The youngsters were already spinning their hectic freestyle gyrations - and some presented crashed flat water front loops like shot flying ducks.
Looked like fun. Hmmm, what could I contribute without making the boys look too stupid? Yes, that's right, an old, cool number: a body drag! So let's first brush up on some technique out of sight. Speed, speed, then get off the crate, let it grind and get back on again in a relaxed manner.
Once, twice, three times - it'll work again, you won't forget it. Now the boss will conjure up a body drag that will make your fins flutter.
All the way along the lakeside promenade to the fully occupied bathing jetty. Full power, front foot out, back foot out, arms long and dashing over the washboard waves like Schmitz's cat. Back up on the board in front of the screaming bathers, smile with consideration and carry on.
Admiring glances everywhere, the sensation on the lake - I thought, until it somehow got chilly underneath. Damn, my board shorts had come off during the body drag. Problem, problem. Beach full, car in the car park. What to do?
Wait, there's the big villa with the huge lakeside property, I could land there, hide until the evening and then... I scurried onto the estate in my Adam costume. Good, nobody there - oooha, except for two extremely vicious Dobermans. In one leap, I was sitting in an apple tree, where it took an eternity for the caretaker to spot me and leash the beasts. "Escaped up the tree, eh?" "No, I'm waiting for the steamer," I said and quickly got back on the board. But the beach was still full, nothing to do.
To the water rescue service? Then it'll be in the paper tomorrow, with a photo. Stealing trousers off a line? Apparently it's not laundry day anywhere today. Big problem. There was only one thing left to do. Waiting up to my neck in water in front of the beach until everyone had gone. Hmmm, I wonder if predatory fish are going to get at my "bait"? A terrifying thought, but the water temperature quickly reduced it to extremely small predators. It finally got dark and I dragged myself back to the shore to my car, frozen through. Wow, that went well again. It's just a shame that my car keys are in my board shorts.
If you want to try it yourself (perhaps in a wetsuit rather than boardshorts): Here Julian Wiemar explains how to celebrate a perfect body drag!
