Wakeboard a mile in his boots
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| Stephanie Lehman, reporter for the Lake County Journal, wakeboards July 14 on the lower Fox River during the Midweek Wake Up Series. |
There's something to be said for the old adage, "Before you criticize a man, walk a mile in his shoes."
I wasn't criticizing any of the wakeboarders I interviewed for this week's cover story about wakeboarding (to read the article, click here). In fact, I pretty much thought they were some of the coolest athletes I've ever met. The more I watched the tantrums and 360s and other tricks the pros threw on the water, the more excited I became to try wakeboarding myself.
So, after spending two Wednesdays interviewing people at the Broken Oar in Port Barrington – where the Midweek Wake Up Series features free wakeboarding demonstrations and lessons every Wednesday through Aug. 4 – Intern Amanda Orabutt, Managing Editor Kathy Gresey and I decided enough was enough. We were done talking to the riders; we wanted our own shot.
July 14, we finally got our chance.
Tony Duffy, principal of All-Actionsports.com – a sponsor of the Midweek Wake Up Series – helped us sign up to take free lessons with none other than one of the most experienced wakeboarders in the Midwest – Mark Norwell.
I had talked to Mark for the article I wrote about the Wednesday series, and he said as an instructor, he's hardly had a single rider that couldn't stand up on a wakeboard by the time he was done with them.
I'd say he still has that track record intact.
Kathy volunteered to jump in the water first – a brave move in and of itself – and she did great. After just a few tries, she had grasped the proper technique for getting up, and she even managed to stand up briefly before we had to switch riders.
Amanda did just as well. She managed to travel a few feet on top of the water before we had to switch riders again, and during the entire experience – even when she was falling – she had a big smile on her face.
I had the advantage of not only watching Kathy and Amanda go before me, but also of remembering other tips I had learned from my interviews with the pros earlier. I managed to pop up on the wakeboard my first try, and two rides later, I tried to jump the wake. I failed miserably. But I was proud that I could technically call myself a wakeboarder.
Two other newbies got the hang of wakeboarding, as well, and two younger boys showed us how it was done, with one trying a few simple tricks before the impending darkness forced us back to the pier.
Mark said we were a great group to take out, and if he had had five more minutes with each of us, we would have been wakeboarding like pros.
Tony, Mark and other people involved in the Midweek Wake Up Series kept telling me that the best way for them to promote wakeboarding was to get people out on the water to try it. I wrote that in my article, but I really had to try it myself to see what they meant.
Amanda is planning on bringing her younger brother to the Broken Oar to try his hand at wakeboarding, I've got a friend who's said he's game to try out the sport; and I promised Tony I'd be back in the next few weeks to try to land my first trick. They were right – their marketing strategy really works. But it's also more than that, they said. They just want new riders to enjoy what they enjoy. And we did.
I may not have criticized the wakeboarding pros who put on this awesome Wednesday event, but I sure had to ride a mile in their boots before I understood why they loved wakeboarding so much.
You'll have to do the same.
