Ok, we have a course on a public lake. The lake was a gravel pit that the DOT used to build the freeways 50 years ago. They told the city they could use it as a lake. Over time the lake was developed and a portion of the lake became used for slalom skiing. There is an open bay for everything, i.e. skiing, boarding, jetskiing, and tubing. On the north end of the lake a bridge and berm were built to create a slalom lake. It is about 2,000 feet long and 180 feet wide(the ski lake). http://maps.google.com/?ll=43.207084,-112.352221&spn=0.014936,0.017788&t=h&z=16
I have a couple of questions about some rules we could bring before the city to try and reduce the amount course damage. In a single day we lost over 12 buoys, no I don't think it was malicious, just retards on the water. We tend to get wake boarders, tubers, and general walleys in the course and they don't seem to give a ___ about the buoys being ripped up or pvc pipes(portable course) that are broken. I know, I know, everyone on public water has the same problem. Currently, the only rules in place are; No jet skis in the course and one boat at a time.
I am pretty sure that we can't get wake boarders banned from the course, unless I can prove it's unsafe, but that could back fire on the skiers as well. So my strategy is to have the city implement some rules that might discourage anyone that isn't willing to fix the course after they break it. What do you think if I ask the city to require anyone using the course to pay a maintenance fee to ski, board, etc. in the designated skiing area? These funds would be used by the local ski club to distribute buoys, buoy lines, zip ties, etc. to the members and teach them how to fix the course if they break it. We have attempted to teach some of them how to fix things, but apparently when you strap on a board your brain falls out and you can't quite comprehend how to use a zip tie.
Would I be better off trying to limit only skiing in the course? I could make the argument that there should be designated areas for different activities. Wake boarding, tubing, skiing, jet skiing, and general boating in the main bay and skiing only in the course. How would I recommend it be policed? The city does have the lake patrolled.
Thanks in advance.