WATER SKIING
I first tried water skiing at the age of 18, this was before I lost my eyesight and while visiting a school friends house in the Lake District. Well, it could be better described as a "mansion", with eight double bedrooms, the largest lounge I've ever seen, long, long, gravel driveway through a tunnel of trees and situated on the shore of Lake Windermere.
Unfortunately, none of my friends, who were expert water skiers, could teach water skiing, and I wasted a half hour drinking cold, very cold as it was October, lake water! Indeed, it was nearly 21 years before I tried to water ski again; this time, with proper instruction, holding a training boom, with a thermally insulated wetsuit, and even though it was still Lake Windermere, all was well. I so enjoyed the experience, even without eyesight, that as soon as I'd migrated down South, I searched for a water skiing lake, hence my involvement with the Wiremill Water Ski Club near Lingfield, Surrey.
I now attempt the slalom course on a mono ski, and you can see and hear a practice session if you click on the link below. Be warned however, as it's for broadband users only, being a 6.9 meg download! The video clip shows how an observer in the ski boat blows a whistle to notify me of the buoys; two blows for turn, and one blow for "OK".
You can download the 20 seconds video clip by clicking below:-
[Copyright] Allied Law 2004