A Wave of Confidence : Although Anxious at First, Paraplegics Enjoy Day of Water-Skiing

Gina MacAndrew was watching fancy speedboats and Jet Skis race across a lake in San Dimas when a line of vehicles rolling across the beach caught her eye.

They were wheelchairs that were slowly being maneuvered through the deep sand by a half-dozen paraplegics. They pulled to a stop at the water’s edge.

“I thought to myself, ‘What are they doing out here?’ ” said MacAndrew, 20, a clerk from Fontana who had stretched out on the beach at Puddingstone Reservoir to sunbathe.

The paralyzed young men had come to water-ski, visitors to the lake at the eastern edge of the San Gabriel Valley would soon learn.

One by one, the men pulled themselves out of their chairs and eased into the 68-degree water. Then they struggled into canvas seats bolted to a single ski the size of a narrow surfboard.

At the cry of “Hit it!” they clutched a tow rope, and a 20-foot powerboat lurched forward for a fast couple of laps around the 250-acre reservoir.

At first, most of the skiers only made it a few yards before losing their balance and toppling into the water. But a championship skier--himself a paraplegic--was in the boat to shout out instructions and encouragement.

Lean into turns, yelled Bill Bowness, who holds a world record for handicapped water-skiing. Like most of the men he was teaching, Bowness, 31, of Chico, is paralyzed from the waist down. His back was broken 13 years ago in a car accident.

There were more than a few false starts. But each skier eventually figured out how to balance on the 20-inch-wide board and how to ride it over waves being kicked up by other boats and Jet Skis.

Apprehensive looks gave way to huge grins as each skier glided back toward the shore after his turn around the lake.

“It was a scary feeling at first, but I figured I’d give it a try,” said Danny Hendrick, 23, of Chino, who often water-skied before a forklift toppled on him and broke his back. “This takes a lot of arm strength.”

Ricardo Jimenez, 28, of San Bernardino, hooked the tow rope to the front of the 82-inch-long ski and held tightly to the sides of the ski seat with his hands. “I’m nervous. I’m scared because of the impossibility of moving my legs,” admitted Jimenez, crippled by a fall from a roof eight months ago.

Ron Scanlon, a muscular 33-year-old wheelchair kung fu expert, took his turn. So did Chad Greenfield, 21, of Riverside and Mark Granger, 33, of La Habra.

“I’m tuckered out. I used every muscle in the body,” said Granger, who frequently water-skied before a construction accident paralyzed his legs seven years ago.

There were whoops of joy and applause from the boat when Chad Bowser, 17, of Mission Viejo completed his loop around the lake. The cheering was led by Robin Butler, 25, a therapist from Pomona’s Casa Colina Rehabilitation Centers who is helping Bowser recover from head injuries suffered in a car crash last year.

The boat used during last week’s outing was operated by Tee Broussard of Alta Loma. He said he volunteered use of his craft after becoming acquainted with Casa Colina when his 16-year-old son, Scott, broke his back in an all-terrain-vehicle accident a few months ago.

As they toweled dry, the excited skiers talked about their next visit to the lake. Excursion leader Jim Miller said another trip would be planned when the use of a boat could be arranged.

Nearby, beach-goers watched respectfully as the skiers folded their towels and then laboriously rolled their wheelchairs off the sandy beach.

“What they’re doing is awesome,” said speedboat owner Joe Lovas, a Rancho Cucamonga plumber. “Your legs are the most important part of skiing. They are shock absorbers. They give you balance. What they’re doing is tough. I’m impressed.”

Call him next time, Lovas said.

“I’d be happy to pull them behind my boat if they wanted me to.”