Old Guy tries Surfing for First Time and it Ends Badly

5 years ago
23

After enduring the majority of a brutal winter in Northern Ontario, an escape to Punta Cana seemed like the ideal remedy to recharge the batteries. Finding himself at the brand new Royalton Bavaro resort, this older traveller quickly sized up all of the entertaining options that were available on the resort. One can only spend so much time walking the beach, lounging in the sun, swimming in the vicinity of the pool bar, sweating it out on the mini-putt golf course and floating about the lazy river. A somewhat rare option at this Punta Cana resort was the Flow Rider, a machine that offered the opportunity for a simulated surfing or wake boarding experience. Why not give it a whirl was the thought in mind of this late 50's aged vacationer. Perhaps there ought to have been a lot more consideration given to this ill advised decision. This resort attraction received a steady lineup of individuals from 9 in the morning until 5 in the evening. The majority of the participants throughout the day were young, fit and agile, with teenage boys definitely being of the majority. The average rider was probably about 16 years old and weighing in at 125 pounds. Even at that, many riders were struggling with any success at staying upright for an extended period of time. The problem was that there were a few surfers that seemed to effortlessly and gracefully surf from side to side and up and down this fun filled blue paradise. How difficult could it really be ? At 6 feet 4 inches and 225 pounds, this rider was exerting a lot of downward pressure on that fast moving water. Once on the course and having been shoved into the fast flowing stream of water, there was no turning back. With a bit of direction from the helpful host, the ride began. The first exposure to the jets created a lot of shaky wobble and then some small level of comfort ensued. With a slight wave of the hand indicating that he was good to go, the man was set free. The ride was short and the resulting plunge onto his face and shoulder was surprisingly fast. As the old guy slid ungracefully back down the attraction to his starting place, it entered his mind that a second attempt may not be a prudent idea.

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