Sheboygan County, Wisconsin — Wake surfing may be a growing water activity, but it’s despised by some who frequent bodies of water. Many Wisconsin towns have passed legislation that bans wake surfing to protect the lake’s health.
Wisconsin Public Radio reports that the village of Elkhart Lake is being sued by the Elkhart Watersports Alliance, Inc., over a ban on wake surfing and wake boats. They allege that the new rules created regarding wake surfing violate Wisconsin and federal law. In particular, they claim it violates the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Constitution. The Alliance also conducted a study that found tubing produces larger waves than surfing, yet that activity remains legal. They are seeking a reversal of the ordinance and around $1.8 million in compensation.
“As a fisherman with a 16-foot fishing boat, the same bad science used to target wake boats in a 120-foot-deep lake can be used by any town or village to target fishing boats and pontoons, and we look forward to defending boaters’ rights in Wisconsin to overturn the Village’s illegal ban on Elkhart Lake,” said Attorney Anders Helquist, who’s representing the plantiffs.
Last November, Elkhart Lake’s village board approved an ordinance that bans wake surfing. The first offense costs $500, while a second offense within the same one-year period costs $1,000.
There are various concerns about wake surfing. There are concerns that it affects the lake’s health, particularly its ecosystems and lakebed. With these boats creating above-average waves, there’s also concern about how they impact shorelines. The village and the locals who passed the legislation are confident their rules will stand.
“Elkhart Lake is the greatest resource that the village has, quite frankly,” said Chet Gerlach, a local resident. “The idea of keeping it safe and clean and making sure that the property of people who live on the lake aren’t negatively impacted makes a whole lot of sense.”
Various towns in Wisconsin have passed legislation banning wake surfing. However, the state legislature has yet to take action.
Image/Video Credits: Klara Kulikova, Will McComis
