Chris Manthos serves as executive director of the American Watercraft Association. When not riding, he dedicates his time to educating regulators and other officials on the realities of personal watercraft, in contrast to the fantasy world of the no-access crowd. He mows his own lawn, washes his own truck, served his country, pays his taxes, picks up trash on public roads, opens his own beer bottles, reads books, hunts, feeds his own dogs, doesn’t need government to tell him right from wrong, and deplores sanctimonious hypocrites, bullies, and know-it-alls, particularly the political kind.

Wiley Russell Jr. is the dealer coordinator of the AWA and works closely with personal watercraft dealers nationwide, promoting PWC access for all enthusiasts, as well as promoting dealerships. He is a Virginia native and enjoys riding PWC as much as possible.

John Donaldson is not the longest serving PWC government relations guy, but he’s close. He had been in the power sports industry for over a decade when his then employer decided his gift for gab and ability to write completely confusing letters were a perfect match for dealing with politicians and legislators. Since the course change in his work history, Donaldson has worked for two of the biggest PWC manufacturers as well as having a turn at running the Personal Watercraft Industry Association. Donaldson says that these government relations experiences have helped him understand that it sure isn’t the government one learns about in a text book. Further in Donaldson’s past was his service in the U.S. Coast Guard and a few years as owner of a major power sports dealership in Southern California. This diversity of government, manufacturer, and retail experience qualifies Donaldson to help keep AWA members and others informed on the latest activities of government impact on the use of PWC in the PWC Nation.

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Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Lake Anna Safety Day
posted by Wiley Russell Jr

AWA/K-38 Boat Handling Course

The American Watercraft Association and K-38 Rescue offer an easy and educational one day course for personal watercraft owners. The course deals with basic rules of the road, common maintenance procedures, and a challenging half-day of practical exercises on the water geared to increase your PWC handling skills.

Aimed specifically at personal watercraft owners, the course offers comprehensive information combined with hands on testing and real life riding situations.

From launching your PWC to docking, we suggest skills that will help you become more knowledgeable and safe on the water. The basic tasks we teach are used to instruct First Responders, the Military and professional tow-surfers in watercraft handling. As easy and fun as personal watercraft are to ride and enjoy, we believe there is always room for more safety. Our boat handling course includes:
Centering: Learn the proper way to position your body on a craft.
Boarding and Re-boarding: Re-boarding a PWC is easy, or is it? Do you really know how to right an overturned boat? We offer tips for re-boarding your personal watercraft.
Walk The Deck: Discover your safe balance points on your personal watercraft.
Johnny B: Learn how to use the ‘pivot point’ of your vessel to give you better control.
Slalom: A buoy course designed to teach you throttle control and body placement
Raid Drill: Designed to teach you how to reach low to the waterline and maintain craft stability
Docking: Learn techniques for approaching a dock and using an EZ Dock.
Join us for the AWA/K-38 Boat Handling Course, and turn one day into a lifetime of safety and knowledge. The course is free and will be offered Saturday May 17, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Anna Point Marina. A free lunch will be provided by Yamaha Watercraft. The class open to first 40 registrants. Participants must supply their own personal watercraft vehicle. The morning portion of the class will be instructed by Mary Loose of DGIF. Participants will take a test at the end of the morning session to gain certification with the state of Virginia.

For more information, or to register, contact the American Watercraft Association at 800-913-AWA1 (2921) or on the web at http://www.awahq.org
Sponsors include LABRA (Lake Anna Boat & Recreation Assoc), Lake Country Marine, AWA (American Watercraft Assoc), K-38, and Yamaha Watercraft.