Inliner
05-08-2005, 09:34 AM
A magic event occured yesterday that inspired me to write this little ditty. Thought you guys might like it. It is called The Perfect Set:
The hot Florida sun drenches the lake as the mercury rises to a toasty 85 degrees. As the boat eases away from shore, my ski buddy says “why don’t you jump in first”. I stare across the lake at the flawless surface and think to myself “any day my friend, any day”. As I lube up the boot on my ski, an Osprey rides high overhead searching for his next meal. I grab the handle and slide into the water. Thoughts of the course ahead cross my mind while I am waiting for the start of the set. I look across the lake as I settle in the water and a smile purses my lips when I realize the lake is total glass. I daydream about the perfect set until the pull of the boat jolts me to reality. As I drag behind the boat, I look up at the few willowy clouds suspended in a sea of blue. Then the time is right, “GO BOAT” I shout and the set starts with a huge explosion of water as my ski starts to plane up. For a second I stop breathing as the wall of water pelts my face. Once the seemingly impenetrable wall dissipates, I know it is time to rip. I lean back on the rope and the ski arcs hard to the left side of the boat on the way to a brief visit to the #1 ball. As the boat passes the entry gates, I lean back on the rope and the water hisses in protest almost as if it was saying “no #1 for you today guy”. But the ski responds in spite of the protest and as I pass around the #1 ball I look down the lake ahead at the rippleless glass of the lake, broken only by the wake of the boat and the arcing turns of my ski and realize that in spite of the determination of the water to prevent me from reaching my destination, I am going to have the perfect set!
The hot Florida sun drenches the lake as the mercury rises to a toasty 85 degrees. As the boat eases away from shore, my ski buddy says “why don’t you jump in first”. I stare across the lake at the flawless surface and think to myself “any day my friend, any day”. As I lube up the boot on my ski, an Osprey rides high overhead searching for his next meal. I grab the handle and slide into the water. Thoughts of the course ahead cross my mind while I am waiting for the start of the set. I look across the lake as I settle in the water and a smile purses my lips when I realize the lake is total glass. I daydream about the perfect set until the pull of the boat jolts me to reality. As I drag behind the boat, I look up at the few willowy clouds suspended in a sea of blue. Then the time is right, “GO BOAT” I shout and the set starts with a huge explosion of water as my ski starts to plane up. For a second I stop breathing as the wall of water pelts my face. Once the seemingly impenetrable wall dissipates, I know it is time to rip. I lean back on the rope and the ski arcs hard to the left side of the boat on the way to a brief visit to the #1 ball. As the boat passes the entry gates, I lean back on the rope and the water hisses in protest almost as if it was saying “no #1 for you today guy”. But the ski responds in spite of the protest and as I pass around the #1 ball I look down the lake ahead at the rippleless glass of the lake, broken only by the wake of the boat and the arcing turns of my ski and realize that in spite of the determination of the water to prevent me from reaching my destination, I am going to have the perfect set!