Wake Responsibly program aims to bring safety, etiquette to wakesurfing
The 9th Annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show was held June 18 and 19. Wake Responsibly was one of the presentations to take place over the weekend and focused on the etiquette and education of wake surf safety.
Parker Linn demonstrates wake surfing for people during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on Gull Lake. Watercraft for the boat show were brought by Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports and a Wake Responsibly event taught attendees boat safety and responsibility.
BRAINERD — The wake coming from the boat was nothing more than a means for fun on the lake to the boaters, but it could also be incredibly disruptive without the proper etiquette and education.
Wakesurfing behind powerful wake boats is increasing in popularity in the Brainerd lakes area, and with it has come a drive to educate those who do it.
The 9th Annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show was June 18-19 on Gull Lake. The event was hosted by Water Sports Industry Association and was filled with activities and good weather.
One of the presentations featured during the weekend was an educational presentation on the safety of wakesurfing. It was presented by the Water Sports Industry Association with the goal of providing education and insight in the proper etiquette of wakesurfing.
“Water Sports Industry Association was formed with the mission of providing education,” said Brad Fralick, chief government affairs officer of the Water Sports Industry Association. “Wakesurfing education is just an extension of that. It does have some areas that are different from other watersports, so we are doing education efforts all across the country just to give a common sense presentation.”
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One of the main reasons wakesurfing is different from other watersports is the size of the wake. The number one priority expressed during the presentation was wake boats and wakesurfers should stay at least 200 feet away from shorelines, docks, boats and other structures.
Parker Linn demonstrates wake surfing for people during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on Gull Lake. Watercraft for the boat show were brought by Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports and a Wake Responsibly event taught attendees boat safety and responsibility.
Kelly Humphrey / Brainerd Dispatch
The National Marine Manufacturers Association also partnered with the Water Sports Industry Association to provide information to the community. Together, the two organizations took some of the local stakeholders, like members of the Brainerd Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce and members of Gull Chain of Lakes Association, out on the lake to demonstrate the importance of educating the public prior to the actual presentations.
“The goal was to show (the stakeholders) what these presentations are like (and) the opportunities that we're taking to educate wakesurfers, to be the best stewards on the water,” said Jill Sims, policy and engagement manager of the National Marine Manufacturers Association. “We took (the stakeholders) out on a surf boat. We actually had surfers surfing behind the boat so they could see surfing in action. And then we explain to them why our principles of Wake Responsibly are really important.”
Water Sports Industry Association has made an effort to increase the amount of wakesurf training they provide this year. They are traveling all around the nation in an attempt to provide the proper training so that communities all across the country can participate in wakesurfing safely.
“Since COVID, the number of recreational boats, including weight boats, on our waterways has gone way up,” said Fralick. “The waterways are more crowded. Whenever you have more crowding, you can have more problems, and obviously more safety issues. So from that we decided to really move forward and increase our education efforts.”
1/16: Savannah Mendell demonstrates wake surfing for people during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on Gull Lake. Watercraft for the boat show were brought by Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports and a Wake Responsibly event taught attendees boat safety and responsibility.
2/16: Savannah Mendell demonstrates wake surfing for people during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on Gull Lake. Watercraft for the boat show were brought by Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports and a Wake Responsibly event taught attendees boat safety and responsibility.
3/16: Savannah Mendell demonstrates wake surfing for people during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on Gull Lake. Watercraft for the boat show were brought by Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports and a Wake Responsibly event taught attendees boat safety and responsibility.
4/16: Savannah Mendell demonstrates wake surfing for people during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on Gull Lake. Watercraft for the boat show were brought by Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports and a Wake Responsibly event taught attendees boat safety and responsibility.
5/16: Parker Linn demonstrates wake surfing for people during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on Gull Lake. Watercraft for the boat show were brought by Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports and a Wake Responsibly event taught attendees boat safety and responsibility.
6/16: Parker Linn demonstrates wake surfing for people during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on Gull Lake. Watercraft for the boat show were brought by Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports and a Wake Responsibly event taught attendees boat safety and responsibility.
7/16: Parker Linn demonstrates wake surfing for people during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on Gull Lake. Watercraft for the boat show were brought by Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports and a Wake Responsibly event taught attendees boat safety and responsibility.
8/16: Parker Linn demonstrates wake surfing for people during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on Gull Lake. Watercraft for the boat show were brought by Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports and a Wake Responsibly event taught attendees boat safety and responsibility.
9/16: Savannah Mendell demonstrates wake surfing for people during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on Gull Lake. Watercraft for the boat show were brought by Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports and a Wake Responsibly event taught attendees boat safety and responsibility.
10/16: Savannah Mendell demonstrates wake surfing for people during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on Gull Lake. Watercraft for the boat show were brought by Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports and a Wake Responsibly event taught attendees boat safety and responsibility.
11/16: Parker Linn demonstrates wake surfing for people during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, on Gull Lake. Watercraft for the boat show were brought by Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports and a Wake Responsibly event taught attendees boat safety and responsibility.
12/16: Watersports etiquette presentation as part of the Wake Responsibly event Saturday, June 18, 2022, during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show at the Bar Harbor Supper Club on Gull Lake.
13/16: People gather for the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, with boats from Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports at the Bar Harbor Supper Club on Gull Lake.
14/16: People gather for the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, with boats from Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports at the Bar Harbor Supper Club on Gull Lake.
15/16: People attend the Wake Responsibly event during the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, at the Bar Harbor Supper Club on Gull Lake.
16/16: People gather for the ninth annual Bar Harbor In-Water Boat Show on Saturday, June 18, 2022, with boats from Nisswa Marine and Minnesota Inboard Water Sports at the Bar Harbor Supper Club on Gull Lake.
The Water Sports Industry Association also expressed the desire to make the lake an environment for all to experience. Wakesurfers can help by keeping their music at a reasonable level. Sound can travel over water well and can be carried to the shoreline if the music is blaring. They also ask to refrain from making repetitive passes and to move around the lake instead.
In addition to the presentations, any customer that purchases a newer used surf boat actually gets one-on-one education on the water.
“We want them to be aware of how their product works and make sure that they're the best steward of the resource,” said Sims. “We're all about education.”
Sara Guymon is a Post Bulletin business reporter. Guymon grew up in New Ulm, Minnesota. She graduated from New Ulm Public High School and went on to attend college at the University of Minnesota Duluth. While at UMD, Guymon pursued a major in journalism and a double minor in photography and international studies. Prior to coming to the Post Bulletin, she worked as a staff writer for the Brainerd Dispatch. There she covered the City of Baxter and business.
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