Trying Something New by Justine Clark, Bonita vista High School, Chula Vista, California.

For years I have watched professional athletes compete at wakeboarding, and I have always wanted to try it for myself. When my parents bought our new jet boat last year, convincing them to buy me a wakeboard was first priority. My mother was a bit hesitant but my father had no reservations. After searching for a full day I finally settled on the one I liked the best. It was black and pink, with colorful tulips painted across the front. It was one week until our first trip to the lake with our new boat, and I was extremely excited.

When the day finally came to try this new sport I was both excited and nervous at the same time. I have always enjoyed water sports; however, I was not sure if I had the strength and stamina to excel at this one. I watched as many wakeboarding videos as I could find, and analyzed the athletes competing in this sport. The videos were very helpful and allowed me to mentally prepare myself for this day.

Once the boat was in the water I became more anxious. Would I be able to do this? Will I fall flat on my face? As we cruised across the glassy water I knew there was no turning back. My father found an isolated spot on the lake and I began to prepare myself for my first attempt. I pulled my wakeboard down from the wakeboard tower, and carried it to the back of the boat. Once my life jacket was on I dipped the board in the water and sat on the rear platform of the boat. I strapped my right foot into the rear bindings first, and then my left foot into the front. Once my feet were snug I cinched both binding tight and checked to make sure my lifejacket was tight. As we quietly drifted in the lake I went over a mental checklist in my head, then I slid off the back of the boat into the water.

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