Thursday, September 17, 2009

To Ski or Not to Ski? That is the Question.

I've never been an adrenaline junkie. You know, the type that likes to bungee jump, sky dive or rappel down 40-foot walls dressed in Army fatigues.

Well, I actually did do the rappel thing when I was in college...but that was for a reporting assignment and back then I would do practically anything to get published. Yes, even join BYU's Army ROTC for an exhausting day of field training exercises. (Hey, I made my grandpa proud!)

This is the infamous wall I rappelled down.

Did I also mention I threw a grenade (no pin) and climbed under a barbed wire fence (on my back)? Okay, maybe I am a little more adventurous than I give myself credit for. (If you'd like to read the full story and have a chuckle at my expense, here's the link.)

So while I was on vacation last month, I was given the opportunity to water ski. I’ve never really embraced skiing - either the water or snow version - but I'm always up for a challenge, even if it means I will mostly likely end up on my butt - which usually happens in both instances.

But like I said, I like pushing my body to do things my mind puts the brakes on. So what if I'm older and out of shape? Age is only a number and your body is a miraculous sum of many parts. I just wish my toes liked freezing cold temperatures!

Here I am all suited up and ready to water ski. I just dipped my toes into the 65-degree lake water and my sister snapped this reaction. What was I thinking? Instead of easing my way in, limb by limb, I ended up diving in. Much like a band-aid, it's sometimes best to just go for it!

Once submerged, the cold water isn't so bad. You just hope the skis are set to match your foot size. My dad likes to joke that with size nine feet, I already have built-in skis!

Once the skis are on, it's time to untwist the rope and align yourself straight behind the boat.

Point your ski tips up and then there's only one thing left to do: PRAY!

After two failed attempts, I finally got up! Five minutes later, I finally surrendered to my wobbly legs and aching back, and dropped the rope. And yes, I ended up on my butt!

Here's to all you adrenaline junkies out there! Thanks for letting me step into your exciting world every now and then. I may not stay long, but I sure have a good time while I'm doing it!

PK

P.S. What's the most adventurous thing you've done lately?

1 comment:

Unknown said...

That is awesome!!
I love adrenaline (hard to imagine right?)
If you ever feel adventurous enough to learn snow skiing, I would love to teach you, and I am pretty good at it if I do say so myself!

B-