It's your AWA... We work for you.

AWADawg · 01-23-2006, 08:39 PM

Thanks to SBT, and Greg for making this space available. He didn't have to, but he did. Thank you.

This year is going to be active on the Freedom of Access Front.

First, we're dealing with Biscayne National Park. In 2000, park people just banned PWC. There were no public hearings, there were no if's, and's or but's. they just did it. We think that's wrong, and we're trying to do something about it, but we need your help. The AWA is made up riders.
You are the real power behind the AWA.

log onto www.boatbiscayne.com and sign up for info, and send a letter!
It will take a whopping 45 seconds. Isn't your Freedom to Ride worth it? We're talking about 94,000 acres of public water, right next to one of the great PWC capitals of the world... it's soooo wrong. Do something about it!

Next, we have Cape Lookout National Seashore up; AWA will have a comment letter posted on our website later this week. Trust me. you'll get the word.
The no-fun-allowed crew has already alerted their mob of fun haters, and we need to step up and say our part. Stand by.

Montana has some action going. We'll have more about an accross the board PWC ban on 150 miles of river... of course no other boat was banned... Stand by.

New Hampshire Riders and Racers!! We got a pending law that would inflict a 45 mph speed limit on evry single boat in NH... You don't need to be told what's safe and what's not. You already know that. And, we don't need the cops sitting around and setting up speed traps at every point; we need them out ther cracking skulls of the boneheads who are really messing up. Go to the AWA website www.awahq.org and click on "grassroots activisim" and then click on oppose HB162... fill in your name and address and send a letter to your elected people... speak up, or settle for putting around at 45...

That's just a taste of what's up... Now, what is it you want to see from the AWA besides kepping the no access freaks away from your boat ramp?
Remember, we work for you... AWA Members own us. So your input is important to me. Tell me something you wanna see, and it probabaly will happen. That's how we work... always will.

Chris Manthos
Exec. Dir.
AWA

thrllskr · 01-23-2006, 08:48 PM

Great work guys - always keeping on top of these things. And ride magazine is awesome. Of all the crap I receive in my mailbox, this is the only one that gets the honor of sitting with me on the porcelain throne.

Now if you guys have advice for dealing with the anti-pwc water pigs, that would be great for some of us. We don't have the ecoterrorists here in NJ stopping us from riding, just the water pigs that don't like to see us having fun.

AWADawg · 01-23-2006, 08:51 PM

The only place to get some quality reading time in...

This sounds like you have a few dudes doing all the hasslin' or is it all of them? Local, state, park?

Chris

thrllskr · 01-23-2006, 09:05 PM

Same area, different cops. Its all on the Delaware near Bulls Island where the NJ/PA Crew rolls. Last July I got a ticket for "did operate PWC at high rate of speed past boat ramp w/ vessels loading (approximately 70')." The river was only maybe 200' wide at that point and with boats crossing its hard to make sure you're not too close to the ramp. Plus I was on an X2, so how fast could I really be going?

After writing me up he said he could also have given me a ticket for not having an audible device and coming into shore too fast (I'll give him credit on the audible device, which I promptly bought).

Apparently a few weeks before after I left the PWC Free Ride, they were writing standup guys tickets for not having fire extinguishers, even though there is no place to put one.

It got to the point where people just stopped going there becasue of it - no sense in going if you're going to get hassled and possibly fined for everything little thing the cops don't like - and we're all responsible riders.

Firebird A/C&Heating · 01-23-2006, 09:36 PM

AWA Thanks for looking out for our right to RIDE. I signed the petition.

THRLLSKR: Every water craft comes with a fire extinguisher. But some owners remove the mounting brackets or etc. We fight the local law on that also. On our race skis we just jerry rig a fire extinguisher in the engine compartment, then pull it out on race days. Stupid I know but it is the law.
Been to court on that already.

KawGirl · 01-23-2006, 11:22 PM

Hey AWA DAWG,
First thanks for all you do...and 2nd I have a dumb question. I signed up, but not sure if it went through? I guess I could wait for the credit card bill, or do you send an e-mail message back after someone signs up?

vitaly · 01-23-2006, 11:48 PM

Hey Chris, any news on the NY/NJ Gateway National Rec Area?

AWADawg · 01-24-2006, 12:15 PM

Vitaly: No wordl. As you know, there are some at the Park Service who continue to stonewall the PWC Nation. Gateway is a great example. On Feb. 8th, there will be yet another congressional hearing on "why?" We'll keep you in the loop.

Kawigirl: Shoot me a pm with contact info. I'll double check, and let you know right away.

On the fire extigusher thing.. well. Not a whole lot we can do, nor would we ask for special treatment.
As for harrasment... I've heard of this before with the NJ/PA Club. It may need a good old fashioned sit down with the local cops. A lot of times, there is just some crappy first impressions that need to be overcome.

I've written about this before: It only takes one knucklehead doing something stupid to erase the positive efforts of all other riders all year long. It's too bad, but the PWC nation is a high exposure group. People watch us, and what we do. That's the facts and we best get used to being in the view.

When AWA staff freaks are out on the water, we avoid boat ramps and any other place where boats and people...and thus, the po po will be.
When we want to break bad, we go off to some remote area and do our thing.

Now, none of this is an excuse for the cops stamping "kill mark" outlines of PWC on the side of their boat... rather, understand that we are high profile.

What do you think it would take to arrange a sit down with the locals?

Chris

skysurfer2010 · 01-24-2006, 02:00 PM

Chris-

Thanks a lot for all that you guys do! The support is much appreciated.

In regards to the NJ/PA Crew harrassment.... I've heard from locals that live there that they've been pressuring the politicians to get us off "their" water. The main problem is that there are numerous homes surrounding the river where we use to ride. I guess they complained about the constant noise from us on weekends. There wasn't much we could do really since the space was very small. They park rangers would come by pretty often and harass riders, but were never there when we really needed them (IE to bust the oh so many RXPs doing doughnuts 2 feet from shore).

I personally don't think a sit down with the locals would have any different outcome. Every ticket they've handed out has been technically legit. It's just the fact that you can tell they are there hoping/wanting to hand out tickets to pwc while they ignore anyone else on the water.

PancakePete · 01-24-2006, 02:08 PM

Thanks Chris, Voted.