I was also a passenger, along with Sara, on the Ski Nautique yesterday during Junior Waterfront clinic.  There have been scores of successful outcomes at the new Kingswood activity of wake surfing and I wanted to catch a glimpse of some of the youngest boys at camp, to verify the popularity of this sport.  I was not disappointed.

There were six participants in the clinic and all of them made it up on the board and into the pocket, as the self-propelled section of the wave is called.  The surfers got so close to the boat that it was easy for them to hear the commands of their teacher, Nathan Marvelle, as he urged each boy to turn into the wave (go uphill) and glide along faster back down it.

The look on each boy’s face was intense (so would yours be) until Nathan hollered at them to smile and reveal some satisfaction at the progress being made.  Amanda Marvelle, shown in my photo album of today’s date as the substitute inspector dubbed the “Grime Scene Investigator”, was at the helm and fashioned each wave to the needs of the surfer.

10.8 miles per hour is the computer-assigned speed for all riders, no matter their ages.  Note that five of the six boys selected the wave to their left (right side in photos) and only one person, Luke Amantea, choosing the “goofy” wave to his right.  It has something to do with the placement of feet on the board.  You figure it out for yourself.

I am guilty for having spent yet another full afternoon on the waterfront as well, so I missed the intermediate baseball game against Camp Pemi on Mem Field.  The game went nine full innings and ended with a walk-off ground rule double by William Jensen in the bottom of the ninth.  I asked William at breakfast this morning how many of earth’s 8 billion people have experienced such a feat and he surmised “about 3000?”  Laugh.

My photo album includes a few shots taken almost “RIGHT NOW” as we gathered on the Grassy Knoll after breakfast to review the orders on the day.  The Bow & Arrow color war tradition starts just minutes from this posting and I will devote tomorrow’s blog to a fuller explanation.

Three former staff persons, Jack Feely, Mike Rosenberg and Nick Farrar are here for at least the weekend and their arrival gave my spirits an enormous boost.  I introduced them to all the boys and got the second laugh of the day when, after the meeting, a coterie of boys came forward to ask questions of these Kingswood all stars.  “It’s like being in a zoo” I chucked in their direction while walking away!