Baller Ilivetoski Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 So I was at a public lake yesterday with some guys who ski there. This is where I learned to ski and when my dad is out of town I am usually at this lake skiing with some people there. As I am sitting in the water waiting to go back down the course a boat comes towards the course. They begin taking their boat and using the slalom buoys (gates, not turn buoys) as obstacles for their boat. Trying to turn them as tight as they can and turn the next set of gate buoys. They were going right over the balls. As we approach them I notice something that absolutely disgusted me. They were freaking cops. We asked them what they were doing and their answer blew me away.... "we are testing a new patrol boat". In my mind I wanted to say "are you freaking serious???? around buoys with a skier in the water?" We were a bit dumbfounded when we saw they were cops so just kinda informed them that we were skiing and if they could please go to another part of the lake that would be great. It absolutely blew me away and I can now say I dont think we could have made a better choice than getting away from that lake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller DmaxJC_ski Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 Have the same issues here with PWC's, tubers, and fishermen. My course was CUT 3 times last year! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller ToddL Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 Bad boys, bad boys... Watcha gonna do? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller gregy Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 I'm sure the cops were as clueless as most other boaters as to what a slalom coarse is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller A_B Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 Big jelly donuts floating on the water.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller scuppers Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 @AB Man you are funny! That was a great one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller skierjp Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 It has always amazed me how WE slalom skiers assume that everyone knows what a slalom course is. Put yourself in their shoes and lets just say someone came up to you and said, could you stop skiing while we ride our jet skis? I don't think the outcome or your response would be polite. On my lake we have 4 surveyed courses and many of the home owners have jet skis. We have yet to have a problem with a jet ski or another boater damaging a course. Yes sometimes it's aggravating when you want to ski and someone is fishing in the middle of the course or a jet ski is using it as a motor cross track, but I've yet to ever ask someone to stop riding their jet ski or move from their fishing spot so I could ski. And yes sometimes I wish I lived on a totally private ski lake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller pgmoore Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 @skierjp You have hit the nail right on the head. For us, skiing on the public lake means skiing in open water as there is no course. Sometimes when we are up early in the morning, it frustrates me when there are people fishing in the portion of the lake where there might be perfect glass. But I have to remind myself that maybe that is where the fish are and that is where those people have chosen to be. Just like that is where the calm water is and that is where I want to be. So we steer clear until they move on. It's easy to think that skiing is the only acceptable activity on the water. And on private lakes that might be true. But public water is a whole different story. To @Live2ski 's point though... slalom course or not, the police (and all boaters for that matter) should know better than to be pulling acrobatic driving maneuvers nearby to ANYONE in the water (skier, swimmer, diver...). That is absolutely not acceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller mwetskier Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 too bad you dont have video. you could get millions of hits on youtube with it and then later get ' shot while trying to escape '. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller BraceMaker Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 @skierjp my opinion is with the op. The skier is in the water near this course. A cop should stop a boat doing similar near a skier or swimmer etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller skierjp Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 The OP said he was sitting in the water at the end of the course. We don't know what end the other boat was coming from. If the other boat came from the far end he probably didn't see the ski boat at the other end. Technically the course is not in use and the boat with the police officers had every right to enter the course. Once again, this is the big problem, we ASSUME that other boaters know what we consider common courtesy in a slalom course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller MattP Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 I had a Sheriff come over to me and my brother when we were skiing a course and wanted us to remove it because it was not permitted. We were borrowing it and were just about to take it out and put it back on our friends dock. He said he would look the other way if we gave him a pull through the course behind our '84 S&S. Some officers know their way around the buoys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller rodltg2 Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 I was ticketed for a portable under. " obstructing a waterway " He actually sat there and watched us ski it for about an hour and then pull it. It wasn't until we had it packed and on our way out that I got stopped. So he was cool enough to let us finish I guess. He wasn't so cool to ask if we're drinking. It was barely 8am! Must have gotten waterskiers confused with fisherman.Ticket was thrown out in court. Judge could not understand what a slalom course was. Just said don't do it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller skierjp Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 FYI in most states a portable course is legal without a permit as long as you are using the course. The minute you leave the course to get lunch and leave it unattended you are breaking the law. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller 6balls Posted August 1, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 1, 2014 Some states you can have a portable in place using it or not but it has to be a temporary structure which was defined as not overnight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller GAJ0004 Posted August 4, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 4, 2014 I run into the same thing on Lake Latonka, only it is private access. We attach the buoys with mason string so if they get snagged by a fisherman, jet ski or tuber they break away without taking the whole course with it. We have an Accufloat. On a couple of occasions in the last 20 years the whole thing got ripped out because someone dropped anchor on a windy day in the wrong place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller gregy Posted August 5, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 5, 2014 Back when I kept a floating course on a public lake we had to often wake up folks in sailboats early morning due to them tying off on to our buoys. We used mason string also, wonder how many sailboats floated off in the middle of the night? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller bowty Posted August 5, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 5, 2014 The problem at the public lake I ski at is the jet skis. I have no problem with people wanting to ride a jetski, but a couple weeks ago I was driving down the lake going 40 when a kid on a jetski cut me off probably 30 yards in front of me. If he would have misjudged that or I hadn't slowed down fast enough, that could have been a potentially bad situation. Also, if you're on public waters, don't drive down the middle of the lake. Nothing messes up the flow of boats more that one boat driving down the middle, especially since the lake isn't that wide anyways (it's an oxbow lake from the MO river). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller RAWSki Posted August 5, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 5, 2014 We also ski on a floating course in a public lake in Michigan. We often have to ask early morning fishermen if they mind we ski thru the course and if they can move just a bit so we can turn around or not rock them too bad. I would say 99 times out of 100 it's not a problem, some even ask what exactly the balls are for and we explain the process, we also explain where the cables and anchors are so they don't snag. We usually have to replace a boat guide or two per month usually due to weekend tubers and wake boarders. a few minor repairs seem like a small price to pay to have use of the course and enjoy the other actives of a public lake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baller rodltg2 Posted August 5, 2014 Baller Share Posted August 5, 2014 https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=138708979654537&id=119442961581139 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.webp.594e76dd75aefabbbd8c63a3242fcd7d.webp)
.webp.c1d9c97f9cd6aed3eb2f057593d2bd42.webp)
.webp.a30f66e5f4553a0ea06e4fe12520951c.webp)
.webp.8497384650ada8a3e4f1fd5dd6c3fb2a.webp)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now