Powerturn rant - Denver

I know I'm preaching to the choir but I was out early today and when we get on the water, we were the only boat towing a rider. After a couple of sets, this guy shows up in yellow Centurion towing a skier and a sky ski. On every fall, he would do a huge powerturn at full speed.

After about 6 or 7 of those I blasted him with the bullhorn at full volume and asked him to knock it off. It is amazing how one jacka$$ can ruin the water for everyone. It was money until he showed up.

Then to top it off (I would have like to have shot at him) as we were pulling out, the guy parks his suv and boat in the middle of two lanes so we had to wait 10 minutes for him to pull out (again, after I blasted him and told him to get out of the way).

What's the dealio with yahoos!? I feel like Rodney Dangerfield.

Last Wednesday at Lake Folsom, CA, there was a Bu with 5 girls (yes, they were young) sitting on the bow rails when the idiot driver decided to powerturn. This was done up the northern fork of the lake around 5:30 PM. Complete idiots.... They are everywhere.

The good thing is that you have a bullhorn.

If it's really too annoying I will usually pull along side the person and explain to them how power turning ruins the water.

We had 4 totally drunk idiots destroying the water last week. We were at the back of the lake trying to get some pictures and finally I asked them to cool it for just a few minutes. They then told me they'd just snapped their steering cable. Never have I more wanted to flip someone off and abandon them but we ended up giving them a tow. I don't think I got any good karma because of what I was thinking about them while we were towing them in but I sure was glad I have classical music on my iPod to calm me down.

I get fired up just reading the posts because it reminds me of all the S### I have to deal with out on the water.

Guess Standley hasn't passed out the fliers that you made up then Steve? I honestly think that some people just don't know any better (and lack common sense), not like you have to take a class or anything to drive a boat!

UGH! I feel your pain!

Yeah, we're waiting for the final approval to pass out the flier's. We were supposed to have them out by May 1, but you know how it is when 3 cities get involved. It's way different out here. You'd get shot at in the Delta for trying some of this. (Not that I know any of my buddies that carry a pellet gun or anything...)so I've heard.

Well thanks again for your work with that flier! Hopefully they will get it out before the 4th or the weekend of the 4th so all the 3 holiday boaters can get a clue!

Ya, I went out yesterday and had some guys on jet skis following us jumping our wake. We were doing a very small section of the lake where there was the only good water. So they would sit at the other end of are run jumping in our rollers and totally chopping the water. They finally went home and I got a couple passes with smooth water, but I was tired by that time and was ready to pack it up myself.

guess I will chime in here for a moment. WELCOME TO STANDLEY LAKE!!!! I have been riding there for 8 years and nothing has changed, nor will it. I put flyers about power turning and safety associated with it on every windshield in the lot for 2 weekends in a row. NOTHING CHANGED.!! I actually think it got worse. Nobody really knows that powerturning is a no no unless they read about it in forums or in magazines. We have tried for years to tell people about it and maybe 2 or 3 actually caught on to it. Those were people who were in search of good water with us. Powerturning is the oldschool way of picking up a rider and there are a ton of oldschoolers on the lake. The fact that they have a wakeboard boat now means nothing as far as education on how to act/drive. I have seen the same people on the lake for years, the boats they own just change.3 years ago they had young kids and the glastron or bayliner, this year they have the vdrive. They still stand while driving and look over their shoulder and are a hazard to everyone on the lake. They still refuse to be fast, efficient and courtious at the ramp. We have done a LOT of work with the rangers helping people back boats, trailers, jump start boats, help sick people, clean trash, park cars for women in tears, etc. That is how you really get to inform people how to drive, park no-powertuning driving. Yelling, honking, screaming does nothing but piss them off. Pull next to them when they are chilling and compliment their boat. Then tell them how you pick up your riders and how much easier it is then powerturning. And how it keeps the water nice. show them. They will thank you and start doing it. I will prob see you at the lake. We are easy to spot, We are 1 of the 5 on the lake not powerturning.

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quote:

By Steve Jones (steve_jones) on Friday, June 15, 2007 - 8:29 am:

I know I'm preaching to the choir but I was out early today and when we get on the water, we were the only boat towing a rider. After a couple of sets, this guy shows up in yellow Centurion towing a skier and a sky ski. On every fall, he would do a huge powerturn at full speed.

After about 6 or 7 of those I blasted him with the bullhorn at full volume and asked him to knock it off. It is amazing how one jacka$$ can ruin the water for everyone. It was money until he showed up.

Then to top it off (I would have like to have shot at him) as we were pulling out, the guy parks his suv and boat in the middle of two lanes so we had to wait 10 minutes for him to pull out (again, after I blasted him and told him to get out of the way).

What's the dealio with yahoos!? I feel like Rodney Dangerfield.

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Ya, we were out there too! We were camping having a great time. I was in the middle of my afternoon nap when some guy woke me up, he kept yelling at people with a bullhorn! He then was a little mystified when people didn't respond to him the way he wanted them to. I took the bullhorn and shoved it up his you know what....


Just kidding, but man, be better than them and go ask them politely to stop, point out to them what they are doing and how it's effecting you. Maybe he was broke down on the ramp or had trailer troubles... If you shout at the wrong person with that bullhorn it may end up acting as a bullhorn and end up your you know what! Be a leader and set the example, ask people nicely, represent wakeboarding with a little respect and do not act like some punk kid! I think it's just a little funny that you are the one calling people "jacka$$" some might see otherwise....

We were only out in the am on the far side of the lake. I was in a white and black Nautique today.

My lake doesn't have really anyone that skies or boards too seriously. I'm the only one I've ever seen not power turn ever, no kidding. I've come to realize that people just have no idea. It's really annoying, but the fact that they are wasting gas and sending a roller is the last thing on their minds.

not to high-jack the post because I can't stand power turns either. Steve J. I have some pics from the May houseboat trip on wakepics. Check them out

http://www.wakepics.com/member/skincaid

I go out on lake sammamish up here in WA and maybe every now and then you see someone turn around the right way but most of the time they have to turn wide open. It make the whole lake really bad because every body does it and people think that when I turn around I take to long to get back to my skier. that bugs me