The following is Scott Fais' weekly blog detailing discoveries made while traveling through Florida and along the road of life.
My season is right around the corner: summer!
School's out, the sun is warm and there seems to be no shortage on things to do (although Florida on a Tankful tries to suggest ways you can "get away" each weekend).
Nothing says summer more than a day at the beach and catching a wave. But what if Mother Nature has other plans? Soon, we'll be in our summer storm pattern. Great by morning, clouds around noon, and Thunderstorms before dinner.
What if there was a way to learn to "surf" without the chance of poor weather or waiting for the perfect wave? Head to the mall! Honestly.
Inside the Florida Mall, just off the Beachline Expressway entrance, you'll discover a store with the beach right inside.
Adrenalina is store dedicated to the "X-Sports" athlete. Mountain biking, BMX riding, skateboarding and skydiving gear, equipment and apparel cling to the walls here. But what's in the back corner appeals to the surfer.
Hiding inside a “glass cage” with floor-to-ceiling windows, you'll find a "blue beach" where you can literally catch a wave.
I knew I was in for an adventure when water was pouring down the steps leading up to this aquarium “Titanic style.”
Using Flowrider technology, walking on water is possible... if you're lucky.
Folks over 42 inches can boggie board on the man made waves. Those taller than 52 inches can try standing up. I did both.
First on the boogie board, I started at the top of the hill before sliding to the bottom and running over the wave machine and beaching myself on the water grates. My trainer Jimmy then had to push me back into the stream.
After two attempts, I was ready to Hang 10 and move on to greater challenges. Yeah, right.
When trying to stand on the board, you start at the bottom and then go backwards.
Sean, another trainer, gave me a water ski rope to hold on to. Within moments, I was off the board and on my bottom, while the torrent of water whisked me back up the hill, thanks to the powerful water jets.
A representative with FlowRider in California told me in a phone interview that there are four water jets creating the wave. Each has the same horsepower as a Toyota sedan!
These tips were planted in my mind when trying to stand on the board: Put your feet on the board. Put the weight on your back foot. Keep your shoulders square.
Look straight ahead (I chose the green Foot Locker sign rather the scores of bystanders looking at me through the window). And then pray.
Each time I tried to stand up, Sean and Jimmy would lead me through the process above. And each time they slid the board backwards from the loading mat, I would slide up the wave and stop.
Once I got my balance, the trainers would then gently pull me back forward before I let go of the rope.
Seamless, I was then on my own – standing, wobbling, crashing, and BAM!
Sometimes I fell on my side. Sometimes I fell on my back. Sometimes I fell on my shoulders. But like riding a bike, I got back up.
The day after it's another story: I hurt in my triceps, back, forearms and head. The worst was my neck. I feel like a bobblehead. I literally had to roll out of bed this morning because it hurt too much lift my head off the pillow. In fact, I can't tilt my head back far enough to deposit some eye-drops.
The guys all told me I would hurt the next day. They were right.
Since wipeouts are what you want to see, click on the slideshow link for screen captures of my best falls.
Throughout my experience, I was visited by other surfer-wanna-be's.
In our video, you'll see a group of flight attendants. In the middle of their six-day layover in Orlando, these "mates" did some shopping at the Florida Mall when they saw an ad on the mall floor before decided to jump right on in. The group of four from Thomas Cook Airlines did better than I did!!! In no time, all four were showing me up!
Jimmy said if you're a water skier or a wake boarder, be ready for a wake up call. This is NOTHING like those sports. Actually, conquering the FlowRider is more like snowboarding.
Will I do it again? Sure.
But first, I am going to lick my wounds and enjoy some time just sitting still in the sun as summer returns to our part of Florida.
Until next week, travel safe.
-SCOTT
Scott Fais spent his summers waterskiing on Lake Erie. Scott jokes either waterskiing is easier than riding a Flowrider or he’s getting older because it never hurt this bad the day after. Know of a place with a slower pace? Drop Scott a line atsfais@cfnews13.com.