I have wanted to waterski for a long time now but never had an experienced boat driver and as im getting older it really felt like, its now or never!

So on my very first run, so my friend and boat driver suggested for my first time to use flat skis, they were wooden, he is a old time skier, these skis looked bran new but i don’t think they were, i think they have seen lots of action, he said the flat skis would be better then those that are con-caved. So i get the life vest on, we fuel up his boat, i wet the skis then put them on and adjust them, toss my gopro on my head because, well either way this goes its gonna be good right?

I get in the water, get in position and put the skis on, not easy, not for a beginner. He tosses me the rope and gets it taut. He asked if i was ready, i said i think so, which was a nervous way of saying yes. So he hits it (told me on the next run to say that when i’m ready) and i did what i thought was right which was stay in the ball, stay low and wait for the boat to pull me up, so i’m skiing, but i’m crouched down, im getting water all over my face in my mouth because i’m mouth breathing, after a little bit i try to stand a bit which again, i heard the biggest mistake is trying stand to soon so i was feeling like “i am not suppose to do this” but i try and it just didn’t feel right, remember this is my first time so i just bail, i didn’t fall per se i actually let go, in the deep part of the lake, feeling vulnerable, a ski comes off and despite having a life jacket and floating i’m freaking out a bit, i’m spitting out some water, breathing heavy and i’m thinking about being a total wimp, apologizing for wasting his time and calling it quits.

He comes back around so i grab the rope and he says “hey you gotta stand up dude” He wasn’t wrong, i think i took “don’t try stand up too quick” a little to literally. I don’t recall my reply it was either “ok” or “not that easy”. So he tells me “say hit it when you’re ready”…. ok.

For whatever reason, i didn’t wimp out. I compose myself try to get my ski tips straight and angled a little bit, i had no idea they had a mind of their own once in the water, they don’t want to face where i want them to, but thats ok got em close enough and said “hit it”

So here we go i’m in a ball and i’m like fuck it, worse case let go of the rope so i slowly stand up and….. i’m skiing, kinda. No i’m joking thats it, second run and i was up, we went around and did 2 loops, not sure the total distance we went but man, you gotta be fit for this huh? I always thought i was in decent shape, slender build, normal i guess. Not super super active since my daughter was born 2 years ago. My lower legs were burning, i cant quite describe the feeling, it wasn’t my calfs it was from the knee down just the whole thing, felt like wood about to snap lol, but they were not. All my concentration was on not falling, i had all the advice in my head, i did have my legs bent but they felt like i had little to no control over them, as in turning, forget it, i will have just go straight for the next 10 times before i can even move myself around the wake. The other one was chest out, i just could not make this happen, i was hunched forward the whole time, you would think i would faceplant but i did not, maybe the bent knees saved me, but there was a 10 year old skiing near by and he was like leaned back just chilling, im hunched forward quite literally holding on for dear life, it was a quite uncomfortable position. but, i stayed up, for 2 loops and as we passed by our area i let go because my legs could not take anymore.

So i am a water skier now, i plan to do much more of this and progress in my abilities, someday, my daughter will be skiing with me.