The water skier Pierre Plouffe was the first Canadian junior champion in 1966, a member of the Canadian national team from 1968 to 1976 and the team's coach until 1989. At the age of 74, he won the Senior World Aerials Championship. He is proud to be a member of the Panthéon des Sports du Québec.
He loved his time at Collège Mont-Saint-Louis in Montreal because there were many sporting activities there. His teammates with whom he won the championship included Claude Mailhot and Gilles Duceppe.
Suddenly, during the interview, he excused himself because he had to answer one of the great water skiers, George Athans, who was waiting on another phone line. Then he came back to answer my questions. When our interview was over, he told me that he didn't want to end the interview abruptly, even though he had just learned that he would be inducted into the Canadian Water Ski Hall of Fame this summer. Once again, Pierre made sure to value other people before himself.
You stole the Stanley Cup!!
My idol and great friend Guy Lafleur told me after winning the Stanley Cup that he would have liked to bring the trophy to Thurso. “No problem, Guy, we'll steal it.” »
Guy Lafleur's answer.
He was hesitant, but I made it clear to him that this was the only way to fulfill his wish. My plan began with visiting the players with the trophy at former Canadiens coach Toe Blake Tavern and a stop at Henri Richard's tavern.
They broke into the car of team publicist Claude Mouton.
The cup was in the trunk of Mr. Mouton's car, the key to which I had duplicated. We were just getting the trophy out of the car when suddenly defender Guy Lapointe stood behind us. We had forgotten the latter's reputation as a naughty trickster.
The police were after you.
After we left, Lapointe smashed the back trunk of the car with an iron bar and then called the police to file a report, saying that Claude Mouton's car had been stolen. Luckily the police couldn't catch us so the Stanley Cup could travel to Thurso.
You lived in Saint-Jérôme.
I'm an only child. My parents were called François and Rolande. But before I talk about my youth, I would like to talk about my experiences at the Munich Olympics, when water skiing was a participation sport. Four years later he was also denied participation in the Olympic Games in Montreal.
Israeli athletes were taken hostage.
On September 5, 1972, I witnessed the taking of eleven Israeli athletes hostage by a Palestinian commando at the Munich Olympics. We were in our rooms in the Olympic Village when we saw the eleven hostages get on the second bus because the first bus was empty. Later that evening we heard the gunfire.
Please, give yourself a little break to talk about your youth.
My father would have wanted me to become a professional ice hockey or baseball player. However, I became a water skier. Without hesitation, my father bought a boat to encourage me.
They met the Prime Minister and Gordie Howe in Saint-Jérôme.
My father was a big supporter of the Union Nationale political party. I met premiers Maurice Duplessis and Daniel Johnson Sr. and even Gordie Howe at a Saint-Jérôme Alouettes junior hockey game because the team was affiliated with the Detroit Red Wings.
You continued your studies in California.
I told my mother that I had enrolled in a school. However, I was training with the university water ski team in Berkeley, California. In order to train with the team, I had to do tasks like mowing the lawn.
You have worked with the Canadian team to pay your expenses.
We were traveling around the world. To pay my expenses, I worked on a farm in different cities and even collected sheep dung.
You worked in Sherbrooke.
Jean Perrault, one of the great water skiers, founded a water ski school which enabled me to work in Sherbrooke for several summers.
The 1972 Century Series in ice hockey.
Pierre Bouchard, the former Canadian defender with whom I waterskied when we were young, got me tickets to the Century Series between the Russians and Canada. But things turned out badly for me in Russia. The police arrested me because I was too loud outside the rink and the police also thought I was a Canadian spy.
Stands alone in the Russian section.
During the final in Russia, the police sat me down with them, but I had to remain silent. However, when Paul Henderson scored the winning goal I cringe and screamed like a madman. Here I am alone in the Russian section.
They were sentenced to five years in prison in Siberia.
Immediately after the game I ended up in prison and was sentenced to five years in Siberia. Fortunately, the Canadian players and the Canadian embassy were able to convince the Russians that I was not a spy. Now I would like to tell you about a woman who played an important role in my life: Sylvie Mayrand.
The Pierre Plouffe Nautical Center is celebrating its 30th anniversary.
Sylvie Mayrand and I didn't have a very successful love life. However, we have become good friends and it is thanks to Sylvie that the Center Nautique Pierre Plouffe in Tremblant is celebrating its 30th anniversary.