wakeboarding
Journey to the east. :)
Woke up bright and early at 6.45am this morning, picked my cousin and darryl up at 8am and headed down to punggol marina for our long-awaited wakeboarding session. They had gone with the YA people before 2 saturdays ago, and having missed out on such a great time, I decided that this opportunity could not slip through my hands again.
It was an experience I was not prepared for. Although I hear "horror" stories of not being able to get up and feeling absolutely tired thereafter, it never really hits you like reality does. As I was the only beginner, vincent, the instructor, gave me step-by-step tips on exactly what to do when the boat goes off - a basic simulation. On my first attempt, I got up pretty smoothly. Strangely though, the overwhelming thrill I expected from being able to glide on water didn't engulf me. :( Perhaps my expectations were raised. Nevertheless it was quite a challenge to stay afloat. You really need to observe others and adjust your posture accordingly so that you can remain in an upright position.
In my second set, I managed better. There was a point where I could glide for at least a minute or more. But towards the end, even though I did not feel my posture giving way, my arms just couldn't tackle the handle anymore. I literally had to muster every last bit of my strength just to hang on before surrendering. Subsequently on other tries, the handle just kept eluding my fingers. That happened almost 5 consecutive times, and I felt so bad for the instructor and the rest who kept encouraging me. Sigh. Probably pretty disappointed in myself too, knowing that the body is able but muscle is weak. :P
At the end of it all, when I climbed on board, the instructor told me to shake his hand. At first I thought it was merely a friendly good-bye gesture. Then he told me to squeeze it. With all my strength, I squeezed his hand. And he said incredulously, "That's it?" That's when I realised he wanted to test how much strength I had left, which probably resulted in my last 5 failed attempts. I tried the handshake with my cousin and darryl too, and both agreed my squeeze was so soft, almost like a baby's pinch (or at least what I would imagined them to think).
Other than my arms and back muscles, the rest of my body is perfectly fine, unlike the other two who complain of aching legs. Either I didn't get sufficient standing time, or, in the words of my instructor, I have powerful legs. Blessing in disguise.
posted by solitude @ 5:00 PM
Comments: 1
