Water skiing

Very kind of you.

I have to say, having watched you for years, I had no idea that before television, you spent five years as a professional water skier at Six Flags in Marine World, and you even played Brutus in a Popeye show.

Yeah, I mean, guys gotta make a living.

I was a show skier for many years and there are stories in the book about that.

Basically, I woke up in the morning, took my school bag, and went.

I was obsessed with water skiing.

I did competitive water skiing then.

So I took my school bag, went to the water skiing park.

with my school backpack, put it aside, and went water skiing all day.

That was my days.

And my parents had no idea.

... never jumped on water skis.

[laughs] I wanna hear about this water skiing, 'cause I am a...

I, as a guy with balance, am, uh, very attracted to the water skiing.

Mm.

Now, first off, you say getting paid, so that's like an amusement park type thing?

You would've.

I did not have any access to anything.

I went water skiing once, and I got up on one ski the first- Dad did it.

I've had a really lucky run.

I think many people wouldn't know that you're a 10-time Australia water skiing champion.

A while ago, Ben.

You grew up in Geelong.

Well, and then now I want to get this right so I'll read it.

You're a patron for the water ski and wakeboard Australia.

Is that right? So you're trying to get water skiing into the Olympics.

That's my gig.