Knee board 3... Cassie 2...

It’s official.  I’m a knee boarder. 

One day last summer as we were heading back to the ramp after a long day on Skiatook Lake, I saw a knee board floating up ahead of us.  There was no one anywhere near us, so I decided that it was a gift God left on the water for me.  I leaned over the boat, pulled it in and for the rest of last summer, begged my friends to take me knee boarding.  But we never could make it work… until last night.  Andy and Brett took me out for my first knee boarding adventure last night. 

Yes, I said first.  Sad, I know… as many times as I’ve been to the lake, I’ve never in my life knee boarded.  I have tubed… that’s it.  Brett gave me the run down on how to get up on the board, Andy clued me in on the trick of using the thing at the top of the board to hold the rope while I strap myself in and then Brett did one short practice run to show me how to do it.  I made Brett promise to be easy on me and not drive too fast.  In the water I go… fingers crossed… I was able to get up on the board on my first try!  Yay!  I wasn’t very brave at first… just getting a feel for the board, how to use it… how not to use it.  Like when the boys on the boat are telling you waves ahead and you start bouncing… bad idea.  The waves bounce you enough, no need to bounce yourself too, or you will bite it.  That was the first time I crashed.  Luckily we weren’t going fast enough for it to hurt and when I realized that there was no pain in crashing, I got a little bit braver.  I started going across both sides of the wake and riding the wake while the boat was turning… then I crashed again.  Oops.  Oh well, with each crash I got a little bit braver. 

Thumbs up :)

Then my legs fell asleep.

I had no idea how to signal to the guys that I needed to stop for a while.  I held up my hand in a stop position which they did back and I thought, “Okay, good, they got it.”  But I was wrong… they interpreted that to mean five more minutes.  Geez.  I can’t feel my legs here people. 

I finally decided to just let go.  When the boat made its way back to me Brett said, “I’ve never seen anyone ride it that long.”  Yeah, there’s a reason for that.  They like their legs.  Next time, we go over hand signals BEFORE I get on the board. 

Andy took a turn on his slalom ski (which I may never be brave enough to try) and then on the knee board. 

Look mom!  No hands!

Then Brett knee boarded a little bit. 

He was being a show off, doing 360s, and I thought, “If he can do that, I can do that.”

On my last turn, Brett was more confident in me then I was in myself (as is usually how it goes).  He gave the boat a little more speed.  I got up on the board, immediately started crossing the wake, went to cross back over and bit it hard.  I blame it on the driver going too fast… it couldn’t be my lack of ability.  J  After I hit the water, I thought for a second I might have broken my neck.  No really… I was floating in the water waiting on the boat to circle around thinking, “I can’t look down.  Why can’t I look down?  Oh no, I’m broken!  I’m paralyzed!”  But then I snapped out of it and sideways swam back over to the board.  I was determined to do one of those 360s so I got back up, popped my neck, strapped myself in and got to work. 

The first attempt, I made it 180 degrees then stopped, held onto the rope for a few seconds backwards and turned right back around.  I just wasn’t sure about going all the way yet.  The second attempt I switched arms and tried to make it around.  I momentarily forgot that I am left-side retarded and holding the rope with my left hand while attempting to throw my body in a circle was clearly a mistake.  I didn’t have enough strength to pull myself around.  So I went back to forward position, switched hands back to my dominant side and around I went.  It was a slow 360, but it was still a 360.  Yay!  I’m a natural! J

Starting my spin...

I dominated the knee board… or so I thought at the time.  This morning I woke up to realize the knee board actually dominated me.  I’m having a little trouble bending at the waist and it hurt my wrist to open the refrigerator door.  Every time I move, I hear something else pop.  I’m such a wimp…

It was fun though.  I really had a good time.  Big thanks to Andy and Brett for taking me out on the water.  Until next time, knee board… be afraid… be very afraid.  I will master you… J 

We ended the night when the sun went down.  I love watching the sun go down on the water… so beautiful.  So today, I end the blog with the view I ended my first knee boarding adventure with…

Happy Friday!