Bending the Arc

A bill proposed by two state officials to regulate wake surfing and wakeboarding fails to provide any meaningful protection against the activities’ impact and will be detrimental to paddlesports, fishing, wildlife, and will increase the spread of invasive species.

Wakeboarding is a water sport in which the rider, standing on a wakeboard, is towed behind a motorboat across its wake and especially up off the crest in order to perform aerial maneuvers.  Wake-enhanced boats create a wake 3 to 12 times greater than a ski boat. You can imagine the impact this has on swimmers, fishermen, and kayakers, but as this Silent Sports Magazine article explains, what it does to shorelines, lake/river bottoms, water quality, and animal life are devastating. 

LRB-3518 prohibits wakeboarding within (only) 200 feet of shore while the overwhelming majority of studies assert that 500 - 600 is required for wakes to lose their size and power. Wake boats can churn up harmful pollutants from lake bottoms as deep as Green Lake, the deepest lake in the state. This bill also prevents municipalities from setting their own regulations on the use of wake boats on bodies of water in their local communities.

It’s imperative that the legislature passes sensible regulations that balance the rights of everyone to recreate on Wisconsin lakes. Without common sense restrictions, Wisconsin’s tourism, property values, public safety, and the lakes themselves are at risk. If you care for Wisconsin lakes, join the discussion by contacting your legislator. Urge them to add the above common-sense provisions in any wakeboarding legislation. Find your legislator here.