Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 29, 1990 TAG: 9006300478
SECTION: SMITH MOUNTAIN TIMES PAGE: SMT-11 EDITION: BEDFORD/FRANKLIN
SOURCE: BOB ADAMS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
And for most of the lake oldtimers jet skis are about as popular as a carp in a bass-angling contest. Boaters bristle when they think skiers buzz too close when jumping wakes; fisherman contend they spook the fish; homeowners growl about the wakes and noise. Some just complain that the ride'em-like-a-bike boats are operated recklessly.
Bill Osborne, president of the Blue Ridge Jet Ski Club, is familiar with those complaints. Major goals of his organization have been safety and education. "The club was formed primarily to promote safety," Osborne said. "We meet about 10 times a year, taking off in the cold months. We have had a game warden come in and tell us what he wants us to do. We also have a newsletter."
And Osborne certainly can speak with authority about jet skiing. When not tending to club business, he is usually away jet ski racing. He is ranked in the top 20 nationally.
The club, Osborne said, doesn't promote racing at Claytor or Smith Mountain, its two main bases of operation. The closest sanctioned races are in Lexington, N.C., and Virginia Beach. "We have members from five states; some 60 members are family memberships which includes all the skiers in a family," Osborne said.
Osborne is concerned about the reputation of jet skiers. "The problem," said Osborne, who does most of his riding at Claytor, "is a handful of riders live in one cove. They stay in the cove and might spend a couple of hours going back and forth. Personally, I like to go out in the open water and wake jump. But I'm careful when and where I do it."
Often the folks on the bank - the parents - are the problems, Osborne said.
"Sometimes parents get them [jet skis] as pacifiers for the kids. Then there can be problems. I think there should be an age limit. In some states, it is 14. Also everybody has to abide by the rules. They should have to pass a test regardless of what they operate. When you get two boats going toward each other at a high rate of speed, if the operators don't know the rules, you have a real problem."
There is a possibility an age requirement for motor craft may soon come to pass. The General Assembly is studying a proposal for a 16-year age limit, said game warden Lt. Karl Martin.
Martin, who has watched the lake grow from a quiet tree-lined fishing mecca when he began his patrols in 1972, into an almost urban sports and residential center, says the skis are not the problem.
"If there is a problem, it is when people treat them as toys. They are not toys," Martin said. "Jet skis are kind of like motorcycles."
Some have said the skis are unsafe. Osborne disputes that. "A jet ski has a smooth bottom, nothing hanging out to hurt you. Some of those big boats sit high, have two propellers hanging down and limited visibility up close. Which is safer," he questioned.
Jet skiers are welcome to the club, Osborne said. Membership is $20 individual or $30 family. Information is available by writing the Blue Ridge Jet Ski Club, 520 Montgomery Street, Christiansburg, Va. 24073, or by calling Osborne at 703-382-9095.
by CNB