Ski bunny on the water

ANDREW GORRIE/Dominion Post

IN TOW: It doesn't take too long to get up to speed in water-skis.

Boating Adventure: Water-skiing at Manly Beach, Whangaparaoa. My mission: To master the art of water-skiing. My goal: Avoid getting hurt!

Armed with a full-body wetsuit, I made my way down to the beach to meet my water-ski instructor, Pete.

I'd never been brave enough to don a pair of water skis before and I was excited to finally have the chance to give it a go.

The teaching began on land, holding more than a little potential for acute embarrassment.

As I bent my knees and held my arms out straight, Pete got me to hold a handle while he jiggled the rope it was attached to. His plan was to simulate what water-skiing would feel like out on the water, with the boat pulling on the rope.

I'm not sure exactly what it looked like to the dog walkers and morning runners but I felt like a total goose. I would have laughed at myself if I'd been walking past; maybe even recorded a video on my phone to show my flatmates.

Once Pete deemed I was ready, it was time for the real deal. I slipped into my skis in the shallows, gripped the handle and braced myself for lift-off. As soon as the boat started revving, I was away. My maiden voyage saw me stand up and stay up for 200m - not bad for my first go. The second time around was even better - I didn't bail at all.

If you're thinking about giving water-skiing a shot, here are my three top tips for successful skiing:

* Keep your knees bent. Seriously. Learn from my experience if you don't want a face full of salt water.

* Don't let go of the handle. Obviously. But no matter how obvious it may seem, there's a reason I'm reminding you.

* No matter what happens, look like you know what you're doing. It's a grunty water sport that looks super- impressive. I figured shouting and "whoop, whoop, whooping" made me look even cooler but I may have been wrong.

So ump in and give it a go if you get the chance. Water skiing and wake boarding are a truckload of fun.

Head to www.discoverboating.co.nz to see where you can find all the best water-skiing, wake- boarding and other recreational gear.

- © Fairfax NZ News