Wakeboarders can't all just get along?

hey I was just wondering whether maybe we could announce that everybody who wakeboards is a friend of mine. what I mean is that some times we go out to Don Pedro or disco bay and the water is full of maddogs that give you a look like you stole there boat. I think as wakeboarders we need to do everything we can to help the sport progress and one thing is make the comradery of the sport more apparent. Like take when I ride my motorcycle, if I'm riding a sport bike all the guys on sport bike's give you a wave or a what's up, if I'm on a Harley all the guys riding Harley's or chopper type bike's give you the what's up. Who cares if I'm a kuke it's just one of the cool things involved in being a bike owner. I think the same should be true for wakeboarding what do you think?

that is pretty much how it is in the midwest and the south. if someone is on the lake wakeboarding we will give them a whats up or even go talk to them. and people do the same to us. way cool!

I find its just the opposite sdorovi. I've been out in the Delta for the past few years and I haven't had a bad incident. Pretty much everytime a boat passes you someone in the other boat always waves. Skiers Beach is a great way to meet people. Yea people do stare at each other sometimes when they are cruising by but mainly they are admiring your boat or vice versa.

I wakeboard in the Delta and my experience is basically that the people who generally have a bad attitude are the ones who are new to the sport or don't wakebord to often. I have met some hella nice people on the Delta. I think it is with any sport: some people are jerks and some are sweethearts.

San Diego used to be a very fun place to ride early to mid ninties. Now if you have more things hanging from your tower the cooler you are. I see more Stink Eyes thrown around at San V. than ever. Most of these people can't ride worth dime and the their best guy is a heel side supremmist.

Hey is this the Corey Marotta that used to be at Nautique in SD?? If it is, Corey, how the heck are you? Last time we heard from you, you were going to School in New York. Are you back in SD? Remember giving lessons to the kids at the Channel?? (Robbie, Eddie?) Well our baby Jacob is rippin it up now. first place at the VTC and second in Worlds last year (seeded first this year) so it's pretty exciting. Training for indy in August and all the tourneys in between!! good to see your name!!

whenever I'm on the river near Needles or in that area I always wave or something, make sure they see you. It's just cool, wakeboarder, tuber, whatever, as long as your in a boat. I don't wave at the PWC's. no way.

Hey guys what's up! Yes I am back in SD. NYC was very cool and I am happy I lived there. Good to see everyone is riding well. The whole dealership thing went to heck down here as far as the original owner went but my Dad was able to get a 01 Super for dirt cheap before the men in black suites took everything away. Wake Skating has given me a new lease on life behind the boat and I look forward to seeing everyone at a local deal sometime soon.

I've only come across a handful of boarders in Wisconsin and they all seem pretty nice to each other. On the other hand, the relationship between all the fishermen and boarders seems to be a little tense

Corey, What NYC school did you go to? Did you get to ride out there at all?

Well one response from the actual delta isn't bad. Yeah I'm not saying everybody, but last year was my first year in the whole wakeboard scene, I've been skating,snowbaording and surfing and I know we have some of the same in those sports, but last year my friend and I grabbed a super early start morning session at disco and when we were getting out of the water the master craft demo was starting with the new 2003 master crafts. we got more hard looks than, wave's of what's up. most pro's are pretty cool and laid back it just seems like some of these guys who think they should be pros are to hardcore for me.

Corey - Long time no see, man! Welcome back to the left side, make sure to say hi at the Canyon Lake comps. (next one is June 14th).

we even exchange waves with the fishermen here. but no PWCs, just like thane.

spreading the love on lake sammamish since 2000. www.lksamm.com

Well Scott, school was the goal but I ended up working instead. I did go down to FL and ride during the Surf Expo.

What's up Jeff! I plan on getting out there for a few. Although I've been home for awhile my main focus has been just that, focus. Since that is out of the way I can get back to riding a little.

On a general note for this strand,
I know that we all have our crews that we ride with which is rad but the vibing other boats on the water is stupid. Last spring some friends of mine (local and from FL) were riding out at San V. I decided to sit a set out on the crapper dock. Well the operator of my SAN kicked that stupid kill switch with his foot and stopped it dead in the water. I knew what happened so I tried to flag down another boat to get a ride to mine. These guys thought they were just to rad to pick me up. After a million passes and laughter they picked me up. I ended up knowing these guys and they defiantly knew who the people were in my boat. That's when the a$$ kissing started and the "bro-bra" talk. I was thinking to myself how these guys wouldn't help out another rider when they didn't know who they were, but as soon as they figured out who we were they were quick to back peddle and even asked us to rock their group sticker. Ah,,, let me think about this. "Thanks for the lift."

In Oklahoma it doesn't matter what you are doing on the water everyone will wave at each other.

not on the lakes i go to... u get middle fingers from punks in VIPs and MAXIMMS...

not on the lakes i go to... u get middle fingers from punks in VIPs and MAXIMS...

Hey come up to the northwest, seems like wherever we go near spokane washinton, or in idaho everyone is nice. I sure do agree with you though on the motorcycle thing. That would be sweet if you could get the same thing here. The problem is guys who ride bikes may have a little more respect for eachother. There is no need for people to be jerks, unless you cut them off or you are pulling a tube when the water is glass. There is nothing worse that a f****** tuber out on glass.

Yea that was Washington!

mark, what if the tuber is a little kid having a blast?

"San Diego used to be a very fun place to ride early to mid ninties"

Aint that the fricken truth.

I believe I bought my first non borrowed setup from Corey, an old Nelson with LF bindings.

(Message edited by blabel on June 02, 2003)

there is a very similar thing with all jeep owners, a simple little way out the window, its great to see people that have no idea what the other person is like can just give a little respect for appriciateing the same things they do, this should be true in the water as well, people need to realize that the people in the other boat they are fliping off or whatever are the same people they are, just in a different boat. whats the point anyways, does it really impress the rest of the people in your boat when you flip off of curse at someone, i know when im with someone like that i am extreamly embaressed with their behavior and tell them something along the lines of thats not necessary

i think the attitudes are a little out of control. 8 out of ten people will wave and smile. i don't get it. at first i thought it was a jealousy thing, like oh, his boat is better than mine so i'm going to give him a hard look so my girlfriend thinks im still a badass. i just wave at everyone and to those who give hard looks, my friends and i all point and laugh at them.

I think from now on I personally won't wait til someone waves or smiles at me. I'll just have to be the one to wave first. Which I try to do anyway. I can only think of one time (at San V) where I didn't get a wave or smile back. She must of had her eyes closed behind those sunglasses
Now, people at the river ALWAYS wave, could that be because most of them are bikers?

I'd be willing to bet that the vast majority of mean-muggers and non-waivers are groups of kids under 24yrs. old. They just haven't figured it out yet.

thane is 21 and he said he waives at everyone? maybe he is an early bloomer huh d c? i waive at all the groms and families having fun and i flip off all the ciggarrette boats full of silicon and fake tans going 80 down the river or across the lake. but then when i'm not riding and i'm driving across the chopped up lake those 100 thou boats look more appealing. you knew.

The cool thing is that we have the ability to be pro active in affecting our riding areas. I am not saying we float around and shoot sunshine out our a$$es, but you would have to go out of your way to be a jerk to other riders on the water. When wakeboarding was young people were stoked to know other people that ride. Now flossing tower accessories and having the most speakers is the measuring stick for riding. Not that I am not partially to blame for any of it, I used to sell it hard.

I'm 23 going on 40 ;) I wave at everyone, or at least give a head nod when close enough for it... even if the BRO's don't acknowledge it, I'll keep doing it. I am new to wakeboarding, but know exactly what you all are talking about.

I've been snowboarding for 8 years now, and I can't stand the SoCal flat billed yellow baseball cap wearing "get the •••••••• the jump" kids. Same mentality.

-gvb

Well hopefully we can keep this thread fresh so people keep seeing it and adding their comments. Maybe than some of these so called hardcore riders will get the clue. No one is impressed. Nor Cal is all about the fun. The more people that enjoy the sport means more money dumped into the sport and that means the gear and toys keep getting better.

Coming home from Shasta on Sunday, I must have spotted a half-dozen wakeboard boats on their way up 5, all but one waved back from the other side of the freeway. The stoke is there for most, like anything else it's just a few who are anti-social.

I say "what goes around, comes around". I try to be cool to all unless they're being ignorant in which case I usually just wait em' out because if I go over and tell them how to operate 9 times out of 10 they would take it the wrong way and that would just bring on the bad Karma. Mostly it's the PWC'ers with clueless operators that get me. Corey said it best, "you'd have to go out of your way to be a jerk". Not too many of those types around here luckily - at least when and where I ride.

Corey whats going on. I havent heard your name forever or seen you in years. Shoot me an email. Lets go skate down in the bay or something sometime.

I think that driving is one of the main problems. People not really knowing how to drive properly. Could you imagine if just half the drivers stopped power turning to pick riders up, how much better would the water be. People take it so personal when you try to help them with driving, but I have also witnessed constructive criticism at a volume more like a$$ handing. That's when the right becomes the wrong at we start at zero again.

I'm new to the entire sport, including driving. I'd have no problem with people giving me tips, especially just basic courtesy stuff; passing other boats, picking up riders, unloading riders, etc...

-gvb

I get along with nice folks and don't get along with not so nice folks.

Simple. Doesn't matter if they board or not.

Are you sure all of the people that don't wave are vibers? I don't live anywhere near you guys and I am the only wakeboarder on my lake, but I am totally shy and I don't always make eye contact. Like I said, I don't know if all of these people are acting like jerks to begin with or what, but not everyone is trying to be an a$$, you know? I'm also like that when I'm snowboarding, and I am sure people think I am all into myself but I'm not super outgoing. (socially, that is. Not when I don't have to be, anyway.)

The future should be interesting with this unspoken brotherhood thing. If wakeboarding somehow blows up like skating and snowboarding, it won't last forever. However, costs and location and things like that may prevent it from reaching those levels, which may prolong this brotherhood. I say, to make the brotherhood even more special, everyone dons a mullet.

I agree with Matt.

I do try to make an effort with the not so nice folks, but not for long, if they continue to be tossers then I have no space in my life for them.

I think most people will be like minded, if they are doing the same thing as you, but it does suck when you meet those who arnt like that.Thats up to them though isnt it.

I know I keep going on about the UK, but then thats where I am at now, but living in London, you are lucky if people even give you eye contact in day to day life.

I have been on very small backwater areas off the river thames many times, in my kayak, and met other kayakers, sometimes barely 2 feet seperate you, if you say hello, you are completely ignored. Do this 6 or 7 times, and you just stop saying it.

So I think what you are doing, or trying to do is great. Dont let it get to the stage where only small groups tolerate each other.


errr, stupid question.. whats a PWC er ?

Personal Water Craft - sit down jet skis.

I had a guy in a wakeboat throw his hands up at me last weekend for doing what I dont know--either he thought it was his river or he didn't like our driving if that is the case he should have just said something at the ramp instead cause now we just think he's a ••••• or x-fisherman!