Water Skiing - First Time

Writing Party on Facebook 2013 – Write about the topic “First Time”

The first time I went water skiing I was 16. I went with my boyfriend...my first love...my heart throb. I went camping with his parents and big sister to a lake in the high desert of New Mexico - how romantic.

It was back in the Annette Funicello day of big hair and Aqua Net hair spray. I didn't know how I was going to pull off being seen without makeup and teased hair - much less having to go pee behind a mesquite bush. And I've never really had the yellow-polka-dot bikini body type - so why on earth would I agree to go camping - at a lake - with a boy I wanted to impress. Love does strange things.

The first night was a little creepy, sitting around the fire with moms, pops, and big sis. I didn't really know what to talk about, so I politely sat on an uncomfortable rock, pretending to enjoy the smores that dripped chocolate all over my T-shirt. His big sister insisted on telling dirty jokes - which embarrassed me - but I had to put up and good front so I could impress the family, and I giddily chuckled at her every utterance. I must have sounded like one of Alvin's chipmunks.

The next morning we launched the boat for a day of water skiing. Boyfriend and sister both were accomplished skiers, but I was the newbie. After about the hundredth time of "hit it" - splash - "down" I finally was gliding on top of the water with this monster machine Chris Craft pulling me. It was so exhilarating - I finally found my sport: the spray of the water around my feet - the cool breeze whipping through my hair - the hot sun beating down on my back - the bugs in my teeth.

All of a sudden, everyone in the boat got up and all peered into the water over the left side of the boat, pointing and gasping. Then the driver made a 360 turn to the left. It was all I could do to hang on or be drug to a watery death. When the boat straightened out, everyone gathered on the right side of the boat and stared into the water again. Finally they gave me the sign to drop the rope and get in the boat. It was then that they told me there was a rattle snake floating in the water. Great! I would have thought they would have pulled me in the boat before they circled the snake. They then proceeded to run over the snake, killing it with the prop of the motor. Since it was my maiden skiing voyage, I was presented with the rattles - of which I still have to this day.

I ditched the boyfriend and his ugly sister, however.