NASCAT

PR 2000

"My question is - Where did that absurd idea come from?"

As I stated earlier the comments came directly from one of Lake Norman's local boat dealers that claims he is a sponsor of this event.

He also stated that the Wild Life Commission plans to enforce the noise ordinance that weekend. So you may wish to pass that along to your participants.

Expecting the poker run participant to think of anything & everything they want to know then call everytime they have a question just doesn't seem very realistic or efficient.

What do you plan to say to tell the guy who gets a ticket for loud exhaust? "SORRY YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED & ASKED"
Thus my argument to organize & post a FAQ sheet so as to give the participant all the info he needs to prepare & make decisions that affect him personally.

You think I'm a ball buster but I believe my posts bring valid awareness to those that plan to participate.

NASCAT

North Carolina Boating Law Basics
Wildlife Resources Commission
1717 Mail Services Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1717
www.ncwildlife.org

Mufflers and Noise Levels:

Vessel engines with open-air exhausts and the capacity to operate at more than 4000 RPM must have effective muffling equipment installed to effectively reduce noise. Exceptions are licensed commercial fishing boats.

apppedigree

To my knowledge there are no local boat dealers participating in this event. Furthermore I have personally spoken to the Wildlife Resources Commission in Raleigh and I have spoken to the Wildlife officers on Lake Norman. They have absolutely no problem with this poker run, nor are they going to enforce any type of noise ordinance. As a matter of fact they would love to participate in some way but it falls into the "private escort" category and they are not allowed. They will however be keep a close eye for any help.

These questions and concerns have all been addressed. I find it ridiculous that you think no one other than yourself can organize an event of this nature. There is absolutely no intention to throw any boaters into a law enforcement nightmare. I also feel that your efforts to make PRA seem unorganized are childish.

In my opinion the best that you can do is call and ask PRA if you have any questions.

As far as local LE critisizm is concerned - there has been one individual that has voiced negative concern. That was based solely on using Blythe Landing as the launch site due to the homes directly across from the launch. The suggestion was to use another ramp. We are indeed - and the County and all other LE are on board with that decision.

I am sure that all the participants are grateful for your questions and concerns. However, I pick up on the undertone and find it offensive.

Adrenaline Junkie

For a bunch of "good 'ol boys" - there sure seems to be a lot of drama down there.

We passed Lake Norman on our way down to the Ft Myers run last year - met Kenny - the Lake looked very interesting as we drove by it - lots of interesting coast line, etc...

Unfortunately, it also seems a bit similar to our Lake George up north here. Beautiful resource, but locals don't seem to appreciate these kind of events. Last year they made us do the run in Oct (after the season) and they had more Police scattered all over the lake than I had seen ever on the water. This year, the wouldn't allow us to do the run at all.

It's too bad we don't get the kind of reception we get at the Thousdand Islands Run or Desert Storm at all of these events. Thousand Islands run had tens of thousands of spectators lining the course, and the stops sometimes 5 people deep, shoulder ot shoulder, all hootin' hollarin', taking pictures, and cheering us on. Heck at the lunch stop they actually had crowd control with Police tape, keeping the thousands of fans away from us and our boats.

I've done a good number of runs. PRA pretty much has it figured out how to run a well organized and safe run. At each of the runs I've been to, they appear to do quite a bit more good than harm for the local community, not to mention the local economy.

I would have expected a warmer reception for an event like this in "NASCAR Land".

NASCAT

I could have sworn I directed my post to PR 2000 but maybe you (AP) have been appointed as this Thread Spokes Person!

Team Carolina Marine
1162 River Hwy, Mooresville, NC 5.62mi
(704) 799-6671
Category: Boat Dealers

Can't tell you if this is the correct location or not as there were several listed but to the best of my recollection this is the dealer the gentleman represented. Call them yourself, did you really think I made all this up??

I'm more than willing to sieze posting on this thread if you are & let the run speak for itself.

We can reconvene Monday Sept 22nd if you prefer!

Dock Holiday

That's the truth if I ever heard it.

It takes supporters and not complainers. Yes it is too bad because it could be a great thing for the area that gets folks EXCITED about performance boats.

Well for the record I support the event and PRA. I hope it is a huge success and they make it an annual event.

Funny how in this area there is a small click that seems to think they control everything regarding LKN, performance boating and poker runs.

We are dealing with four categories of people here:

1)There are those who simply cannot stand it that PRA is coming to town and up staging them.

2)Those who feel they should be allowed to run the PRA event and could do a better job then a company with a long track record of success & safety.

3)Those who simply cannot afford to attend an event like this.

4)Those who would like to participate but will not go against those in the first three categories.

Life’s too short girls support the event or stay home and shut up. Working against it and complaining about every little detail only makes you look silly.

vagrant

Look, I am sick and tired of hearing of a click on Lake Norman.There are some performance boaters with concerns. What's worng with that? Adrenaline Junkie made reference to Lake George. The same thing could happen here.This is not about WHO can afford what, people who can not stand PRA,or those who would like to participate but will not go against those in the first three categories.This is about boaters coming to use this lake, abusing it and then going home.Its about local boaters that use this lake and want to make sure they will be able to in the future. PRA has a good record . I agree with that. But they have no record on Lake Norman. Most local boaters are worried about the aftermath. Whats wrong with that? I think most of you know and can understand what is at stake here.Look we can all agree to disagree, bottom line is, we all are working for the same outcome.Nascat has brought valid points.Stick to the core of the issue. I know most of you love a good debate.

Bad Company

I think we all love fast boats here, I do. In fact, I will more than likely be sitting off the main channel watching the boats go by and even stopping by Mid Town to check them out. Most of us here on LKN don't have a problem with the run. What we are concerned about is how it's going to affect those that do have issues with loud fast boats. Even at a small event, such as the CPBA fun run, there is a good amount of info released to the public outlining the event to make the people of the lake aware and to work with not only the local authorities but with the resident's of the lake as well. Most of us live here and it does affect us and that's where a lot of the concerns lie and I think this is the point being made. The residents of LKN that are running in the poker run ie.. Bobby, Kenny and all others, I hope is leading the way in safety and concerns of the lake instead of taking offense any time someone brings up a good point such as David and Michael or myself. So get over yourself and open up your mind to other points of veiw and make the run be as safe and as great as it can be for everyone!

CROWD CONTROL

Beans and tators

Dock Holiday

Dave,

I have a lot of respect for you and I am in no way trying to bust your chops. You are a good guy, a responsible boater and I appreciate that.

There is a lot of talk about this event, the comments of locals like yourself and others plus what we see here on online. I was on Norman all day Sunday and was asked about the event four times. People know about it and most are very excited that an event of this caliper is coming to town.

Two questions for you please:.

1) Didn’t the CPBA try to bring PRA to LKN? I was under the impression that you and others where trying to get them here.

2) Didn’t you send a representative from the CPBA to the PRA safety meeting at the Miami boat show this year and if so did you find or learn anything that would concerns you about safety and the PRA?

The answers to those questions might help clear up some confusion I have.

We just returned from doing our 37th poker run and I thought about how sad it would be if the performance boat family at Smith Mountain Lake felt like the folks at LKN. We never would have done a poker run there and might not have ever enjoyed the beautiful lake. Smith Mountain is a smaller lake, it is more narrow in a lot of places and there are not the type of stops available there as on Norman. They limit their event to around 75 boats (more then the 40 for PRA / LKN) and the locals support it and the Lake Police even wave the Virginia noise laws for that one day so everyone can enjoy the event.

If the folks at Lake Hartwell, Lake Cumberland, Bugs Island, Kentucky Lake, Tennessee River and Lake Travis just to mention a few felt that way toward us out of town folks were going to come and use and abuse the lake then there would be no poker runs. I enjoy going to a lot of these events and I appreciate all the folks who support them and those that work hard to provide us with the opportunity. It brings revenue and showcases the lake both of which are good.

Poker Runs America as I mentioned before was way ahead of the curve on safety. They wrote the book and required PFD’s and safety switches long before Smoke on the Water. They do this for a living and I cannot for the life of me believe that they would do anything to jeopardize their business, reputation or the safety of the participants and others on the water.

Also I think it is a real slap to think that the PRA members that own the boats, pay the entry fees and travel for hundreds of miles just like you and I do are not responsible. I know many of these folks and they are just as proud and protective of their investments as I am of my boat.

Sorry but I am really at a loss to understand why you guys feel that the PRA and their boaters are such bad folks and are going to reek havoc. I’m sure there are some that have read this thread and don’t feel welcome at Norman and that is ashamed.

Norman was much slower Sunday then I can remember in the past for Labor Day weekend and I received two calls today (Monday) and was told it was even slower. I think they picked a good time for the event and wish them good weather, sunny skies and deep water.

Mark