The first weekend in October is a special time of year. Football is in full swing, the Fall weather slowly begins to creep in, and the crew at Memphis Boat Center prepares for a camping trip. This trip has become an annual tradition for MBC, and it almost represents the closeout to wakeboarding season. Members of the Mississippi State Wakeboarding team joined Enrique Martinez and the Memphis Boat Center Axis A24 Vandal at Piney Grove in Bay Springs for a weekend full of camping, wakeboarding, and above all else: disconnecting.

The main focus for the camping trip was throwing out worldly distractions and gaining an appreciation for the world we live in. Everyone stowed their phones away, relying only on nature and the company of others for entertainment. “There is a certain feeling I got that weekend when I disconnected,” said Connor Martel of Mississippi State. “When my phone is off I don’t care about the outside world, I care about the moment that I am in and the company that I am surrounded with.”

Growing closer to nature and growing closer to God was on the agenda for each individual on the camping trip. These men and women were not going to let their smartphones distract them from truly appreciating what they had in front of them. Whether they were cooking bacon on a hot stone or paddle boarding at sunrise, these campers knew exactly how to get the most out of their time in nature. “I looked up at the sky and the people around me and I couldn’t help but feel happiness and I thank God for all he has given me,” said Martel.

Being that it is the month of October, the camping crew decided that it would be a good idea to ride in costumes. There was a Wonder Woman, Ironman, Subzero from Mortal Kombat, and a few other interesting characters braving the frigid, choppy water. “It’s really hard to see,” said Enrique Martinez. “You’re basically doing everything blind and it really limits what you can do, but its still a lot of fun to try and wakeboard in costumes.”

You get out of a camping trip what you put into it, and disconnecting from the outside world is the quickest solution to getting more out of your time in nature. A video recap of the camping trip can be found here:

Be sure you stay tuned for a Halloween edit featuring the Mississippi State Wakeboarding Team!