Hello:

My name is Luke Steele and I live in Granville County. I'm writing about an apparently sensitive subject, but I was really hoping to get some straight answers on what seems to be a really strange situation at Hyco Lake. My wife & I like the lake, but the situation with the Hyco Lake Authority keeps us from visiting. We plan to live on a lake when our daughters are out of college, but at this point Hyco is not even on the long list.

I should tell you a little about me: I'm 49 years old and am a partner in a computer software firm in Raleigh. I hold the position of Captain on a Technical Rescue team in Wake County, and recently retired after 23 years in the Volunteer Fire Service. I teach Firefighting and Rescue courses for the State of NC in what little spare time I have. I'll be married for 25 years this October, and have a daughter at NC State and another in Middle School.

It's important that you know this, because I don't think I fit the profile of a drug-abusing juvenile delinquent. Regardless, that's how I have felt on my last two visits to your lake.

I have a wakeboard boat and I ride a hydrofoil. My daughters (18 and 12 years-old) wakeboard. We bought annual passes to Hyco through 2005, mainly for the purpose of riding in the off-season when Hyco is a bit warmer than Falls Lake, and attending the two wakeboard events a rider's group holds there each year. I don't know what you've heard about these events, so I'll give you my take on them.

At one time, these events brought in 150-200 people from up and down the East coast. We've had pro boarders and hydrofoilers from as far away as Florida and Arizona. Since the events are at the beginning and end of the season, they give a large boost to the local businesses - just ask them.

However, for the last couple of years, the Hyco Lake Authority has done everything they could to prevent the events from taking place and when they failed, trotting out every petty act they could think of to make life miserable for the people that attended. Some of the tricks they've pulled are:

Telling potential attendees that if that had a wakeboard tower they would not be allowed on the premises.
People told where they could and could not camp.
People told that they couldn't camp because they had "caused problems" at previous events, including people who had never attended any previous events.
At the last event, a roadblock was set up on the road in front of the campground on Sunday. Local business owners could not ever remember that happening that early in the season.
Overzealous "safety checks" on boats with towers while ignoring boats without towers.
Openly attempting to blame any misconduct by any boater at Hyco on the group.
Harassment of group members who live on the lake by enforcing rules to the letter while identical circumstances on adjacent docks are ignored.

Have there been problems at previous events? Absolutely. However, every identified problem has been addressed by the group in minute detail. There were complaints about glass bottles, and the group started self-policing and making sure that any glass containers inadvertently brought in were rounded up and disposed of off the premises. There were complaints about noise, and older members of the group started monitoring the curfews. Is it a perfect group? Absolutely not. Anyone who works in Public Service will tell you that if you get 200 people together, a few will cause problems. However, they will also tell you that it's a rare case where the errant behavior of a few people warrants the condemnation of an entire group.Older members of the group have approached the Lake Authority in attempts to determine what needs to be done to lessen the tension, only to be rebuffed with accusations, threatening remarks and physical posturing.

The most galling transgression is that any misbehavior by anyone at Hyco with a wakeboard boat is automatically attributed to the group. There is a boat that frequents Hyco - the owner lives in Roxboro and is in no way associated with the EndofRope group. However, when one of his guests cursed at a gentleman who asked her to stop sunbathing topless, we automatically got the blame. A group of Boy Scouts camped nearby trashed the bathroom during one event: despite ample evidence to the contrary, this was used as an example of why the wakeboarders should not be allowed to camp at Hyco.

I wonder if the bigger problem is that the Authority resents the extra work that the season opener and closer mandates. Considering the boost to the local businesses (and their bottom line) that the events bring, I would find that hard to believe: however, the consistent pettiness and lack of professionalism seems to me to be much more than just "doing their job".

I was asking for a straight answer to a question, right? Well, the question is, does the Tourism Board believe that the current situation at Hyco is acceptable? A second question would be "Are there any changes on the horizon?"

At the Halloween event in 2004, I was there four days and spent over six hundred dollars ($600!) at Hyco Lake, buying gas for a thirsty boat, food, gear and other items. I believe the Reynolds family (who owned Boats & Boards at the time), the Shell station, and Lakeside restaurant appreciated my visit. In addition to me (and over a hundred wakeboarders and friends), over twenty-five other hydrofoilers attended - many stayed in Roxboro, and I'm confident that the Hampton and the Golden Corral were happy they were there. At the Easter event this year I showed up on Sunday, said hello to a few friends (far fewer than at previous events), rode, and left. My only cost was the $5 that the Authority extorted out of me for the "privilege" of parking on the shoulder of the road outside of the campground. There were only a few hydrofoilers there - most of them are older and unwilling to tolerate being treated like children.

The sad thing is I think I'm the kind of customer you want. I never drink while the boat is in the water, and even when it's on the trailer a couple of beers is plenty. My job pays well, and I have the money to buy toys like my Nautique and enjoy them. If there's an accident, I'm on it - as an EMT and Rescue Technician I carry a full trauma kit and spinal immobilization equipment in my boat. I'm a USA Waterski certified boat operator (in addition to my Swiftwater Rescue certification), and proud to say that in over 30 years of boating I've never hurt anyone or filed an insurance claim. I get along with almost anybody, but I definitely feel unwelcome at Hyco Lake.

Please feel free to email me at the return address, or by mail to Luke Steele, 1178 Beaver Dam Rd, Creedmoor, NC 27522. You may also call me at home at (919) 528-1627. If desired, I would be happy to reformat this email into a letter and mail it to you. If you would like references to prove I'm who I say I am or would like to meet with me at your office to discuss this, please do not hesitate to ask. Call Bill or Terri Reynolds - they'll tell you who I am.)

I would also recommend that you at least peruse www.endofropegang.com and meet some of the people who are receiving this unwarranted attention from the Authority. My name on there is Luke. Join up and meet a bunch of people of all ages who share a love of the water and of life. Yeah, some of them are young - wish I still were. Some make mistakes - I sure have. You'll find some people that think differently than you do, but you'll also find many that will impress you - I'll bet you money on that one.

Thank you,

Luke Steele