'DWTS' alum Lindsay Arnold faces backlash for wake surfing with 2-yr-old daughter Sage, Internet says 'very irresponsible'
UTAH, US: It seems like kids are getting better and better at everything, including surfing, at increasingly younger ages. However, this raises the question of how young is too young to begin surfing. After posting a video of herself wake surfing with her 2-year-old daughter, Sage, former 'Dancing With The Stars' alum Lindsay Arnold has many people concerned. Following the video, there were comments expressing safety concerns for the child.
According to the surfing school Surf Life Tenerife on the Canary Islands, kids as young as five can try surfing, but only under the close supervision of adults. Lindsay Arnold, who is married to Sam, a 30-year-old construction project manager, has two children: Sage and June. After participating in more than ten seasons of the reality show, Lindsay officially left the program in August 2022, as reported by Daily Mail.
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Why is Lindsay Arnold being slammed?
The former 'DWTS' contestant faced criticism for involving her two-year-old daughter, Sage, in wake surfing. In the 28-second clip, the 29-year-old dancer and choreographer can be seen standing up while being propelled by a boat on Lake Powell. Sage was positioned at her feet, and both were visibly wearing life jackets as they glided across the surface of the reservoir. Lake Powell is a popular vacation destination situated between Utah and Arizona.
After some time, the mother of two gradually crouched down and lifted her younger child, embracing the little one against her chest for a few moments until the boat decelerated and their board submerged beneath the waves. On Friday, July 7, Arnold shared the video on Instagram accompanied by the caption, "Core memory… so proud of our sweet and brave girl! Can't wait for more of these fun firsts with my Sagey girl."
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'That’s trust right there'
Despite the heartfelt sentiment, haters flooded the comments section. One fan raged, "Are you nuts? Most irresponsible post on Instagram today." A second one said, "Ridiculous! Stupid idea!!" A third unimpressed social media user said, "I think this is dangerous to have a young child on that board. Very irresponsible." Another user said, "Thought you had more sense than that, putting your toddler at risk." Another one expressed disinterest and wrote, "Children are not props or toys to be used to show off our own agility. I personally am disappointed in the decision to do this at such a young age. It shows poor judgment."
However, there's an army of fans in Arnold's defense. Fellow 'DWTS' dancer Emma Slater exclaimed, "I don’t know about anyone else here but I’m like wildly impressed at you Linds for doing that one handed and no handed with an extra little person lol ermmmmm icon!!!!!" A second fan applauded, "That’s trust right there. She’s brave because she trusts her momma. And HOLY are you strong!" A third fan cheered, "The strength it takes to do this, wow! 👏 What an inspiration and Sage did so well!" A fourth fan chimed in, "Way to go Sage! Also mad skill mama! Both brave girls to conquer a first like that!" Someone else wrote, "Wow impressive !! You’re making us all look really bad lol !! Amazing and you’re a beautiful family !! You go girls!!!" Another one quipped, "This is SO IMPRESSIVE!!!! Don’t you dare listen to the negative Nancy’s on here Lindsay! You do what you want and your the best mom ever!!! I wish my mom could have picked me up while she was surfing at 2! Lol."