A Beginning Wakeboarder's Experience with Boat-Ramp Inequality

My friend and I decided to become boating enthusiasts in summer f 2007. It was the only logical step to take since we refused to be dependent on others to go wakeboarding. We got the boat and then experienced all the beginners' woes you can possibly imagine.

Our lessons in boating were very painful. We hit all sorts of things and looked incredibly ridiculous backing the trailer down at the ramp. Furthermore, the spotlight was always on us because we were the only two girls at the dock who were handling a boat. We had all the fisherman laughing at us on a continual basis. No one was really willing to offer us input or advice, but everyone was quick to jump down our throats and yell if we did something out of order. On a packed day, everyone had to wait their turn to either put in the boat or take it out. It was bad form to cut someone off. Completely understandable.

Well, its summer of 2008 now and I'm happy to report that we are quite the professionals. We've had zero accidents and our trailering skills are quite enviable. We are able to drop in the boat and pull it out faster than most of the men these days. So naturally you'd think that with all the progress we've made and the rules we've learned that it would result in some actual respect from our male boating counterparts. Not so much. We still get fisherman yelling at us for one reason or another. We still get told to wait our turn even when we are and then get cut off by the person behind us while we're being scolded. These fishermen are pulling moves that we wouldn't dream of doing because they're just wrong. If both sides of the ramp are full, we would never send one person to run and get the trailer while the other drives the boat up the middle, potentially cutting off three boats on each side. We've never tried to squeeze in dropping in the boat in front of someone pulling out theirs. We overcame our adversities the first season and we learned from them. The worst part is that when we stand up for ourselves and jump on those who aren't waiting their turn, we get called unfavorable names.

Many things are wrong with this picture and there really shouldn't be. Were these fishermen secretly hoping that we'd find it too hard and just quit? Sorry boys, that just not our style. I recognize that its difficult to share your ramp with us, so I offer some advice. You don't have to like us and you don't have to know us. What should happen is a mutual level of respect. Don't pull moves that you know you wouldn't want to experience from the other side. That means, don't cut off the ladies because you think that they're going to take too long. Chances are, they're doing pretty good and some of them are probably better than you. Furthermore, if you absolutely need to express your verbal nonsense, please expect some in return. Don't be getting hurt when you discover that we can hold our own.

This is obviously intended for a select group of people. I fully acknowledge that not all male boaters are so rude. I would, however, like to know where they launch their boats because at Chinook Landing in Fairview, Oregon, manners are seriously lacking.