Troop 219
Eklutna District 
Great Alaska Council 
Historian Activity Report

Event Title: Water ski & Motor boating
Date of Event: Oct 22, 2005
Location: Mr. Duft's cabin, West Papoose Lake
Responsible Person: Mr. Jeff Duft

Person(s) Completing Report: Grady Hopper
Person(s) posting to web: Grady Hopper

We headed out to Mr. Duft's cabin on Saturday to work on the water skiing and motor boating merit badges. It started out fine, we all set up camp, the got into our swimming trunks to complete the swimmer's test. Steven became our turning point, and we did one and a half laps any stroke we wanted to, the flipped for the backstroke, then to start floating. With that out of the way, we started water skiing. 

The first person didn't do so well. The next person did better, and the next even better than the last. Then it was my turn. I headed out, and almost made it up four times. Then my turn was over, and Mr. Puterbaugh decided to show us how it was done. He got ready, and fell over right off the get go. He eventually made it up for a lap around the lake. 

Then it was Dylan Gassman's turn. He had a rough start, and we didn't think he'd make it. But all of a sudden, he was up! He made three complete laps, showing Mr. Puterbaugh up for his one, then Dylan fell on his way back to the dock. We all congratulated him on his success, then it was time for some inner tubing! 

Steven and Andy went first, getting a good two feet under them before they fell off. I was next, getting about the same height before telling Mr. Duft to stop the boat. We had some odds and ends, funny crashes and such, until Mr. Duft let us scouts drive the boat. Bad choice. I went first, driving Dylan and Kobie around the lake. Half the time it was Mr. Duft driving, but it was still a lot of fun. Then came a short turn over a wake, sending Dylan and Kobie in the air. When they came back down, Dylan was hanging in the water by one hand, the rest of him in the water at twenty six miles and hour! 

We stopped the boat and hauled them in, but we realized something very fast: Dylan lost his trunks! They were fifty or so feet away, having been ripped off when he was hanging in the water! We all had a good laugh and turned and looked at a bird to give Dylan some privacy. Nothing else really happened on the inner tube, so Dylan got on the water skis one more time, this time completing five and a half laps, and crossing the wake five times! All without even falling over! This was about it, except for the canoe course, which went rather well. We all went to sleep after dinner, and worked on the motor boating merit badge, piloting about three-fourths across the lake, then back for the course that had been set up, thanks to Mr. Hopper. We packed up, hopped on the inner tube for a few last runs, then loaded the canoes on the trailer and headed back out.

Best Part of the Event: Inner tubing and water skiing. 
Worst Part of the Event: the crashes.
Scoutmaster/Asst Scoutmaster Comments: A big thanks to Mr. Duft for his willingness to take us out and pilot us around the lake! 

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Last updated on 10/16/2006 by njneer@alaska.net.