Twiggy the Water-Skiing Squirrel's earned a living for not one, but two family generations
by Christian Veninga, WCCO Intern
BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- What started as a joke in 1978 turned into a living for not only one, but two generations of families: Twiggy, the Water-Skiing Squirrel.
Appearing in more than 11 movies, music videos, and talk shows, the world-famous water-skiing squirrel made a stop at the Mall of America in Bloomington on Friday. Kids and adults alike gathered at the Huntington Bank Rotunda to watch a squirrel do the unusual summer activity.
In 1978, Lou Ann and Chuck Best adopted a baby squirrel after it fell out of its nest in Sanford, Florida. The two had also bought a remote-control boat for their daughter. But Chuck was playing around with it more than she was and was teased about it.
In response, Chuck said he was teaching his squirrel to water ski. And the rest is history. In 1979, Twiggy the Water-Skiing Squirrel became an official show.
Now, the business is run by Chuck Best Jr. and his fiancé, Toni Tedesco, after Lou Ann retired in 2018. The headlining squirrel is Twiggy XI.
According to Tedesco, squirrels are very intelligent animals, and it takes about two months for one to be fully trained to ride. They can be trained just like dogs to do different kinds of tricks. However, they have very short attention spans and can only be taught around 10 minutes at a time. As concerns over the treatment of animals in performances have risen in recent years, Tedesco said that the squirrels were their "pets" and are spoiled and pampered like any dog or cat.
A core feature of the show is water safety. Chuck Best Sr. passed away in 1997 after suffering a heart attack and drowning while saving his stepfather in the water. Twiggy always wears a life jacket and the show partners with water safety groups, including being the spokes-animal for the National Boating Safety Council's "Wear It" campaign.
Twiggy will be performing with two other squirrels from June 23 to June 25 at the Mall of America at noon, 2, and 4 p.m.