wake boarding

Back on the Water

/ carlenetan / Leave a comment

I dare say it’s been nearly 2 months since I last got on the water and I paid dearly for it.  The morning after I woke up all aching but looking forward to my next ride 🙂  I’m not sure why but wakeboarding does that to you.  I think any activity that gets your adrenaline running does the same time.  There’s something to be said about being out on the water too, especially for me.  Though I wish it wasn’t the monsoon season.

It was cold and rainy when we left the dock and this was my view in the boat.  I felt like a team of terrorist going out to make an open sea attack :p  The rain soon calmed down and we were out on the water.  Jimbo, our instructor says we have muscle memory.  Obviously he wasn’t talking about me.  My muscles forgot how to edge and kinda had to relearn but pats on my back 🙂  I pretty much nailed a toeside edge!!  I even tried to get in position for a jump.  So maybe soon :p  Meanwhile, my sister is clearing two wakes and learning to grab her board!!

How insane is that?  I think so too 🙂  I don’t know if I’ll ever get there but I’ll live vicariously through my sister for now.

My Nephew Rocks

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It’s exactly one month before my nephew turns 9 years old.  I still remember going to the hospital to see him.  He was such a cute little baby 🙂  As a soon-to-be 9-year-old, he inspires his 37-year-old aunt to keep widening her horizon, because just a week ago he got on a wake board and surprised us all.  So this post is specially for him.

Dearest Gabriel,

Life will get scary and there’ll always be things we aren’t sure about or know how to do but we keep trying.  Sometimes we’re going to succeed and other times we fail.  In both, we’ll learn.  We won’t always get it right but we can try getting better at it.

Just like with your wake boarding 🙂  It may be your thing and you could possibly go pro.  Or you may lose interest after a couple more rides.  Either way the important thing is you tried.

Best of all we have fun trying!!

We are all proud of you for being able to stand on your board your first ride out but more than that, we’re so very proud that you went out of your comfort zone and tried something new.  Remember, success or failure with whatever you try in life, you’ll always have us behind you!!

Love you lots.
Coco Carlene

Wake Boarding Update

/ carlenetan / Leave a comment

It’s been like 5 months since I started wake boarding.  I don’t go as often as I would like but often enough to gain confidence and to start edging, which is something you have to do if you want to learn to jump.  I’m not sure if I’ll ever try jumping but I have to say I’m incredibly inspired by my sister to 🙂

That’s a jump over 2 wakes!!!  I don’t even know if I’ll hop over one.  I may.  We’ll see.  Meanwhile, if I keep going out with them, and maybe just maybe one day I’ll get fearless enough to try and jump.

For now, I’m just edging.

The thing I love about these videos is watching how we fall.  It is kinda hilarious.  The fact after though.  Not so during but it’s nice to get out on the water, feel the breeze in your hair and kinda walk on water 🙂

Hooked on Riding

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Last weekend, I went out riding with a couple of friends who were trying it for the first time.  Suffice to say, they had fun 🙂  Wake boarding has  way with people.  Pulling you in till you think about it a lot more than you think about much else.  So here I am on a Tuesday night wondering if I could squeeze in a ride tomorrow morning before work.

This coming from someone who isn’t even doing simple stunts.  Yep, I go out and am quite happy just feeling the wind in my hair, smelling the sea breeze and being out of the water.  For now that seems more than enough for me.  My sister has warned me though.  She says I’ll get bored and sooner or later I’ll want to try something more.  I just may get adventurous one day and forget I’m going to be 40 in a couple of years time.  Or maybe that’s exactly why I’ll do a jump :p  40 is just a couple of years away and this may be the only chance I get to do it 🙂

Hmmm … maybe I could call Jim for the last ride of the day instead.  It’ll give me more time on the water.

Meanwhile, hope you’re having a wonderful Tuesday.  2 days down, 3 more to go.

Fakie and Surface 180

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It’s been 4 months since I first started to seriously wake board.  I’ve got my own board and a vest too!!  Both very wonderful hand-me-downs from Charles, my friend and Charlie, my sister 🙂  I hit the water about once a month.  That’s not a lot but enough to be pretty steady behind the boat.  I’ve tried going out on my heel side.  My toe side needs way more work and last week I did a fakie and surface 180.

A fakie is when you ride on your less dominant leg.  In my case I ride with my right leg forward so when I do a fakie, it’s my left leg that is forward.  Seems like such a simple thing but by golly, it feels very very weird like writing with your left hand if you’re right handed.  Whatever the case may be, I can do it now 🙂  Not perfect but I can stand!!

Thanks to the kind people on Youtube, here’s what a Surface 180 looks like:-

BTW, the video is of a six year old doing the “stunt”.  I’m not quite as smooth as him but I definitely crash as soon as I’m done with my 180, like he does in the video :p  Again, he’s only 6 and I’m not.

My sister and cousins are jumping and getting to be quite the pros.  It’s really fun to watch them and have their progress egg me on but seriously, I’m very happy just standing behind the boat and enjoying the view :p  Like with most things in my life, I’ll just take each ride as it comes along.

Take it from me though, if you want to learn how to wake board in Singapore, the guy to call is Jim Chua aka Jimboh.  He’s patient, attentive and knows exactly what you need from the water.  Couldn’t ask more more than that in a wake boarding instructor … and trust me, I’ve had ones I don’t want to think about anymore.

Next on my wake boarding list stunts, to hold on with one hand!!  Stay tune for my updates 🙂