Give the gift of boating. We are now at the peak of the boating season here on the Great Lakes. Wonderful times on the waters this summer may take us back to our earliest memories of being on the Sweetwater Seas. As we reflect on magical moments spent boating and fishing on these precious treasures, think for a moment how that first interaction with boating on the Great Lakes occurred. Just how were you introduced to Great Lakes boating? Sure, a few of us simply gazed upon the Great Lakes and without any previous interaction deduced to purchase a boat, all of our own initiative. This scenario is an exception to the general rule. Most of us were introduced to the joys of boating and fishing often at an early age by people we know. Perhaps your family had their own boat or even had the privilege of living on a lake or river. Perhaps it was a relative’s or neighbor’s that gave you, your first taste of tubing or water skiing or provided you that first chance to reel in a walleye or Chinook Salmon. |
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Maybe it was a special day at summer camp when in a Sunfish sailboat you had your first chance to hoist a sail, read the wind and set a course on the waters. Or perhaps boating has been such a large part of your life you first boating experience has faded deep into your memory. Possibly, your introduction to boating on the Great Lakes came later in your life. Maybe your spouse grew up in a boating family and you married into the boating lifestyle. Or, you may have recently moved to the Great lakes region and have been introduced to the Great Lakes boating by friends or co-workers. The point is that someone in your life likely introduced you to the joys of taking to the waters in a boat. Our introduction to boating most often comes from someone sharing their love of boating with you. These positive first experiences whet our appetite to make boating part of our own life, launching our own love affair with the waters. During this boating season pass along to someone the gift someone gave you: introduce someone to boating. Take someone for their first run of water skiing or tubing. Introduce someone to the thrill of shouting “fish on!” and cranking in an enormous salmon or trout. Experience with someone the exhilaration of racing the wind in a sailboat over the waves. Share the serenity of cruising the Great Lakes at sunset with someone who’s never experience that level of peace and relaxation. To truly appreciate what the boating way of life has to offer, these joys must be experienced firsthand. We as boaters know this, and those who introduced us to the passion of boating knew this. To ensure the future vitality of boating, this summer be an ambassador for boating. Introduce people to the pleasures of the Great Lakes. As the old cliché states, “There are strength in numbers.” The future of boating relies upon future boaters–and future boaters can be created by us. |
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