Taidgh's Wibit Experience!

The Wibit

The harsh Irish wind was cold on my body and yet at the same there was warmth from the sun heating me up. I ran like a wild man from obstacle to obstacle and I felt like I hadn't a care in the world. The hour I spent with my cousins on the wibit was undoubtedly the best hour of my vacation. It was a combination of intense exercise, hysterical laughter and best of all quality cousin time. I loved every second of it.

Every other summer, we visit our family in Ireland. Shortly after we arrive in Dublin, we ask when are we heading to Dunmore East as it is our favorite place in Ireland. Minutes after we arrive in Dunmore East, we go like this, “Can we go,” said Matthew, “surfing,”

Cut off by me, “Can we go on the wibit please?”

“Please?” finished and yelled Matthew.

“I want to,” said Cian.

Cut off by Alana, “Can I jump off the rocks?”

“Can we go crab fish-” Emma was yelling.

“Do the kayaks?” screamed Cian.

“STOP TALKING!!!!” boomed all the parents and grandparents, “ONE AT A TIME!!!!!!”

Then the incessant questions suddenly stopped.

The wibit is one of the many things to do at Dunmore East adventure center and certainty my favorite.

The wibit is an obstacle course on the water, with swings, slides, cliffs, spinners, a huge action tower to slide, climb and jump from, as well as two water trampolines to jump around on. There are many other obstacles to challenge everyone. It is also known as the wibit wipeout challenge for obvious reasons! I am pretty certain that everyone who has ever been on the wibit has wiped out multiple times. In fact if someone tallied wibit vs participant I am 100% certain that wibit wins every time and that even the strongest and fittest participant gets at least one epic wipeout during their time on the course.

I had too many to count but my favorite and the one that made my cousins and I laugh till our bellies hurt was when 4 of us were on the trampoline cheering on and encouraging my cousin, Emma, to run across the balance beam section to us. We told her she could do it and make it, we were all saying at the same time, “Come ooooooonnnnnnn, come on Emma, you can do it!” With fierce intensity she took off. Little did we know, it wouldn’t end well. She had such power and intensity that stopping wasn't a possibility. One second we were all standing there cheering her on, the next we were screaming a different scream. We all went, “Agh shoot!” She charged straight into her 4 supporters sending us flying in every direction. it was quite the sight for all to see and certainly a wipeout like no other for all of us. After a quick survey of the post wipeout situation, we realized no one was hurt and the laughing began. I think we laughed for a solid 5 minutes rolling around the trampoline and for every moment I soaked in the giggles and fun I was having with my cousins and brother.

After that my cousin Matthew started chasing everyone to push us in the water. He took us all by complete surprise. Everyone either jumped into the freezing Irish ocean or ran across the tube to get away from Matthew. I thought “I’m not getting in the freezing ocean!” and on that note I ran across the tube. Matthew tried to pursue me, but he couldn’t match my speed, agility, and biggest of all, balance. After a second of running on the slippery and narrow tube his feet flew up and he went crashing into the water. He is a fast swimmer, though, and he quickly got to where he wanted, the other side. But there was something he didn’t know, I was FAST. I got to the action tower in what felt like a matter of seconds. But he knew a shortcut, and by the time I got up, he was waiting for me. A huge wash of fear ran through me. I hesitated then decided that jumping from this height was better than getting pushed in.

Any time I feel sad, I close my eyes and re live the hour on the Wibbit. I can imagine the warmth of the sun, the crispness of the Irish wind, the happiness I felt playing with my cousins, and the hour when I didn’t have a single worry. I wish there were more days when I felt this happy, but I do have this one happy day memory to re live and it brings me huge reserves of joy just thinking about it. Wibbit 2016 was the highlight of my vacation and I will never forget it.