Learning To Water Ski

Did you ever learn how to water ski? I learned to water ski when I was 22 years old in Touchwood Lake in Alberta. Water skiing was a foreign concept to me. I had been to a lake maybe twice in my life at that point. What could convince this country girl to try such an endeavor? Why a good-looking self-proclaimed water-skiing prodigy whom I also happened to work with. “Come on”, he says, “I’ll teach you myself”.

It was a beautiful summer day when we travelled to Touchwood Lake with a group of friends from work. I remember it like yesterday. Some knew how to water ski and the remainder would try it for the first time along with me. When we arrived, the sun was glittering on the lake like polished glass, and I can still smell the pleasant scent of wood smoke mingling with the faint aroma of pine trees. I cinched my life jacket far too tight around my torso making sure it wasn’t moving. As per the instructions I received, I walked out into the lake and picked up the tow line. A fellow skier assisted me in getting my feet into the rubber bindings on the two long fibreglass water skis. The tow line assisted me to stay balanced. The boat’s engine roared to life, sending a small flock of ducks scattering into the wild blue yonder which is where I thought I would be shortly. I adjusted my grip on the towline as though it were my only lifeline. The self-proclaimed water-skiing prodigy was at the helm. “Just lean back, keep your balance, and let the boat do the work,” he shouted. I thought it sounded so simple.

The first attempt went “not” as expected; the boat revved, the towline tightened, and I face-planted into the water with such grace, like a video clip from “America’s Funniest Videos”. (Too bad it wasn’t a program back then; someone could have won some money at my expense!)

On the second try, my feet managed to rise but I was wobbling like a newborn calf. I was getting the hang of it for about five seconds when my skis dug into the water, and it was head over heels once again. (0 for 2)

I was determined to get this, and a few attempts later, I rose smoothly, knees slightly bent, and I was skiing! A brand-new exhilarating experience! It wasn’t graceful, it wasn’t glamorous, but it was so much fun, and I was hooked for years to come. That beautiful blue sky and the warm spray off the water with not a ripple, told me the huge lake was mine to discover on skis. The wake created by the boat was a delightful discovery as I intersected it several times successfully. My work comrades all faired reasonably well too. We took turns gliding across the lake that day and it was a great topic of discussion for the lot of us.

Slalom skiing became very popular during my skiing years, but I never did learn to slalom. I was quite happy with two fibreglass skis with a fin on the bottom. But I watched others make rooster tails and precise arcs on their slalom routine (purely athletic artistry) and take impressive low body positions on the water. The only low body position on the water I ever took was when I pushed the boundary of my abilities and crashed landed in the water! No matter, it was all an adrenaline rush!

Fast forward to today, the sport is more inclusive than ever before. Adaptive equipment has been designed for individuals with disabilities, including sit-skis and other specialized gear, increasing the accessibility of water skiing. People of all ages and abilities can enjoy water skiing. Wakeboarding is now hugely popular and has captured the interest of many enthusiasts.

Even though I felt unstoppable as a young athlete and my “small world” was my playground, the years really do spin by, and I no longer water ski. I married that good-looking self-proclaimed water-skiing prodigy and he doesn’t ski anymore either, but we sure have some laughs reminiscing.