| In 2007, "Jamie" Bloemsma was crowned Dutch | | | | dragged around in the water like some Police |
| National Slalom Waterski Champion. In 2009, Jamie | | | | Academy movie. We are also a little competitive, so |
| can be found during the summer months offering his | | | | I'm sure, was secretly hoping the other would look at |
| advice and instruction via his Ski and Wakeboard | | | | least a degree more stupid.After a short safety |
| school at Ellingham Waterski Park, nr Ringwood, | | | | briefing, it was time for a pep talk and some words |
| Hampshire. SkiFunJamie offers waterskiing, | | | | of wisdom from Jamie. The latter delivering easily the |
| wakeboarding, trick skiing, kneeboarding, barefoot | | | | most succinct but effective advice I have had when |
| skiing and jump skiing lessons and tuition to anyone | | | | taking part in a new activity for the first time. "Twist |
| who wants to learn. This really is inclusive in the | | | | your hip." That's it? Nothing else? Surely I've got to |
| widest sense, evidenced by the myriad of disabled | | | | leverage my upper body strength, manage my |
| participants whose stories are told across the walls | | | | weight transition, control my edges... Nope. Just stay |
| of the club house. Jamie believes that everyone is | | | | relaxed, bend your knees and let the boat, the board |
| capable and that it is his job to ensure that everyone | | | | and the water to the work. A twist of the hip at the |
| pushes themselves to both improve and enjoy these | | | | right moment will see you righted and moving steadily |
| thrilling activities. | | | | with the boat. And it did. Wow. The static, rigid bar |
| The facilities at Ellingham are good. The club house, | | | | used for first timers was a sinch, all thanks to this |
| whilst a little rustic and in need of a little | | | | little gem of advice. |
| improvement, is functional characterful. They have | | | | Never fear, the relative ease of the static bar is soon |
| two hi-spec competition standard boats, a container | | | | replaced by the intimidating sight of a rope being |
| full of hire equipment, and a man-made lake that | | | | dropped off of the back of the boat. Joining the |
| offers the only full slalom waterski course for 80 | | | | rope, bobbing like an apple at the back of the boat, |
| miles. The setting is idillic and peaceful, where you can | | | | this was now a whole different ball game. |
| enjoy a BBQ on the veranda whilst watching the | | | | As the boat moves away, the pressure builds against |
| activities on the lake. There is a real sense of | | | | the board & begins to lift you out of the water. |
| community about the centre and the club. From the | | | | In comparison to the bar, the forces exerted onto |
| member donated furniture in the clubhouse and the | | | | your upper body are huge and a little surprising. Little |
| donated equipment in the childrens play area to the | | | | did I remember, first time round, that I held the key |
| committee that looks after the club and it's 125 | | | | to managing this effectively. "Twist the hip". Timed |
| strong member base. We met Jo, one of the | | | | incorrectly and leave it too late you feel like you are |
| committee members, who showed us round and | | | | carrying the full load of the boat and it's many horses |
| gave us the low-down on how the club ran, how the | | | | in your numbing, cold hands. Needless to say, you will |
| the 4 slot system works (1 slot in every four during | | | | let go. Timed correctly, you relieve the pressure, |
| club sessions is for non-club members) and the | | | | increase stability and are moving with the boat with |
| challenges that a club like this faces. | | | | the biggest, cheesiest grin on your face imaginable. |
| After a whistlestop tour, Jo dons her wetsuit and | | | | For anyone who has snowboarded before, as I had, |
| before you know it, is flying up and down the lake | | | | you really get to feel how you can use your edges |
| on a slalom mono-ski, giant rooster tails streaming out | | | | to control your position, direction and speed on the |
| behind her. Once finished, she was quickly into dry | | | | board. We began to traverse the wake of the boat, |
| clothes and back at the computer running whatever | | | | negotiating the changes in height of the wake and |
| administrative errands were required to keep the club | | | | using the arc of the rope to move from side to side. |
| ticking over.Funding is clearly a challenge, but | | | | We managed a few runs of the lake before coming |
| fortunately not every aspect of the clubs financial | | | | to a stop by the jetty, chuffed to bits and totally |
| burden rests on its member base. The lottery funded | | | | exhilarated. |
| a recently constructed new slipway and jetty, crucial | | | | We made pretty good progress & under |
| for the the launching of watercraft and enabling safe | | | | instruction we were moving at a pace dictated by us |
| access to and from the lake. | | | | but also enhanced through Jamie's understanding of |
| We took part in a beginner wakeboard lesson with | | | | the sport, our capabilities and our potential. The |
| SkiFunJamie. Neither of us had ever wakeboarded or | | | | session lasted 15 minutes, in which we got half a |
| waterski'd or frankly, done anything involving beyond | | | | dozen runs on the lake. The cost of this is a shade |
| hauled along by a powerboat, not since banana | | | | over £20.00, which whilst not cheap is |
| boating as a kid anyway. This really was going to | | | | great value for the education, the equipment and the |
| test Jamie's instructor skills, as well as our nerve. | | | | utter thrill of the ride. |
| Equipped in neoprene, life vest and with a wakeboard | | | | Jamie gives lesson between 9am and 1pm weekdays, |
| and bindings hired from the school, we were ready | | | | and is also available in afternoons and at weekends |
| to rock and roll. | | | | fitting around the club sessions which take priority |
| I would be lying if I said we weren't a little | | | | during these times. |
| apprehensive. We didn't want to look like fools, being | | | | |