steel Hawg and the Cornball Express, which both ranked in the top 20 of thrill rides for the state of Indiana in 2020.

Those are both very popular coasters for when coaster enthusiasts come to the park.

My favorite ride here is Lost Coaster of Superstition Mountain.

It is a ton of fun, and I highly suggest that that's a coaster you must try when you come to Indiana Beach.

We've got seven water slides.

We've got a splash pad.

We actually have a sandy beach with a pier pool, a massive lazy river, which is extremely comfortable to just float in on hot days.

A lot of families come to Indiana Beach, third, fourth generation families, that they're creating memories that they had as kids.

Now they are bringing their kids.

They are bringing their grandkids to relive that experience they had when they were growing up.

Indiana Beach is unique because there's so much action in a very, very small footprint.

You might go to some other theme parks and just for hours just walking around the park.

Here at Indiana Beach, you are walking up and down the boardwalk.

You won't miss a ride, and we pack a lot of punch in that small space.

>> BRANDON: Look, I don't know if you follow us on Facebook -- and if you don't, you really should -- because we answer some little questions on there about idea places we'd like to go, and this was one of the places I wanted to go because I came here all the time as kid.

>> ASHLEY: Yeah, I did as well.

I have a very vivid memory of making my own karaoke track here.

It's near and dear to my heart.

I think my parents still have the cassette tape for it.

You can learn more at Indianabeach.com.

>> BRANDON: Up next, Producer Jason Pear takes us to Kosciusko County to learn about competitive water skiing with the Lake City Skiers.

♪ >> We initially started the team in 1989.

Our actual first season of show skiing as a team wasn't until 1990.

We've always been right here in Warsaw, right here at Hidden Lake.

♪ There used to be a lot of show teams in the state of Indiana, especially in the Angola area.

Almost every lake had a show ski team of some sort.

Lake Webster over here has a show ski team.

They've been around since the 1940s.

But nobody competitive.

That was the difference.

♪ Well, we have an overall membership of about 150 members now.

And we started out with about 25 members back in 1989.

So the team's grown a good bit.

We have skiers from Valparaiso.

We have skiers from Fort Wayne.

We have a lot of skiers that are from the outer lying communities of Kosciusko County.

And as long as they can, you know, make it to the shows and make it to practices, they're in.

>> It's really calming.

I know that seems kind of counterintuitive with all the noise that goes on, and like, all the engines being super loud, but it's really nice to be able to concentrate on one specific skill set.

And the friends and teammates here are just awesome.

>> We get to do this as a family.

I've four kids, and my wife is on the team as well.

And so we all get in the car.

We come to the show site together.

My kids ski.

I'm on stage as an announcer.

My wife is working behind the scenes, and we do this as a family.

♪ >> There are several different disciplines in show skiing.

You'll see barefooting.

You'll see jumping.

You'll see pyramids built.

You'll see swivel skis.

You'll see trick skis and shoe skis, just about everything.

>> There's something really amazing that happens when you put on a show like this in front of a crowd that has never seen skiing like this on the water, and they see a four-tier pyramid coming through.

They have no idea how that was built or how that happened, and so it's fun to be able to explain that to people, but it's also really fun to see them experience it for the very first time.

Someone turning around on a swivel ski, like Wakeland, spinning 360 degrees, or someone going upside down.

>> And, of course, the girls ballet line is a very big act with the crowd.

Shows are free to the public.

And, you know, thanks to, again, our sponsors and the community, we are able to keep that up.

We do take a short intermission during the shows, and if people want to donate at that time, you know, we welcome that.

Anybody can come out and watch a show.

It's great family entertainment.

♪ >> It takes a lot of people to put this on the water.

A lot of background people.

You have the boat drivers.

You have the sound personnel.

I do the tow boat coordinating for the show.

We have costume people.

We have concession stand people.

So it takes -- it takes a lot of background support.

As a competitive team, we normally ski in three tournaments a year, and nationals is the big one for the year.

We were fortunate enough that we hosted it here last year.

We had about 13,000 people, spectators.

The top 14 teams in the nation.

>> Basically anyone of any age can be a part of the sport and join it, and there's -- I mean, we have skiers that are 4 years old to 72 years old.

And so there's very few other sports like that in the world, where it doesn't matter what age you are, if you are in college or high school or on, and, you know, your dad can drive the boat and you can ski.

And that's one of the things I love most about it.

>> It's centered around something that I love.

So it's not just me coming out and hanging out with people all the time.

It's me perfecting what I can with people that I really love.

>> BRANDON: You can find out more information at lakecityskiers.org.

>> ASHLEY: Up next, Producer John Timm takes us to Hamilton County to teach us how to do a little square dancing.

♪ >> Up through the middle.

All eight, spin at the top.

Grab hands, single file.

Promenade.

>> I'm Margaret Bell, and I am the President of Do-Si-Squares, and also am the lesson coordinator for our lessons.

♪ >> I ballroom dance, and my husband was not very good at ballroom dancing.

So we decided we would try square dancing.

♪ >> We took lessons with Do-Si-Squares, and my husband and I both learned to square dance, and then right after that, after we graduated, then we joined the club.

Then we decided to get active in the club and do something.

And so I started heading up square dance lessons, and then I became president a year ago.

We meet the first Saturday of each month, except for three months out of the year.

>> Double pass through.

Track two.

>> Woo woo!

>> Square dancing, there's basic and mainstream, and that's just the beginner level.

And the caller will start out with just simple, basic steps that you can do right away.

>> Spin the line, reverse.

Flutter wheel, go get a boy.

>> And then after you kinda get used to those movements, then he will add a few more extra movements in it.

And I don't remember now how many steps are in -- I'm thinking like 50 something.

>> Allemande left, do si do, touch a quarter, walk and dodge.

Something else that you will hear now in the modern western square dance is swing through.

>> They will call to a song.

>> Swing your girl around and promenade.

>> So the caller just kind of looks at the crowd and decides what he's going to pick or choose that the dancers will be moving to.

>> We'll promenade, or do whatever you want.

I was listening to him.

>> They start out in the same square.

They end in the same square, and they are supposed to end with the same partner they started with in the same position they started with.

>> Swing through.

>> It's not just getting up and making sounds.

It's not just getting up and calling out the figures to a call.

♪ >> Square dancing has eight people in a square.

Round dancing, you just dance two people, and they do it in a circle around the floor.

>> Circle away two two steps.

>> That's why it gets the name round dancing, because they are going around in a circle.

>> Side step two.

Twirl vine two.

>> But otherwise, it's very similar because they are being told what to do.

>> Twirl vine three.

Two phase close.

>> They refer to the round dance person as a cuer.

>> Back-to-back.

Face-to-face.

>> First, I was a square dancer.

Then I was a round dancer, and I just decided I wanted to cue.

>> Forward lock forward.

Forward lock forward.

>> We tell the round dancers what to do, just like the caller tells the square dancers what to do.

But they are only dancing with their partner.

>> Basketball turn.

>> They are doing ballroom, but the ballroom steps are pre-choreographed, but they do all kinds of rhythms.

Rhumba, cha-cha, two-step, waltz, jive.

Those are the most popular.

There's other rhythms, but those are the most popular.

But they are doing ballroom movements that they have learned how to do because I'm telling them what to do.

>> Left turning box a half, face the center.

>> My very favorite thing to do is square dancing.

♪ If I'm honest, I'm a round dance cuer, but my favorite is square dancing.

But I enjoy the round dance cuing and teaching very much.

♪ >> Square dancing is fun!

It's enjoyable.

It's inexpensive.

It would be a good family entertainment.

♪ >> It's just a social event where you can come in and have fun and enjoy yourselves.

And you get to know the people.

You are not just you and your partner all night, or you and another couple all night.

You get to interact with sometimes up to 2, 300 people.

♪ >> Until you really try it, you don't really realize how much joy you get out of it.

And how many friends you meet while you are out dancing.

♪ >> The main thing that I say is, it's the socialization.

It's just a fun activity.

The people I know are more outgoing and friendly than you will meet in a lot of activities.

>> Thank you!

>> ASHLEY: I don't know about you, Brandon, but this story really brought back some memories of elementary school.

>> BRANDON: I was thinking this looked right up your alley.

>> ASHLEY: I've definitely done square dancing before.

I really enjoy it.

It made me think that maybe my husband and I should get into it now.

We'll see what he says about it.

To learn more about the club, go to dosisquares.org.

>> BRANDON: Up next, Producer Saddam Abbas takes us to Fountain County, to meet an athlete who is breaking molds and defying expectations.

>> A lot of people ask me, like, why do people view pageants in a negative way?

The way I look at it is most people view pageant queens as girls that prance around in heels or walk around in a sash and crown, but little do they know that we are smart and we are actually tomboys.

I am Sadie Welch, your USA National Miss Miss Indiana 2020, and my job is to represent Indiana as a state at the USA National Miss Nationals in July.

I started out as Little Miss Toddlers & Tiaras in Glitz World.

And finally, I realized with the crown and sash, I could do something and make a statement in this world.

So I got involved in Miss Indiana Teen USA, where I did that for three years, and the highest placing I got was first runner-up.

So then I was, like, I want to do more, and I aged out.

So now I'm in a Miss Division, and I went to USA National Miss, and I've loved it, and I get to be involved and be an advocate for bullying in schools and represent Indiana.

♪ And so growing up, I did national pageants instead of national racing.

So I had the glitz and glamor.

And then I went into racing with my brother, and I realized I liked this.

And I got to race against the guys.

It was fun with the hole shots, you know, pulling out in front of them.

I used to have a little license plate that said, "You just got passed by a girl."

And I think the drive of, you know, you don't have to be a guy to be dominant in this sport.

And as I grew older, I realized I could be prominent in this male-dominant sport.

It doesn't matter if I'm a girl.

I can show up next to you and race just as hard as you can.

And so I've just personally grew as an individual on how to become a better person, by just not facing the stereotypical pageant girl and being a race girl too.

So I started racing when I was younger, and my brother, it was actually his sport.

He was amazing at it.

He was the star of the show, and I was always at Glitz pageants.

I was, like, well, what if I got on a four-wheeler, would I like it?

So I started to have fun, and then I ended up racing.

And we raced together for a little bit, but it was his world, and I was just following in his footsteps.

He's kind of grown out of racing, but I hopped on a Honda 450, and I think it's a whole new world and I love it.

So now I race when I'm able to.

If I'm not at a pageant, I'm trying to go racing or do something in the community.

But not only do I race.

I am also a Lucas Oil Girl.

So Pro Motocross National Races, which is a different atmosphere than ATV.

I get to hold a board and say, like, the 30 seconds, but not only that, I get to interview the best of the best in the racing world.

I have been involved in the IXCR Cross Country Racing Series since I was 6 years old.

So about 14 years they've seen me running around the track.

I started in young gauge, and I was the only girl, actually, that raced against the guys when I was younger.

So that was kind of funny.

I was just a little worm running all around.

And as I grew older, they realized racing wasn't everything that I did, and they actually supported me in everything that I did outside of the racing world, and just a racing community where it's actually a racing family.

And it's a big group of love, and we all love the sport of racing, and that's what IXCR is.

Today, I'm here just to have fun and do what I love.

I'm racing a Honda 450R against the guys in the afternoon class.

Where at nationals, I would be racing against the girls in the Women's Pro Class, but the Women's Pro Class here isn't as competitive, and I like to push myself.

So that's why I race against the guys, and hopefully they don't get concerned when a girl with a crown shows up next to them.

[ Laughter ] Along with Indiana Cross Country Racing, I've also done Grand National Cross Country Racing, which stands for GNCC, and this is a series where it's nationwide, and 13 weekends out of the year, we all come together from different states and we race competitively.

And it's just a completely different atmosphere, but it still has the drive and the love for racing.

And doing that, I got two national championships, and now I race the Women's Pro Class when I'm able to do that, but I go to various select few of those now since I'm in school and representing Indiana in other community events.

So it's hard to go to them all.

When I go, I like to represent and race the Women's Pro Class.

So one of my main goals as your USA National Miss Indiana 2020 is to break the stereotypical pageant girl.

I'm a D1 athlete at Purdue University where I'm a cheerleader there.

I love to race four-wheelers and get dirty and race against the guys, but also I love to be an advocate for bullying for respective environments in schools, and I also want to teach others to follow their dreams and not give up.

>> ASHLEY: This story really inspired me to, like, want to get on a four-wheeler.

I've never had that thought before that I wanted to get on a four-wheeler, but she really looked like she's having a lot of fun, and I think maybe I would too.

>> BRANDON: All right.

I think we know where our next wrap shoot is.

To learn more, check out the address on your screen.

And as always, we'd like to encourage you to stay connected with us.

>> ASHLEY: Just head on over to JourneyIndiana.org.

There you can see full episodes, connect with us on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, and suggest stories from your neck of the woods.

We also have a map feature that allows you to see where we've been, and to plan your own Indiana adventures.

But before we say good-bye, Brandon, how do you feel about exploring the park a little bit?

>> BRANDON: It's been about 20 years.

I think it's time to make a comeback.

>> ASHLEY: I think so.

Whoever gets the highest score has to buy the other one a funnel cake.

>> BRANDON: Oh, okay.

>> ASHLEY: Does that work for you?

>> BRANDON: Elephant ear.

>> ASHLEY: Elephant ear.

Okay.

>> BRANDON: I'll try left-handed.

>> ASHLEY: That didn't work.

>> Oh, so close!

Give it another shot.

Oh, so close!

Give it another shot.

>> ASHLEY: So good.

>> BRANDON: Yep.

>> ASHLEY: Best part about today.

>> Production support for "Journey Indiana" is provided by Columbus Visitors Center, celebrating everywhere art and unexpected architecture in Columbus, Indiana.

Tickets for guided tours and trip planning information at Columbus.in.us.

And by WTIU members.

Thank you!