I tested it for you: water skiing at the Waterski School in Layrac

At the beginning of July, Stéphane Miermont set up his water ski school, open to both experienced and beginners, in Layrac. "Sud Ouest" tested the water skiing experience for you.

There 's nothing like a water activity after the heatwave. So I grab my swimsuit and head to the lake called Ramounet, in Layrac, to discover the Waterski School . On site, Stéphane Miermont, the school's coach, welcomes me. He shows me the changing rooms, then gives me a life jacket.

Tempted by the deckchairs by the lake, in the middle of my nap time, I nevertheless keep my eyes fixed on the boat in the distance. Stéphane is on the pontoon, preparing the equipment. I start with a lesson on land, to learn the right moves. Arms outstretched but loose, knees bent and tight, don't come up too quickly, nor too slowly... I try to memorize everything. "If we can do it on land, we can do it on the water," Stéphane reassures me. I've already forgotten half the moves, but I remain optimistic and I give it a go.

I put on my skis before dropping into the water. "They need to be wide so I have enough balance; it's easier to learn," he explains. While I'm floating, the coach climbs into his boat and starts it up. For beginners, he cruises at about 30 km/h; his club's competitors glide up to 120 km/h.

The first step: the bar. Attached to one side of the boat, it "allows you to really learn the movement before moving on to the rope," explains Stéphane. I wait for the boat to start moving, skis facing the sky. I think about my past surfing experiences and tell myself I'll be fine; I already know the feeling of sliding. First movement and... I fall. I quickly come back from my illusions, while my skis float a few meters away from me.

"You shouldn't go up too quickly," insists Stéphane. "The advantage of the bar is also that you can easily give advice, whereas with the rope, the skier can't hear anything because of the distance," he smiles, helping me put my skis back on. The second attempt is successful; I adapt to the movements fairly quickly. So we move on to the second level: the rope attached to the bar.

We get going again, and once again, I fall a few times. The hardest part is when Stéphane tries to throw the rope at me. "The skis aren't very heavy, but they float," he admits. Indeed, I keep struggling as they rise to the surface, sending me swaying all over the place. "You have to let yourself go and form a star while you wait for the boat to start," he advises. Luckily, the water is 30 degrees, so waiting is quite pleasant.

After a few repetitions, we move on to the final step: the long rope attached to the back of the boat. I finally find my balance and manage to stay upright. "When you start directly at the back of the boat, you're almost guaranteed not to succeed; it's important to understand how to position yourself before using the rope." Stéphane then encourages me to slalom between the waves created by the boat. I stay put.

I'm starting to feel my arms shaking, even though the strength is supposed to come mainly from my legs. I fall one last time and lose my skis again. Stéphane signals to me that it's time to stop, as I'm already tired enough. In total, I've trained for about fifteen minutes: "That's the usual time for beginners. Those who compete train for almost an hour a day."

Water skiing is a demanding sport that uses all the muscles. However, the water skiing center is open to everyone. Stéphane offers introductory sessions for everyone, "from 7 to 77 years old," "with no physical level required." "We have a retired doctor who comes every two to three days," says the trainer. "We also welcome people with disabilities, for example, people with polio." With a few adjustments, he makes the place accessible. "We just adapted because the person didn't have enough strength in one arm."

Back on the pontoon, I can already feel the soreness of the next day creeping into my forearms. For those who would like to try the experience, expect to pay 50 euros for a first dive and 55 euros for a classic tour. The Layrac Waterski School will remain open until mid-October, before the team leaves for South Africa.

Practical information: the school is open every day from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Contact: 06 75 02 18 52.