09/23/2007

Monday I woke up with Marley, Rhett’s dog, snuggled up against me and a yard man operating a weedeater less than 6 feet from where I lay. No, I wasn’t passed out in the front yard, I had actually made it to the fold out sofa bed which happens to be only a walls width between me and the first flower bed that needed weedeating. Screw it. I was up and decided to take Marley for an early morning walk. He, on the other hand, decided that my kindness need not be repaid and proceeded to bark at any moving object, including shadows, mailboxes, flowers, and cars all while attempting to drag me down the street. 15lbs of Marley and his 2 inch legs were trying as hard as they could to force me into a jog. That wasn’t going to happen. After we got back Marley and me cooked breakfast and re-watched several wake videos from the previous night. I was there to hang out and ride and I needed to get pumped up.

 

Later on we took off and headed up to Airchairman’s. I could sing his praises for hours, but I don’t really have the time to do that. He was absolutely the man for letting us use his entire collection of water vessels for the week. His only requirements for letting me borrow his boat for the entire week, naming my first born after him. It’s a small price to pay for use of the Pumpkin and her finely tuned wake. I just hope that my child doesn’t have a five-head and turns out as rad as his namesake.

 

On day one I decided to implement the “never ride first” strategy I invented after day one of the eXXXtravaganza. This was probably the best decision I’ve ever made. Watching Brandon and Rhett both kill it and knowing how much they have progressed in the past two summers really pumped me up to ride and forced me to try and step it up. I had told both of the guys about the tricks I wanted to learn, both backrolls, so that first set, those tricks were all I did. If you ever rode with me in the past you probably didn’t see me do any type of backroll. I saved those for people that I am comfortable with insulting me. I’m serious. My backrolls were the worst invert ever. I could be riding behind the best boat you have ever seen with a wake nearing chest high and I always looked like I was trying an air roll. Speaking of which, and although I am ashamed to mention this, my air roll was definitely bigger than the vast majority of my backrolls.   After getting a couple of pointers and being called an idiot more than a few times, things began to work out. PCash, Pratt, ACM, and Bubba showed up later on that afternoon to take a few sets. After we rode behind the DeathStar and watched Rhett go absolutely freaking huge off of some double ups we called it a day and headed for some dinner.

 

I don’t know about you but I am a huge sushi fan so in honor of me and my awesomeness we all headed out for just that. I doubt that any of you have ever heard of or seen a sushi restaurant in Cartersville, but there is one, Green Tea. Green Tea is home of some legit sushi even if it is housed in what was formerly a fast food chain. Yes, that is correct. When eating sushi at Green Tea you are sitting in the same spot where tons and tons of fried chicken were devoured and Colonel Sanders personally checked up on his secret recipe. After KFC went out of business, Green Tea started paying the rent, redecorated the place, and shipped in some fish. How about that for a history lesson?

 

On Wednesday school started back for the guys. This should have thrown a wrench into the plans but it really didn’t. Brandon’s car, which is eerily close to death, wouldn’t start so he decided to skip class and go wakeboarding. Excellent decision. On the way up to the lake we stopped to get gas and then stopped again 15 exits later to get some grub. When payment for food was to take place my wallet was no where to be found, wonderful. Apparently I left my wallet sitting on the back of my truck. Somewhere between the gas station, a twenty minute drive on I-75, and some erratic lane changes on the way said wallet fell off. Brandon and I drove back to the gas station and then kept our eyes peeled on the interstate hoping for an unprecedented stroke of luck and as you would guess, it didn’t happen.

 

I called and canceled my cards and we proceeded to the lake as planned. No worries and no cash. (I would like to thank Pratt for hooking me up with enough gas money to get home. This may or may not have changed my opinion on him and not inviting me to his lake house.) Pratt, Bubba, PCash, and ACM showed up later on that afternoon to take a couple of sets on some ‘Toona butter. On my second set of the day I decided to change things up. All week I had been working on my backrolls but this set after doing a few of those I tried to string a pass together. I landed the first crow mobe that I’d tried all year (after taking one of the nastiest falls of my life on this trick last year), an indy tantrum to blind, and a toe 7. This was by far my best set of the year and I ended it by trying, and falling on, my first ever Pete Rose attempt. I’ve never been so happy about falling on a trick in my entire life. A Pete is one of my favorite moves on the water, one that I never thought I’d get close too, and the simple fact the trick came around was one of the most satisfying moments I’ve ever had on the water.

 

Fast forwarding to Thursday, not because nothing else happened but because I don’t want you to get fired for this taking all day to read. Thursday was our last day on the ‘Toona and we were given several tasks prior to riding. ACM’s boat needed minor ballast improvements which include two four feet pieces of aluminum angle and several power tools. After getting that taken care of we started riding. Rhett and Brandon took the first sets of the day. I don’t want to re-hash what has already been said about this, but Brandon has a great post here: http://www.atlwake.com/Forum/viewtopic.php?id=253. There really isn’t much that I can add to that. The stoke meter was definitely blown out after Brandon and I combined to learn four tricks in two sets.   Writing that sentence three weeks later and I’m still amazed at what happened that afternoon. Absolutely unreal.

 

This basically wrapped up my stay at the House of Wake. Four days, four tricks. As far as riding goes, I don’t think I’ll ever beat that. Top that with getting away from school and work for nine days and you have yourself a damn good week. Shouldn’t get any better, but it does. I got to spend a week with my best friends, on the water, doing what we love to do. Best. Week. Ever.