| I woke to the sound of seagulls screaming for me to | | | | think who though... must get round this... concentrate! |
| get up & prepare for the race. 7am it was and the | | | | Straightening up out of the turn I give another "up". |
| flags were set to drop at 11. Pulling one of the | | | | "Come on" I shout hopelessly, as I foam at the |
| curtains aside to take a look out of the small guest | | | | mouth for an injection of pure speed. All nerves |
| house window I could see the water beyond the | | | | gone, brains too. I'm here. Here in this 55 minutes of |
| sand waiting for the 30 or so powerboats which | | | | insanity...getting the rush...getting the buzz which |
| would shortly be screaming over it. It was going to | | | | makes me come back week after week.The field |
| be fast, but you know that the elements are once | | | | begins to thin. You know who's going to be there, |
| again instilling a false sense of security within you.Ok | | | | you know who'll be there till the end. Now amongst |
| breakfast! It's the usual cooked English & race | | | | those who perform as well as you, it's a game of |
| morning chat, which becomes a regular Sunday treat | | | | strategy, guts & stamina. The skier on my left |
| through the peak of the racing season. Down it's | | | | usually starts to struggle at 45 minutes. The skier on |
| forced and we check out. I arrive to find the boats | | | | my right has beat me in the last 2 races, but I'm |
| already strung up across the beach. And that's my | | | | convinced I'm better really. I'm convinced that this is |
| driver I see! He was in the bar till gone midnight and | | | | going to be mine today...MINE!As the first lap is |
| he's just told me he's been up seeing to the boat | | | | completed, we've all gained a feel for the water |
| since 6am. Ok...perhaps they do actually do a few | | | | we're up against. But you know too, that it's going to |
| things other than opening their wallets.The club house | | | | chop up as the boats circulate the 3 mile rectangular |
| is buzzing with officials. Their adrenalin is already at a | | | | course, time and time again. You know that the guy |
| high it seems. I go to find some solitude in the toilets | | | | 100 metres ahead hate's fast chop and that you'll reel |
| and am faced with the usual queue of skiers (& one | | | | him in before long. But you know too that nothing is |
| or two observers) with pre-race nerves.15 minutes | | | | certain in this game.Four of us there are. Four of us |
| later ...it seems as if a few are already taping up their | | | | with drivers continually squeezing out a few more |
| ankles & squeezing into their wetsuits. A lax few are | | | | revs, thinking you the skier won't feel it. "Down you |
| only now untangling their ski lines after last week's | | | | lovely man!" (or words to that effect) But he went |
| race and a few are taking it all in their stride, knowing | | | | up 200 revs and came down 100. The pace has |
| that there's plenty of time yet.Engines start to roar | | | | increased. Nobody wants to be left out. The four of |
| as the drivers sporadically fire them up before | | | | us are hanging in there. Give another down and |
| launching their pride & joys into the water & I | | | | you're likely to be left behind."Halfway" I see the |
| discreetly inhale those fumes which deliver a | | | | observer in the boat to my left signal to his skier. |
| premature rush of race excitement. I get into my | | | | Mine follows. Time to re-frame the mind. It's not that |
| gear, hop into the boat, put on my helmet & adjust | | | | I've got to do another 25 minutes or so - No! It's |
| the chin strap until it feels just right, as we are | | | | that I'm nearly there. Glory is waiting...it's not so far |
| reversed down the slipway.Five minutes to "flags up" | | | | now.My body argues with my mind, but this time my |
| and the drivers are doing their ritual manoeuvring in & | | | | mind wins. "This is easy" I tell myself. Who am I |
| out of one another, with their own ideas of where | | | | kidding? ... I'm kidding the muscles that I've neglected |
| they should start from. Seems mine has decided to | | | | a little lately. I'm kidding the heart that is 10 years |
| take the inside line this time.My observer starts to | | | | older than the one skiing on my right. But I'm a |
| twitch. "Shall we put your ski on now" he asks. "We'll | | | | convincing liar. My body obeys & relentlessly pushes |
| wait for the flags" I tell him. "There's plenty of | | | | on.Ten minutes to go, a fall to my left...three of us |
| time...don't worry!". But the anxious look remains | | | | remain. I know I've got the edge on the back leg and |
| under his helmet - bless him! Time to give a few | | | | I know my driver will retain the inside position. We've |
| more thumbs of encouragement to other skiers and | | | | got the advantage, but still a few laps to go. It's not |
| two flags are raised. We've got two and a half | | | | so much the pace now, but the tiredness that you |
| minutes before the second flag when every skier | | | | continually fight. The thought that the last lap is going |
| gets into the water. My observer pulls open the | | | | to be "all out."It comes...the blue flag signalling the |
| bindings and I squeeze my feet in. He struggles to | | | | penultimate lap. Again the drivers push up the pace. If |
| pull over the straps and clip them, but I know he'll | | | | you want the win you have to hang on. Somebody |
| succeed eventually, and he does. His anxious face is | | | | goes in! God this is too quick! Two of us left, five |
| replaced by one of concentration. The driver, | | | | metres apart, I'm catching his wash. "I'm going to do |
| seemingly relaxed, sitting like a king in his thrown, | | | | it, I am the best!"A final conditioning of the mind...total |
| keeping one eye on his stopwatch and the other on | | | | concentration now. That secret gear I've not used all |
| the start boat.Lifting the ski over the side of the | | | | race. "UP" I wave. And yes! This is it! I wrench |
| boat, I sit there holding the handles for a few | | | | forward, and notice my opponent's observer calling |
| seconds. Final adjustment of my goggles. They've | | | | him on. I know this is it. I know I've got him. The |
| got to be just right you see."One flag down" the | | | | chequered flag is there. Yes this is it!We pull out 50 |
| crew shouts....I drop into the water and vaguely hear | | | | metres, I even give another "up". The final turn, the |
| them wishing me good luck as the boat pulls away | | | | finish boat in sight. A last brave attempt by my |
| until the 200 foot or so of line is out & tight. A few | | | | opponent's driver to catch us but no. It's here, it's |
| washes from other boats roll into me, but | | | | ours, we've won!The boat slows and the crew |
| concentration is on keeping the ski straight, keeping | | | | simultaneously punch the air several times with |
| balanced and being prepared for the unannounced pull | | | | elation. I follow with one almighty raising of the arm, |
| out after 30 seconds.My eye is on the observers | | | | feeling the God given right to acknowledge my |
| arm, which is held high and suddenly dropped to signal | | | | deserved victory.Yes! Yes! Yes!I throw the line and |
| that the 2nd flag has gone down and we're off.Thirty | | | | embrace the cool refreshing water into which I |
| or more skiers launch from the water (one or two | | | | submerge. What a relief. Thank God it's over. But oh |
| launching back into it) and power forward behind the | | | | the feeling's so good! The boat comes around to pick |
| combined roar of thousands of horsepower of race | | | | me up. They're ecstatic inside. What a team effort, |
| engines. Still slightly tensed, with a pinch of nerves | | | | what a result, what a feeling.The other finishers |
| swilling through me, I bravely give some "up" signals | | | | acknowledge my well deserved victory and we cruise |
| to my observer for more speed. I get the speed, | | | | into the shore.The crowds are there. They've seen it |
| but so do the skiers on either side of me, as the | | | | all, they know you worked for it. Climbing out of the |
| drivers compete with each other.First turnbouy! ...Here | | | | boat, stumbling up the pebbled beach I proudly |
| we go! Seven or eight of us power around, with | | | | accept the pats on the back, the smiles, the chain of |
| drivers attempting the tightest possible line. Through | | | | congratulations. Yes this is it. This is why I do this.This |
| the corner of my sprayed goggles, I get a flash of | | | | must be as good as it gets. |
| someone on the very inside taking a fall. No time to | | | | |