Winter Boredom-- Time For a Poll to Pass the Time

Yes, winter is killing us. Let's find out more about our fellow Moomba/Supra owners and friends and their history on the water. Some of us started as kids and got away from it for a while then came back. Others picked it up a lot later in life. So, how old were you when you first boarded, skied, etc. on the water???? Feel free to add any great early stories or recognize any special uncle, grandpa, college buddy or whoever that ignited the fire for you.

So, how old the first time you rode behind the boat?

I learned when I was 16yrs old to ski. Then around 18 (errrrr 1990-ish)I bought the HO Hyperlite Skurfer and still have it today. I should take it out for a spin.

got up on skis behind the old trihull and a 65hp evinrude one day when it decided to run. spent a couple of days in my real early teens behind a friends jetboat called the "chicken ship". maybe waterskiied a dozen times as a kid.. it was a daycruiser-454-berkley jet that would not only pull a skier, but give a nice shower with the droop snoot and diverter.
gave up water completely with the exception of one random day in 1990 and waterskiied behind a guy's bassboat. he just needed a 3rd to hold the flag so I got the invite.
didn't even think of water until the spring of '07. got the fever, sold the 3rd car and took the plunge in july, never looking back.
have not been up on waterskis since my youth though, and don't really see it happening. only so many hours each year on the lake, and I prefer to spend most surfing, and the rest wakeboarding.

My grandparents had a lake place and a boat that was less than impressive. I was too young to remember what it was, but what I do remember a 65hp Merc and dad putting in a plywood floor because the floor was rotted and falling through. My parents and grand parents have kept me on the water my entire life and I am so greatful for that. Learned to ski with the trainer skies around 6 years old.

Well, we didn't have any trainers so we were using adult sized skis. I was 6 and my brother was 7. My Dad was disgusted with us and swam home (upriver-- I think he actually walked). Mom took us out a couple days later and we learned to ski in a couple tries. Started to slalom a week later. Took a few years off from about 10 till 16 when we moved -- then only off and on from 18-32. Then got the first boat about 10 years ago and really back into it. Just tried wakeboarding about 6 years ago and really got into that for a while. Now surfing more than anything.

My brothers and I still try to teach each others' kids how to ski instead of trying to teach our own. Seems to work a little better and be more fun for them.

I learned to ski when i was 8. behind a neighbors boat, first time out.... just about wiped out and lost one ski (the wrong one) and slalomed from then out out.

Friend of mine had a surf alley that i tried when i was 19. I've maybe skied 10 times since then (i'm 35 now) wakeboarding and surfing!!

I was 11 years old and my family planned a group vacation with 4 other families at Shuswap lake that was a short 10 hr drive away. It was that 1st of 4 yrs that we spent there that I got bit by the waterski bug behind an 18 ft Glastron with a 165 merc I/O. Bill Good was his name and he had nothing but time and patience for us kids that wanted to learn to ski. Thank You Bill!
I have skiied most every year since behind someone's towboat and two years ago my nephew bought an 08 Mobius LSV and I learned to surf and tried out wakeboarding and now with my own boat 06 Mobius LSV I plan on doing alot more of it. :D

Got up on a pair of wooden ski's tied together at 2 years old, got up on a slalom ski at 9 and started boarding at 13.

My pop taught me to ski when I was ten. Last summer I gave wakeboardig a try. Once was enough. I'm fifty-six and will stay with what I know. Love to ski.

I found my love with the water when I was 3. Started skiing on my parents feet then moved to my own. Use to hate Wakeboarders until i could not get up on Slalom anymore then I became one. I should get back in shape again and break out a Slalom ski.

My uncle is the person that tought myself to ski when I was 19ish. He use to drag his big cabin cruiser and the family all the way from northern Indiana to North Carolina every year or two. They would stay with us for 2 or 3 weeks and we would hit the lake every day. We have had our own boats for about 12 years. My son started skiing @ 6 yrs, wakeboarding @ 10 & picked up slalom @ 12 he's now 14. My wife after trying for 10 yrs to ski finally figured it out about 2 yrs ago & can't keep her off them now, she also started wakeboarding 2 years ago. I also started wakeboarding a couple of years ago and now my son & myself try to show each other up. Now that we have a boat we can surf behind that is the up & coming sport for this year.

My parents had the same boat for 35 years!! It was an old mahogany 18' cabin cruiser. I learned to ski behind it at 14 years old, on these old red long square tails whatever skiis. Now many years later and 4 boats later, slalom skied, tried the course a few times, then tried wake boarding in 92. Now , still wakeboarding, wakesurfing and air chair riding. I know I can do it for a few more years at least if I can keep finding people to come out with me, I am 52 now.

Jim

Can't believe nobody caught the bug after 40 -- or at least they aren't admitting it.

I am not sure exactly how old I was when I learned to ski. Had to have been about 8th grade thought so I would say 13 or 14. My church would have a youth camp for 7th-12th grade students every summer and we would have a free time session for about 5 hours everyday and church members would volunteer to bring their boats down to the local lake (usually lake waco since our camp was usually at baylor university. I remember Mr. Ronan had an old little i/o that I would always go on and that is where I learned. Then I dated a girl whos dad has a 20 foot four winns I/O that i learned to slalom behind. Wakeboarded for the first time this last summer behind a buddies mastercraft maristar. Still ever surfed and I am not very good at any of it but ok enough to get by. Now that I have my own LSV we will see if I can't improve my skills this upcoming summer!

Doesn't matter. You're gonna have fun trying! :)

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Originally Posted by kaneboats

Can't believe nobody caught the bug after 40 -- or at least they aren't admitting it.

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never really had the bug when I was younger. did some skiing, but nothing to really speak of, and didn't really enjoy it that much. bought my boat in july '07 at 39, so just shy of 40 :)

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Originally Posted by kaneboats

Can't believe nobody caught the bug after 40 -- or at least they aren't admitting it.

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To be specific: ;)
Water skiied at 11
Barefooted at 17
Surfed at 47
Wakeboarded at 48
:)

First waterskied a couple days shy of 5th birthday. We always were on holidays at time of my birthdays.As someone else mentioned ,i had to use adult skis as there was no such thing as kids skis. We actually put my shoes on inside bindings opened up because my feet were too small at the time to even stay in.First skis were very short but progressed as time went by.
By age 6,7 my dad cut up a pair of adult skis and made kids skis so i used those till about 9,10 but i was bored and wanted to try slalom. Same issue though as we had no kids slaloms. Finally i started just dropping a ski anyway and would ski slalom on a kids ski with no back boot and very shallow fin, but the challenge was just to last. Finally at age 13 i started using adult type slalom skis and all was good. I bought my own Jobe Honeycomb and never looked back. I still have that ski. Time went on and many years of trying all aspects of watersking tricks skurfer,wakeboards surfing etc,barefooting you name it. Even did some pyramids etc.goofing around.
Only thing i never had the chance to try is Jumping.Now i actually would like to try it . Kinda crazy ,but i feel the need, nothing crazy like the pros but just get out and do it. Maybe i would go back to the ski school i was at in Florida and learn from THE ROCKETMAN.

Learned to ski around 7, once had ten kids behind a 19 ft sea Ray all skiing in the mid 70's.

Barefoot at 19.

Wakeboard at 39
Surf at 41
Returned to slaloming at 39

Moomba owner at 40.

Want to barefoot again this year at 43. Have not done it in seven years......

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Originally Posted by Mikey

Only thing i never had the chance to try is Jumping.Now i actually would like to try it . Kinda crazy ,but i feel the need, nothing crazy like the pros but just get out and do it. Maybe i would go back to the ski school i was at in Florida and learn from THE ROCKETMAN.

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Awesome! Go for it. Never too old to try something new. But best to learn from qualified instructors when you're not made of rubber anymore.

got a sailboat and bike for my 4th birthday. Tube and homemade wake contraptions
Kneeboard at 6yrs old
Ski at 8
Slalom at 10
Slalom the course at 12
Wakeboard at 22
Surf at 32 behind MY first boat I purchased

I'm a core surfer now and watch the kids bounce around on whatever. Seems my time is more coaching than playing but I love it. Kids started snowboarding this year and I got my miami-vice colored vintage skiis out cause you can't beat Mother Nature this winter so might as well join the snow fun...still want Spring water time!