Rant: People Who Don't Utalize What They Have

For instance, it was a hot 87* today with water temps soaring and butter for two miles on the river. I arrive an hour early to work as to get in a quick swim to cool off before a hard nights labor.

While sitting on the boss's pontoon I instantly here the sound only a properly setup marine audio system can deliver. I look to my left and I catch glimpse of a X-9 comeing to beach, tower speakers, boards, and all.

I introduce myself too one of the two guys on the boat and find out they are from the area, I've reconized the boat from earlier dates but have never met the owner. We talk for a while and then the conversation ends with my kind gesture to be a third if either of them wants to ride and simply, I get blown off.

I've seen this situation many times before, people have the show and don't go. More simply the boards are ready to be ridden, the water/weather is perfect, but nobody rides.

I know it's not my say in how they should use thier boat but come on. I've never had the oppourtunity (yet) to own a boat but I can assure you that if there is a time to ride and the conditions are good, I would NOT pass that up.

Just my rant, maybe some of you know people like this as well.

If the water is butter, we're on the lake. No questions asked. I know what its like when others aren't as enthusiastic and compassionate about what you really care about

The funny thing is, I probably didn't come off as a wakeboarder to them at all, even though I told them I do, so they just took me as another kid who thinks their boat is cool.

I am the kind of rider that is always updating my "pull" with weather forcasts and days it would be good to ride. I'll push to get a pull basicly lol. Hell I go on vaca. with the fam every summer and am happy enough to skate behind the good ol' 50hp alumacraft that looks like total ass. I just love this sport and as arrogant as it sounds, I should have a wake specific boat.

I disagree so they are not boarding all the time personally I don't see your argument being they may have rode all morning or were going to ride later in the day.

I could only hope more boat owners follow that guys suit, more water for me.

Yeah but what wakeboarder in thier right mind passes up butter in the afternoon of a 87+* day? Maybe I want to ride too much, I don't know.

Tyler- look at it this way. The more people that buy boats and don't use them, the better it is for the rest of us. It alllows manufacturers and dealers to make a profit by selling more boats, yet it doesn't result in more traffic on the waterways. It also eventually puts an excess of low hours boats on the market. This can't help but hold prices a bit lower- Supply, demand and all that. It's a free country, and people can spend their money however they see fit. So, get out and enjoy the butter yourself, and don't stress if somebody else chooses not to. If the issue is that they have a great boat and you don't, then get out and earn yourself one. Most of us have had to pay our dues in life. Great boats don't come cheap. Do well in school, work hard, and good things will come.

(Message edited by deltawake on June 16, 2007)

it annoys me when people who wakeboard don't wakeboard... you know when you find a nice area of the lake and you share it with maybe another person? but often i'll just see people with malibus and they were just anchored doing nothing... laying down... no wakeboards on the rack nothing

i don't mind seeing a pimped out x-45 coming from a brand new huuuge lakehouse and the people are trying to learn for their first time to get outside the wake...
i've never wakeboarded behind a wakeboard boat but it annoys me when people just don't use it for what it was made for... i guess i just wish my family could afford one but oh well

I agree with peter, I probaly wont be able to afford a nice wakeboard boat until 8 years from now. That is when I will be fully in my career. But, I figure by that time there will be tons of low hour boats that are super nice. The boats I think have gotten alot better over the years, as far as creature comforts and overall "plushness." I plan on getting something that is 2 or 3 years old with low hours.

you guys can better prepare yourselves for boat ownership by using a simple home office product---a shredder: take most of your monthly income in crisp $100 bills and drop it in the shredder... this will sensitize you to the money drain of boat ownership...and also learn the motto---A boat is a hole in the water into which one pours money.

Amen Andy

Break
Out
Another
Thousand

you make boats sound like they aren't worth the money... thats sad

My friend, you would hate me. After my injury I board very little, and have no problem finding a beach/sand bar/whatever and just sitting. Believe or not, somepeople just like being on there boat and enjoying boating.


I guess what I'm trying to say, you don't know what's up with this dude. I used to be able to board all day, 6 or 7 days a week. I'm lucky to be physically able to do it once a week. Hell, I can barely walk. Please don't bash how people use there boats, you have no idea what is going on most the time. You aint paying the bill, so you really should care. People that do care, may not admit it but they are jealous, which is a hell of alot annoying then someone not using THEIR BOAT, how you thing they should.

if your going to anchor away, i don't care, as long as you don't do it in the MIDDLE of the freaking part where you are riding

oh ya, and i am jealous of people with wakeboarding boats, not gonna lie

Well when you see me out there after a 65 hour week, I really couldn't give a flying you know what if you think I'm hardcore or not. When you work enough to be able to afford the kind of boat your speaking about don't you think you ought to be able to do what you want with it? I'll go out with no boards and sit out of the way to enjoy other people boarding. That being said if you came off as a nice enough guy I'd give you a pull. What I find COMPLETELY arrogant about your post, is that you presume to tell me how to enjoy MY boat? Could your attitude towards the guy have prevented them from offering a pull?

Oh its worth it and i was going to end my post with that... but hey if you can shred $100 bills on boating the way i do then obviously i must think its worth it. i do not know how many times when i have been laying exhausted in the boat draped across the engine cover with my friends floating after everybodies third set thinking to myself THIS!!! IS THE LIFE!
i can't believe that we used to go out when i was 22 or so and all we brought was beer and snickers...for all day...from 8 to 4...i don't do that anymore...

Yo Tyler,

we live in America, the land of the free. The great thing about it is this: they can do what they want and you can do what you want. Why would you let yourself get all worked up over the fact that they're not doing what you would be doing... they're having a good time. They're doing what they want to do. Don't let their use of their toys ruin your fun bro... it will be this way for the rest of your life. Worry about what you can change... get a good education so you can get a solid job so one day you can afford your own Mastercraft and utilize it as you see fit.

Channel your frustrations to drive and shape you... into being a better wakeboarder, per se. If you just dwell on them, they will destroy you.

And to Matt Anderson, proud X-star owner: Lighten up.

See Tyler, I would Get Mad If They Were Tubing. Igf Theyre Beached And Not Throwin Me Stray Wakes I'm Good.

My,... Aquiantance has an X-Star. I Got Him Into Wakeboarding. He Bought An Entry Level Board, Went Out And Didn't Get Up. He Gave Up. He Tubes Now On Buttery Water Doing That Whole Zig-Zag Driving Thing Down The River. Needless To Say I No Longer Talk To Him. lol.

P.S. I hate the way the tubers drive even when I'm NOT wakeboarding. we'll be goin to a spot, cruisin down the river and theres a boat. red-right-return-river, right? wrong. he's takin the left I'll take the right,... oh no he's goin right now, I'll go left. that bugs me.

So basically [I forgot to say] enjoy your boat how you will, you've earned it, but don't ruin it for the rest of us. Oh and don't drive right behind people that are ridin unless your a chase boat, cus we'll be teachin begginers and there'll be a boat watchin 'em about 2 feet back, that freaks me out.

And to Matt Anderson, proud X-star owner: Lighten up.

Right....And thats topical how? Let me see if I can come up with something as pointless and off base.

Anodyne, proud Centurion owner: Mind your own business...

And to Matt Anderson, proud X-star owner: Gorgeous boat
And since possession is 9/10's of the law...do with her what you wish.

Tyler: There are haves and have nots in this world.
Boat owners are not star bellied sneetches.
They graciously let us plain bellied sneetches join them for pulls on their beautiful boats.
Don't hate the players, hate the game if you must.
Then make enough money so you too can play.

Kristin: Nice seuss reference.

Trevor: Why do you CaPitalize Random letters In Every Sentence? Reading All Your Comments Makes Me Want to Go Insane.

Oh, and to Tyler's original post: Someone will always have something bigger and better than what you have, and not use it in the way that you would. That's life though, there is no use dwelling on it. Instead, befriend them, and go say hi next time you see em on the lake. Maybe then they might pull ya.

I didn't mean to come off ignorant and I am jealous of people with nice things. I am currently 19 and to some, a youngn' who doesn't know anything. I've been working since 13 and have never once had a gap of unemployment. I work hard for the things I earn and am gratefull of everything that I own. I hope I can own a boat some day but quite frankly I don't want to be 40+ and not able to do what I love. I am a very competative person and strive to be the best at everything that I am into.

Like I said it is a rant and take it as you will. The guy I talked to on the boat mentioned tubeing more than wakeboarding and it kind of set me off.

Apologies,

Tyler

just addin my 2 cents worth and wonder if anybody else have seen these types.... for instance the location we ride the most there is a centurion enzo and a wakesetter that two old guys (and i mean wrinkly old)own. as soon as we drop in, poof there they are sittin' right in the channel next to the cliff where the butter rests. they obviously have no boards, no agenda, and no reason to be there! my first fear is that they have candy on board! we have now named them lake pedi's. i hope i'm not over reacting to them and perhaps they just like to watch, which is cool, but just not in our way. sorry to have jacked the thread with my own rant.

You mean like spell check? (utilize) or simplify and utilize "use" instead of utilize.

Well I appreciate that Kristin. With that approach I'd be happy to have you as a third! Never hurts to stroke the boat owners ego

Tyler, I didn't mean to be harsh or insulting. I'm sure I'd be happy to give you a pull as well.

tyler, if you want to roll with us sometime behind my 01 launch ssv, just make the short drive to waterloo ia, or catch me on a day that I am at the mississippi. all I do is board and surf, then swim if it gets to rough.

You might want to look at it from another angle as well. In my case, I'm very open to anyone on here, WW, that if they are in my area, they can come get a pull. But I have turned down people that have begged for a pull at the boat ramp, or someone on shore. I dont know how experienced they are for one, and I dont want to have to deal with legal issues if someone gets hurt. If I dont feel comfortable with someone, they dont go. It's my boat, and I decide. You could have come across as a desparate poser for all I know. Respect the boat owners judgement, and maybe you will get more pulls.

I think if you would have approached it from a different angle, things would have been different. Maybe you should have spent the time getting to know them better and then asked "hey next time you are in the area, I would love to get a pull sometime. I will pay for gas." They may have felt a little more comfortable with you.

I engaged in regular conversation with one of the guys and at the end stated that if they need a third/spotter just to let me know. I would've liked to ride but spotting is fine with me, especially if it's my first time with them. I wasn't hinting that I wanted to go out.

I love this thread! Great stuff in here.

ON a side note, one of the "OG's" of wakeboarding in my area fired a shotgun in the general vicinity of a friend of mine this past weekend. Seems he disagreed with him hitting his slider - and with the fact that this non-local friend of mine was a vastly superior rider ( and probably a better shot as well).

Point being, wakeboarders can be total jerks sometimes. The sport is getting big, the waterways are crowded and the "one big family" vibe is slowly fading into the sunset . . .

Don't hate just cause someone else has something better than you but isn't as "worthy" as you to have it. Their boat...their choice on when and what to ride as well as who to bring along.

It's more of a whine thread than a rant

Tyler,

I feel you. It can be quite frustrating when some of my less motivated buddies would rather sit at the dock and drink when I have my boat, board, gas, and just need a driver and third.