The Time I Knocked Curtis Out Cold
Posted on 13. Feb, 2011 by Anthony Johnson in Memories
Today is Curtis’s birthday. I have decided to honor him by sharing a funny story from our time together – a story where I accidentally knocked Curtis out, stone cold.
It began when we decided to go camping to the island pictured above – Cayo Costa – yet we couldn’t find anyone else to go.
Naturally, we decided to just go anyway, not caring that it would just be us and those we met on the island.
On the way there in my boat, we ran out of gas right as we made it to a marina for gas. Lucky for us, they had just closed, and refused to open for us.
As usual, Curtis’s dad, who was in the middle of dinner, came to our rescue all the way out on Sanibel island at about 6pm at night. He brought us gas cans, and we eventually filled the boat with enough gas to get to Cayo Costa – a good hour boat ride from Sanibel, with the sun going down fast.
Rather than listen to his father’s advice, we opted to ride all the way to Cayo Costa State Park. We made it in good time, enough to go tubing on the gulf side of the island.
We met with two girls who we knew were going to be camping on the island with their family, and after unpacking most of the equipment from the boat, we went tubing.
Sounds normal enough, but unfortunately for Curtis – who went first – the waves were about 4 feet high – which is really really high for tubing conditions.
Reckless as I was at the time, I decided to go way faster than I knew was safe while driving the boat with Curtis in tow.
Risk taker that he was, Curtis probably enjoyed the speed, until he hit a wave that sent him flying 50 feet through the air, stopping abruptly when he crashed into a huge wave.
I should clarify here: Curtis went flying not only from hitting a wave, but hitting a wave on a whiplash, which is where the tube nearly doubles in speed compared to the boat due to the angle it was being pulled at.
All in all, Curtis probably hit close to 90 miles an hour at his peak of flying through the air. I remember seeing this happen, and it was like something out of a movie.
When he hit the water, I knew right away that it had to have hurt pretty damn bad, since I had never seen anyone hit the water going that fast, not to mention, a wall of water like a 4 foot wave.
Sure enough I pull up and Curtis is face down in the water, not moving.
Barely 16, I about shit my pants, shut the engine off, and jump in after him.
By the time I rolled him over, a good 30 seconds had passed by where his face was down in the water, and his body limp.
Thankfully, he starts gasping for air and spitting out water.
I manage to drag him in the boat, his entire body blood red – belly flop style.
He doesn’t say a word. When we get to the beach, he is mightily and rightly fuming pissed at me. In reality, I could have killed him going that fast in that rough of water.
Oops.
For the next two hours, we don’t speak much. Eventually, he calms down, and forgives me for throwing him into a water wall at 90 MPH.
Forgave me because there was no bad intention, which is something I think Curtis was good at.
Forgiving others when it was right, and not forgiving them when serious foul was done against him or someone he cared about.
…
And that was the story of how I knocked Curtis out cold.
Happy birthday bud, you’re missed greatly.
– Anthony
Anthony,
I remember very well the dinner Craig missed …. it was my birthday and we were out with our neighbors!
Life with Curtis was always an adventure and NEVER dull.
I think dull and Curtis are antonyms =).