01-13-2006, 09:18 PM
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| Have crayon, will travel. ModeratorPWCToday.com Is My Home Away From Home
Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: #1 Most Violent City In America!! Age: 40
Posts: 2,408
| Skiing a year-round sport to McDonough resident---(Georgia)
Quote:
McDonough resident Michael Ratti enjoys spending his winter months practicing a sport that very few people pursue during the cold season — Skiing
That is, jet skiing.
Ratti, an 18-year old freshman at Gordon College in Barnesville, is shedding new light on the expression “year-round sport.” During the winter off-season he spends three days a week at Lake Jackson in Butts County, sharpening his riding skills and practicing tricks and maneuvers for upcoming jet ski competitions in the summer.
“Many people stand on the porches of their lake homes and I try to imagine what they’re thinking,” said Ratti. “They’re probably thinking, ‘this guy is crazy!’ But, my determination to become a widely recognized rider means taking to the water when no one else usually does.”
Becoming a widely recognized rider is starting to become a reality for Ratti, who has lived in McDonough nearly all his life and attended Union Grove High School. He was recently featured as the freestyle jet-ski segment in the Sport Bike Freestyle movie, sponsored by StuntRagz.com and produced by Chris Burgess of Nascency Cinema.
And, not only is Ratti ranked No. 1 in amateur freestyle jet skiing in the state, but he is also No. 2 in the nation.
If that isn’t recognized, maybe this is: Ratti is ranked as the No. 5 amateur freestyle jet-ski rider in the world.
“My parents support me more than anyone could possibly imagine,” Ratti said. “My father and mother both encourage me to always better myself at whatever I do, not just jet skiing. Without them I truly would be nowhere close to where I am today.”
Ratti said he has always been into extreme sports, such as bike racing, surging, and wakeboarding. Motocross excited him the most, but the likelihood of suffering a critical injury didn’t sound too appealing to him or his parents.
At 14, the legal age to operate a personal watercraft, Ratti received his first stand-up jet ski. Four years later, he’s one of the best riders on earth at his competition level. But, the extreme sport fanatic hasn’t become this good by taking his 120-horsepower Yamaha Super Jet out on the water every now and then for a little play time — he practices diligently, even three times a week during the winter.
“Basically, anything about 40 degrees is ideal for winter riding,” said Ratti. “During the summer, however, I may practice several days or even weeks straight. My dad makes sure that I practice in a professional manner, with at least one other person shadow-riding with me to serve as spotter for tricks and to tow me back in case the ski breaks.”
Speaking of tricks, Ratti said the “submarine” and the “barrel roll” are classics among many possible trick variations.
A ‘submarine’ is a move where one makes the ski hop into the air and then dive completely under water for just a second or two, only to quickly resurface, he explained. “
A barrel roll is when the rider completes an aerial flip while still attached to the ski and lands safely on the surface of the water.
“But, I make sure that every trick I attempt is well thought out before I even hit the water,” said Ratti.
While rehearsing tricks during winter’s frigid conditions Ratti wears a dry suit, which is similar to a wet suit, but it also allows him to wear a thin layer of warm clothing underneath. As the cold season comes and goes and now with 11 sponsors supporting him for 2006, Ratti said will continue to push himself to get better, hoping to have a career and make a living in jet ski competition in the future.
“If I must work extra hard to achieve this, then I will,” he said. “One of my high school teachers once told me that it’s better to work hard at something you love than at something you hate. Jet skiing has opened my eyes and merged a link to the appreciation of people’s passion for what they do. I encourage everyone to follow their dreams no matter how silly or stupid people may say they are, because life is not a dress rehearsal.”
| Henry Herald
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