DO: Wild over water skiing

2009/10/10

ANUSHA K

An aching ANUSHA K. cannot get enough of the sport at Putrajaya.

EVER wondered how water skiers glide effortlessly across the water? This water sport, which combines grace, agility and stamina, gives you such an adrenaline rush. The thrill of being towed behind the boat on a pair of skis, gliding across the water with the wind in your face, is indescribable! It’s also one of the coolest and fastest-growing water sports in the country.

Mastercraft Prostar PS 197, a world-class waterski tow boat, is used with an inboard engine of 360hp and the legendary “Evo” Hull as the boat’s frame to tow the best international water skiers for world championships or for training students at a lake.

Water ski training will take you through the basics of handling and getting started with skis as well as steering. A four-hour session is enough to have you master the sport.

The lessons consist of land training, water comfort training (getting comfortable in the water with your skis on), learning how to put on the life jacket, skiing with a boat using a boom and skiing using double skis behind a boat on a rope. To test if you’re getting the hang of it, you have to drop a ski to a single ski.

The course is priced at RM300 during weekends and RM240 during weekdays.

Schoolchildren under 15 years old get a 20 per cent discount (RM240 for weekends and RM200 for weekdays), with children aged four to six enjoying a 33 per cent discount (RM200 for weekends and RM160 for weekdays).

If you have what it takes to be a tournament waterskiier, the Malaysian Water Ski Federation will talent-spot you for training under its national trainees scheme. Normal waterskiing or wakeboard rates are RM75 per set for weekends and RM60 per set for weekdays. (Each set of skiing is between 10 and 15 minutes, depending on your fitness level).

With basic training, you can then progress to the four categories of the sport — slalom, short board, jump and wakeboard.

Wakeboarding is a combination of water skiing, snowboarding and surfing.

In water skiing, the long skis make it difficult to perform the various stunts of this sport. Wakeboarding, on the other hand, offers a lot more scope for stunts. It is performed on a board rather than on skis. In water skiing, the skier is pulled behind a motor boat via a ski rope or cable, whizzing across the water on one or two skis.

Water skiing is a must-try for water sport lovers.

Beginners generally learn to use double skis first, before progressing to a single ski.

I met my skiing coach on a sunny afternoon at the Putrajaya lake. First up was land training, where a rope is tied to a tree, and I was taught how to position myself when the boat is pulling me. Besides the usual stretches, I was taught to keep my knees bent and as close to my body as possible. This helps stabilise your body to keep your balance when skiing.

Next up, was the water comfort training with a life jacket. Wear anything comfortable but be prepared to get wet, so swimming attire is best. Then I slipped into my skis, adjusted to my feet size. It’s best if the skis are a bit tight as they easily slip off when you’re in the water. Then, with your back facing the water, walk with your skis closely together before dropping backwards into the water.

Remember to fall back slowly and to hold your breath, otherwise you’ll get water in your nose and ears (as yours truly did!).

After getting comfortable in the water with your skis on, slowly bring your knees to your chest and push the skis down so that you are in an upright position.
You may fall flat several times with your skis up behind you as you try to do this. Practice slowly turning your back to face upward.
After getting the hang of it, it’s time for the boat and boom.
This is the scariest part of all for me: you hold on to a boom (a protruding PVC pipe) as you squat on the boat.
Though the boat was not speeding, it was still too much for me. I fell and the skis slipped away.
Apparently, you need to stand upright and most of the time, many succeed on their second attempt.
Though my thigh muscles ached so much after my first experience, I would try again, just for that adrenaline rush!