Water Skiing Over the Abyss

A bright and clear morning here in EH30 and yes there is always something happening on the river. This morning while checking in on the day from our lounge window, I spotted an enterprising person out water skiing behind a powerful speed boat around the pillars of the Forth Railway Bridge and effectively buzzing a cruise liner (the QE2 no less) parked nearby. A decent photo was not possible so I've no real proof of this but it did happen and the circles and flybys lasted for about half an hour cutting sharp patterns of wake across the water's surface. The Forth's murky H2O㊌ has now settled back and the cruise passengers are headed out on their little ferries to explore Edinburgh and beyond, oblivious as to what went on earlier.

I wondered at the state of mind of the skier. It was still and chilly, the water very calm and there would be no admiring crowds or much notice taken of his display. He's probably in the zone but I'll never know what zone that is. This doesn't happen every day, we see a few jet skis zip by but they're more of a nuisance thing, buzzing around with no particular place to go. As an activity it seems futile at this location and in the Scottish climate. Water skiing however, as I viewed it today, is much more meditative and mystic, a practice and a ritual that because of it's (almost) solitary context I felt privileged to view - but he was probably just having fun, getting wet and exhilarated because he could.