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View Full Version : Tubing Vs Wakeboarding



skiyaker
06-08-2010, 06:51 AM
thought I'd share this letter to the editor that I wrote for our local paper.

http://www.thestarpress.com/article/20100608/OPINION03/6080319/1014/OPINION

To give you some background, I went out to our closest lake the other day to find large "No wakeboarding, waterskiing, or wave surfing allowed" signs posted by the boat ramp. The lake has a 20 mph speed limit so skiing is not really the issue, but wakeboarding and wakesurging have become very popular on the lake. We have a situation where the city (Muncie) leases land surrounding the local reservoir (Prairie Creek Reservoir) from the water company to use as a park and they've been sending "park police" (i.e. college kids with a radio and a badge) to yell at people wakeboarding. The funny thing is that it's not against the state law to wakeboard on the lake, so the DNR just watches us do it. Unfortunately the city controls the ramp so they can attempt to prohibit boats from launching if they're breaking the rules. Well I went ahead and purchased a 4 person tube so I guess if they make me stop riding out there I'll just bust that out and go crazy!

New Guy
06-08-2010, 08:50 AM
Wow that sucks you normally find that tubers are less respectful then any other on water activity. What is their main concern? Rollers, Music,ect?

skiyaker
06-08-2010, 08:56 AM
What is their main concern? Rollers, Music,ect?

good question- I've contacted the parks director to try to get an answer to this and find a way for everybody to share the water- but nobody has a good answer. The city says that wakeboarding is not in the lease with the water company but again the city doesn't control the water itself just the park surrounding the lake. I have a feeling but no hard evidence that the sailboat club is close with the parks director; the lake has a very aggressive sailboat club that would just love to see a horsepower limit on the lake.

Razzman
06-08-2010, 09:04 AM
Skiyaker - That just plain sucks man. Get a grass roots movement together with petitions and demand to know the reasons and that they show legal responsibility for thier actions!

New Guy - For every disrespectful tuber i'll show you the same for boarders as well. I'll bet you I can find more boarders due to thier elitest attitudes. In fact at our lake nobody cuts off more boats in the water at the ramp to load, cuts ahead of other drivers on the ramp to load with thier trailers or shows they could care less of others than wakeboarders. And just to add injury to insult, the more core they are the worse they are. They talk smack about everyone yet they are the worst, figure that one out.

kaneboats
06-08-2010, 09:22 AM
Good angle of approach to take and very well written. Too bad it will make little difference as you are in a political battle. There is an unknown enemy that has to be rooted out. I think your hunch about the sail club is likely valid. Perhaps a series of articles would help. Eventually suggest that in order to allow everyone to share the lake-- I assume there are tax dollars everyone pays for it-- it might make sense to set specific hours for compatible activities during key times of the year. Good luck!

sandm
06-08-2010, 09:36 AM
to play devils advocate razz, I'll take the other position. the vast majority of the boarders at our lake, myself included will cut in front of others dropping off boats and loading when you have the butt family in front of you that does not understand the concept of having their act together prior to launching. I see almost all of the wake machines back down, dump and pull out of the way to idle out in the water while their driver parks. meanwhile the family pulls down, drops the boat, has the wife hold the boat against the dock while hubby goes to park essentially rendering that side of the ramp useless. same thing at retrieval.. so yes, in that respect I am an inconsiderate boarder.. but I'm ok with that :)

it's interesting that a potential sailboat club would be upset about boarders when tubers can churn up just as much if not more water and they are currently allowing that??

I would say kane has a good solution. most sailboaters that I know prefer to be out in the early am until around 1pm or so on our lake, just about the time the boarders are ready to go.. sounds like time may be the answer... or worth a try..

good luck..

tlatoani
06-08-2010, 10:07 AM
Wow. I like your tubing idea. That, or just load up massive ballast and cruise around making waves. Stupid rule.

skiyaker
06-08-2010, 10:20 AM
Wow. I like your tubing idea. That, or just load up massive ballast and cruise around making waves. Stupid rule.

well I bought this thing on sale from overton's called the "team slalom" it's a four person device that according to the package you can steer it (haven't tried it yet) I think I'll fill up the ballast and see if I can kind of surf it in the wake or something.

I think the sailboat club realizes that if wakeboarding is allowed it simply attracts more power boats even though the wake from wakeboarding is less intrusive than the tubing zig zags. Really for me there are other lakes I can go to and since I'm trying to dedicate more time for skiing it doesn't affect me as much- but I hate it for the community and I want to defend all watersports.

skiyaker
07-09-2010, 05:30 PM
Hey- I just received word from my contact with the local government and water company- wakeboarding and wake surfing has been approved for our local reservoir! Just when I begin to think government can't do anything right somebody goes and makes a rational decision! Amazing that all it took was a little education and pressure on local government. If you're ever near Muncie Indiana come join the fun! :cool:

jester
07-10-2010, 11:38 AM
I have a feeling but no hard evidence that the sailboat club is close with the parks director; the lake has a very aggressive sailboat club that would just love to see a horsepower limit on the lake.

I know the feeling on this one. Some people think they own the lakes just because they are close with the directors.

If you really want to piss off sailboats. Go to the middle of their path with 8 to 10 boats. put out your anchor's and do more or less a picket line across the lake :). sail boat has right of way over a power boat when it is at sail but an anchor boats has right of way over a sail boat since it is not moving.

If it good to hear your local goverment made the right decision.

kaneboats
07-11-2010, 09:03 PM
Hey- I just received word from my contact with the local government and water company- wakeboarding and wake surfing has been approved for our local reservoir! Just when I begin to think government can't do anything right somebody goes and makes a rational decision! Amazing that all it took was a little education and pressure on local government. If you're ever near Muncie Indiana come join the fun! :cool:

That's some good news. Glad to hear it!