I grew up in Kennewick, Washington on the Columbia River. My best friend, Kathy Robertson and her dad, Robby, would take us skiing everyday in the summer, it was heaven! Robby was a milkman and would finish delivering the milk about 6:00 a.m. and then come get us, the water was smooth as glass and just perfect for skiing. We would usually ski double and always had such a good time!
My brother, Gary, taught me to ski behind our tiny wooden boat when I was about 10 years old. I would ski a lot with my friends as I got older, they had nice ski boats and we would make a day of it! When we couldn't get a boat we would hook our ski rope to the back of a truck, put on our skis and ski in the canals, now that was really "the good old days"!
About 10 years ago we went to Lake Powell with friends and family. This was the first time I was able to see Doug in action behind a boat, what a treat to see him flying high, jumping the wake, doing flips, etc. Well-my mind always being way younger than my body decided it would be a fun thing to try.........after quite a few times of trying with a great teacher, Cecily Gubler, I finally got the hang of wakeboarding and WOW it was so much fun! I was a little timid and couldn't get across the wake very well, but just skimming over the water was exhilarating!! (of course in my mind I was doing the jumps and flips!!) Janetha also took up wakeboarding and would go as often as she could.
So fast forward to now, 10 years later, a body 10 years older, but a mind that still thinks the body is 25 and this is what you get:
I am sure I am giving the driver of the boat some very serious instructions!! The water was warm, but hey this was a BIG guy's board and this big guy had BIG feet too! I figured I could give it a try and after just one spill was able to pop up.
Well I was a little shaky at first, I was using muscles that seriously I didn't even know I had!
I really am enjoying myself here, even if it looks otherwise! I absolutely love the feeling of being on the water and not in it! We didn't get other photos, but Janetha and I discovered a beautiful red boat that had a girl's wakeboard, smaller, lighter and just the right shoe size. Talk about a different experience with great equipment, can I just say WOW! We had a terrific time with the Powell girls on their boat, thanks!
This cute gal didn't need much coaxing to hop in and get that board on! Since breaking her arm Janetha had only been wakeboarding once last summer, she was incredible!! Behind the red boat she was really able to show her stuff, trust me she was great! Her arm wore out before she did, so she stopped, didn't want to risk an accident the day before she was leaving for Hawaii!I managed to try out 2 or 3 more wakeboards, I was totally exhausted when the sun went down and we HAD to get off the lake! There were just so many boats and not very many kids so I figured I better put the boats to good use! By the time I got home I realized that those muscles were going to be hurting Saturday morning. I fell into bed and felt pretty good in the morning. However, as the day wore on I absolutely could not walk, lift my arms, squat, turn my steering wheel, or open a bottle of water (are you getting the picture here!) By bedtime my skin even hurt, lying down was painful, but wow would I get up and go again??? you bet I would!! It was crazy but oh so worth it!!
I haven't gone out and bought my own equipment (yet!), but if any of you out there need an extra hand on the boat, just give me a call!!
3 comments:
Wow! Those pictures are amazing. Nobody would believe you are as old as your birth certificate says! Eric says that if you want to buy your own equipment we will store it here for you...free of charge!
let me be the first to say that mom is a rockstar on the wakeboard! i left halfway through the day only to find out she went double what we had already done! and judging from how sore i was i cant imagine how sore she must have been after all that. seriously, my back was the sorest it has ever been in my life. but thanks for inviting me mom, i had SO much fun!! i love you! you amaze me!
fit as a fiddle! i am proud of you sue!
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