Dance me through the panic till I'm gathered safely in
Lift me like an olive branch and be my homeward dove
Dance me to the end of love
- Leonard Cohen
Of Wakeboarding and…Beggars
August 26, 2007
So when was the last time you did something for the first time?
I have never been the athletic type nor someone you could consider physically fit at this point. I just happen to be an extremely curious person who seeks education in almost anything. And so finding myself in a group of office buddies who all trooped to Lago de Oro in Calatagan last Saturday to try out wakeboarding, came as, well…just a little surprise.
So what exactly is wakeboarding? Coming into Lago, the only idea I have about it is that it is an aquatic sports similar to water-skiing and surfing. But nothing really prepared me for what it was specifically. Arriving there around 9:30 AM, we were met by an empty man-made lake hovered by a closed-course cable. As we were heading to the registration desk, we passed by 1 or 2 seemingly-professional wakeboarders already preparing in the takeoff area. We were all first-time riders and judging from my companions’ physiques, I must have the least developed muscle for this yet untested endeavor (well eza, you are more fit than I am). During the registration, I got a little scared when I had to sign this disclaimer stating that the resort owners are freed of any responsibility in case of death or injuries arising from the activity. I thought, “Wow, I could really die doing this, hehe.”
So off we went to the takeoff area, prepared the necessary gears and listened to the instructor. Because we were beginners, we were to ride the the kneeboards first. Only when we are able to establish our balance and can complete a round or 2, can we try the actual wakeboards.
And so we took off, one by one. I was the last one to leave so imagine the pressure when I saw that all four of them had a successful takeoff and could even complete the course. But before I knew it, I was already on the water, cruising on 1 straight line, trying my best not to panic (as I thought i would be hitting all those ramps and get killed in no time). I only made it to the first corner, because I did not get in between the 2 buoys and thus was overpowered by the pull of the rope as I turned. Much as I hated it, I got to taste the murky water as well, arrrgh…
I tried it 2 more times, but with more minutes of rest in between, hehe. By then, I could already feel the mounting stress on my shoulders and armpits. The 2nd attempt, I fell again on the same spot. I hit the buoy right on my 3rd attempt then got released from the kneeboard again after my 2nd turn. But then, at least……
Well, I survived. And what can I say? “that was one hell of an experience!” (as I experienced hell when I woke up the following morning). Kneeboards pa lang yan ha. Oh well, baka hanggang kneeboards na lang muna. But who knows, where else this team of frail bones and barely-there muscles could take me. Maybe I will go back, maybe not. Maybe I could take on other sports I’ve never tried before if only to gain knowledge first and then feel the “thrill”second. But most importantly, I went ahead and took the challenge despite my growing fear that I could get my body maimed if I wasn’t calculating enough.
To set off to another adventure, I can’t wait. And about the “Beggars”? Maybe Eza or Ian could comment on it…
Previous Comments
ei rowie girl!…glad you’re ok now after days of being sick…damn that flu!
i’ll comment on those “three beggars” we saw in Calatagan when i have a blog na…hehehe (ambisyosa noh?)….=)
Oh i remember those beggars-posing-as-wake-boarders-social-climbers!!! the nerve, pa-english english pa di naman bagay, anyway ang hina ng boses nila, maybe they are worrying about their grammar. everytime they tumble on the course the water seems to be more mabaho, especially the pa-sosy girl that looks like a yaya, hehehehe dont take this seriously, joke lang lahat, actually kami yun mukha mahirap kasi everytime someone talks to us they never talk to us in english, tagalog talaga, and imagine even the european-looking guy talked to us in tagalog “pasindi naman pre”, my god, mukha siguro kami uneducated hehehe, but the moment he talked to another wakeboarder he said “hey, you saw what happened?did i fall on my back or on my stomach?” anak ng teteng, confirmed, kami yun mukha katulong at hardinero…
Posted by paul at September 6, 2007, 9:27 amhahaha!!!..panalo ung comment ni Paul!…para akong baliw na tawa ng tawa dito sa cubicle ko…hehehe…ei rowie, dapat si Paul na lng ang hiningan mo ng comment sa article mo…sulit pa ang effort mo..hehehe
Honestly though, what I liked about our trip aside of course from that one a of a kind experience, was the endless kwentuhan on our way home…ung tipong kwentuhan after nyong manood ng movie…(ang galing-galing ni Ai-Ai, sana may part two!!)
We really can’t help but laugh on those “three hungry-weird-looking-don’t-give-us-that-nasty-look-or-we’ll-eat-you-alive” aliens…hehehe..eh kc nmn, akala ko talaga ung isang girl dun, yaya lng nung isang rich-i-don’t-care-if-i-die-trying-to-make-a-silly-turn-at-the-corner-while-standing-on-my-wakeboard-half-wrestler-and-half-dorothy-from-the-wizard-of-Oz kid…that “yaya” was so timid..i don’t even remember hearing her talk to her bosses..errr..i mean, friends…she just stared at us…like a star-strucked-planetoid from unknown galaxy…hehehe
And her two other friends??..never mind!…i don’t even remember their faces..what I only remember is the way they sat on a corner..trying to ponder what they were doing on such place…or if they really exist in this world..(grabe, eza ang sama mo talaga!)…I can now imagine rowie…uttering these lines..hehehe
But in real life peepz, we are the ones who really look like “pulubi” here…i don’t like using the word beggars….wlang dating eh! =)
In fact, talo pa kmi nung “tatlong pulubi” na nakasabay nmin na mag wakeboard…grabe!..at least sila, kinakausap sila ng english ng mga coniotic na PRO…samantalang kami, tagalog..hehehe…
I have learned my lesssons here..the next time we go to that place again, I’ll make sure that I’ll wear some braces then approach one of the coniotic PROs and ask them “Pre, mern kang burya?”….
wow, finally..nagkabuhay entry ko, hehe. san na ba sina Ian and Rally? san na mga fearless comments niyo diyan? next time you go back, dapat complete gear na ha pati mga muscles, braces, sunscreen, mudscreen at pati pang nosebleed na english ha, para di na tayo nagmukhang pulubi..
Posted by owie at September 6, 2007, 10:06 amhave you tried wakeboarding at CamSur? Cam south CamSur? 
I wanted to try this but I don’t have the time…
Posted by janus at September 26, 2007, 11:48 am*The beautiful house faces the sea, and offers lovely views of sunrises and sunsets.
Posted by Retro Jordan at January 6, 2011, 8:44 amMany times people are: how scarce the.
Posted by Nike Shox Shoes at January 21, 2011, 2:02 pm
kayo ha… di nag-aaya! others…
looks like you enjoyed the experience nonetheless sis! you know, it has always been a dream of mine to learn how to swin … never learned. that’s my greatest frustration… luv ko pa naman ang beach…
Posted by jojo t. at August 28, 2007, 4:01 pm