The Prince Abides

or

One Of Age's Indignities Postponed

The girl grew up around boats and for many years it was an accepted fact that our summer Sundays would be spent picnicking and skiing with her parents and brother and his family at Desoto Bend or Fremont Lakes or, less often, on the Missouri. Added to those experiences were the almost every summer Thursday afternoons that my buddy and I recruited one or more friends to waterski at Desoto bend. We skied, slalomed, drank barrels of PBR and Old Leg, laughed until our sides hurt and couldn't wait until the next Thursday. Those days ended when we moved to Arizona more than twenty-six years ago.

Here our first boat was a "party barge" that was real stable, held lots of people who could all walk around, had a great sound system and even a charcoal cooker on board, but was it ever so slow. We never did name that one - Pokey the Pontoon, Snail Trail, Glacier Racer were all candidates, but none really took. We had lots of fun but lived 60 miles and 75 minutes away, and eventually two of us co-owners sold it to the third.

Now that we're only 12 miles and twenty minutes away from Canyon Lake, it seemed obvious that we needed another boat. The new (actually, slightly used) craft is a v-hull with a 305 hp Merc. Her go lak hell. It has a big inflatable 4 person sled, a boogie board and (drum roll) skis.

To recap our story so far: former self-acknowledged wunderkind on skis again has access to skis and ski boat - - - - twenty some years later. Another factor in one influential corner is that I had an aftermarket knee installed two years ago, which the Influential Corner doesn't want to go through again. I'm ok with not going through that again, too.

Ok. Long story only slightly longer. Yesterday I recruited my buddy Lar to drive the boat, convinced the Influential Corner to wield the required red flag, slipped on the skis and popped up on the first try. By agreement with the IC I didn't stay up very long, but long enough to prove that Prince Lyle the Magnificent has still got the chops.

Oh, and the name of the new boat? The Nana Gaga.