First person account of Mary Kocy’s One Good Turn,
Waterskiing around Manhattan to benefit a pilot program
at the Rusk Institute to benefit brain injured veterans
By John Rusk
Photos by Lillian Rusk
Last night, it was reported that the wind would be 10 to 12 miles, straight down the Hudson. This usually translates to 2 to 3 foot waves which would make today’s effort virtually impossible. As it turned out, there was a stiff current going down the river at the same time, and the wind was not as strong as predicted until after we had completed our trip.
The drama started early at 6:10AM. On the way from World’s Fair Park in Queens, the ski boat driver from Island Water Sports, Todd Lewis and his two daughters Hannah and Sarah were chased down in the East River by Coast Guard gun boats with machine guns drawn. The UN is in General Session next week and an aggressive looking ruby red speed boat doing 40 miles an hour up the east river at 6 in the morning was assumed to be in full attack. Todd explained his mission and they realized they already had notice of his journey and let him go.
At the docks, Mary was suiting up and getting final well wishes from the head of the Rusk Institue, Dr. Steven Flanagan, there to wish Mary well and make sure she was wearing a helmet.
The three boats pulled out form the dock at 79th Street Boat Basin at 7:20. Island Water Sports donated the Malibu water skiing boat with 548 Horsepower. On the waterskiing boat were Todd Lewis, driver and his daughters Hannah Sarah, Coach, John Rusk and photographer Lillian Rusk, spotters Jon and Ivy Greenman, Margie and Samantha Cole.
Chris Scholz driving the Rusk Renovations-renovated chase boat, a 60 horse power, aluminum speed boat from 1956 that weighs practically nothing, and the media boat, a Boston Whaler captained by Rick D’Avino, a Rusk client and executive at General Electric and his son Mark.. They were accompanied by Dionisio Cortes, Video Documentarian, and a photographer from the Daily News.
Early on, the Rusk boat created unanticipated excitement. Because it’s so light, (less than 600 lbs.) during training when we ran into heavy waves, we would slow down and ride them out. Chris, driving the boat solo was charged with being the “chase” boat in case anything happened to Mary, so he had to keep up with us. Therefore, a number of times, Chris launched the boat into the air as he flew over waves rather than through them. Seeing full day light under the boat was exciting for those of us in the other boats but Chris maintained control and looked like he was having a hell of a good time. Chris Scholz is also a resident of Staatsburg NY (where Mary trained and we live part time) along with being an architect that works with Rusk.
Going south past Canal and then Wall Street, we met the Governor’s Island Ferry just as it was pulling out. Todd slowed the boat slightly, Mary wondered what the slow up was, but as it pulled out, we ducked in behind it.
The East River was relatively smooth sailing and the Brooklyn and Williamsburg bridged looked pretty for their photo opportunities.
We had planned to communicate with Mary by a walkie-talkie she had strapped to her life vest, but early on, it became clear she couldn’t hear us. The white board was also illegible as we bounced along. Luckily, Mary and I had lots of hand gestures and we were able to communicate through them.
Todd brought the flotilla to the east side of Roosevelt Island rather than on the UN side. He (and his daughters specifically) had no intention to meet the gun boats again. However, this would bring us up against the swirling tides of Hell Gate as the waters come in from Long Island Sound. We had planned the early morning run, in part, to avoid this tide and we passed Hell Gate with only a little trouble for Mary. The chase boat had some exciting times as Chris got knocked over hard and was thrown sideways in the boat, bringing concerned gasps from the lead boat, but he maintained control and we kept moving up the river.
The last remaining problem would be the Amtrak bridge on the northern tip of Manhattan along the Hudson River. The bridge turns to let boats through, but must close when the Train is scheduled to pass. The ski boat was too tall to pass under the bridge if it was closed. In our original plan, if the water was calm or the wind blowing North, we would travel north from the 79th street boat basin so that we could catch the train bridge at 7:30, right after the 7:20 train had passed. Unfortunately, because of the wind direction, we had to drive down river which means we had no good idea when we would hit the bridge after our turn around southern Manhattan.
As we motored up the east side of the river, it became clear we had made record time down the Hudson with the stiff current and would be at the bridge by 8:15, a time coinciding with an Amtrak departure. By the time we reached the bridge, the bridge master (by marine radio,) let us know in no uncertain terms that he would open the bridge after the train passed, around 8:30.
Mary then had a choice, stop and take a break for 15 minutes, (as any normal person would) or turn the boat around and drive back down the river so that she wouldn’t be accused of resting or stopping.
Waterskiing is more difficult at slow speeds (below 15 miles an hour) as the skis stop planing on top of the water and sink beneath the surface, so we drove back and forth on the Harlem River 4 times at full speed to eat up the time. To provide interest, this section of river featured a ten foot long floating log with 6, 10 inch spikes protruding from it. As the current moved, so would it, and we found it at a new place with each pass. Our own little video game and Mary was the Frogger. This section of water is called the Spuyten Duyvil. As legend has it, the Dutch called it Spuyten Duyvil because where the Harlem River meets the Hudson, there could be whirlpools and treacherous currents and to pass through unscathed was “in spite of the Devil”
Finally, the media boat and the chase boat confirmed the turning bridge was opening.
We motored towards the narrow opening as the bridge turned. As the media boat pushed through the other side of the bridge opening, the Spuyten Duyvil suddenly reared up and Mary and the lead boat were stopped and thrown back by 3 foot waves coming from three directions. Losing forward momentum, the Devil got his due and Mary went down into the muddy Hudson. 
The waves pushed her back up against the pilings of the bridge as we turned the boat and raced back. As I collected the rope and handle to toss to Mary, a sudden jerk of the boat sent me head first into the center of the boat (luckily not off the back.)
Mary caught the handle on the first throw and yelled “get me out of here” as the waves bounced her against the bridge wall.
With one sharp pull, we had her up on the water and we took her down increasingly heavy seas in the Hudson where the wind was now picking up. The 15 minutes had cost us as the winds were now increasing velocity.
We ran into a wide swatch of debris from Hurricane Irene near the sewage treatment plant at 145th street and the media boat and the chase boat had to find their own course through the flotsam and jetsam.
As we drove down the upper Hudson though, rough seas or not, it became apparent that we were going to make it. With a final flourish out into the Hudson and a run back to the 79th Street Boat Basin where we’d set out an hour and forty minutes earlier, Mary threw her hands in the air, sending the tow rope high and sank down into the Hudson, it’s master. 
Thanks to all the people who made this possible. To all the spotters who sat in our little boat and know first-hand how it can get thrown around in heavy seas. To the generous friends, colleagues, and interested people who donated to the Rusk Institute and who have make this record stunt meaningful, To the Rusk Institute who agreed to directly use all the money raised to understand the difference between brain trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder so that they can begin treating the causes, rather than just the symptoms, to ABYU Lighting who created the feather covered helmet that made Dr. Flanagan’s call for safety stylish, to Island Water Sports who donated the spectacular tow boat and Todd Lewis who’s great driving made today’s journey possible, to HRNY, Human Resources New York who helped build many bridges during this effort and to the early interest of the Hudson Valley News who championed this effort.
