Lifeguard patroli on ATV

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Fishermen were up to late last night counting their losses after several boats were destroyed and damaged in Tobago by huge waves which continue to pound the country.

Damage was expected to run into millions of dollars.

Allan Stewart, assistant coordinator of the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) in Tobago, told the Express that waves from 15 - 20 feet high continue to lash the shore, reaching as far as the roads in some areas.

Beaches from Store Bay to Parlatuvier Bay remained closed until further notice, because of the conditions.

"We had a number of boats and pirogues that were damaged and destroyed in the Mount Irvine, Black Rock and Plymouth coasts," he explained.

The wall of a private property in the Black Rock area belonging to Lorraine Brooks was also washed out to sea, Stewart said.

"The wall which was adjacent to the sea was totally washed away leaving the swimming pool open to the sea," he added.

Stewart said a value could not be placed on the losses as yet but it could range in the millions.

And at north coast beaches in Trinidad as waves more than 10 feet high continued to pound the beaches a Lifeguard Patrol Captain said Government should have closed the beaches.

Up to late yesterday the huge waves continued to come in land reaching past the lifeguard towers at Maracas, Tyrico and Las Cuevas beaches.

Parts of the nearby water, which are usually light in colour, bore a deep blue as the waves continued to plunge and remove the sand.

Mukesh Jodhan explained that lifeguards have no authority to remove people from the beaches, but could only give caution and advise.

"This morning the conditions of the water did not change," he said.

"Lifeguards keep warning members of the public to be very cautious about venturing into the water. Some people listen but others don't, especially when they drink alcohol."

Tyrico Bay camper, Vena Lutchman said the waves became "very rough" in the wee hours of yesterday morning causing her group and other campers to flee their campsites.

"The night started out normal we even helped a Leatherback Turtle return to the water after she laid her eggs. But then after 2 this morning (Friday) the waves were very loud as they crashed and the water started coming into our tent. It was very frightful," she said.

"The beach, river and road were like one. You could not see anything because the water was everywhere. It reached as far as the road by the Tyrico Bay sign."

Her group moved to higher ground just before the entrance to Tyrico Bay.

Fourteen lifeguards, 12 trainees and two patrol captains kept a constant watch over both Tyrico and Maracas Bays.

As one lifeguard patrolled the area on an ATV, two jet skis and two ambulances were on stand by in case of any emergency. Police and fire officials were also seen monitoring the beach and campsite areas.

Some people headed into the water, not heeding the red flags - which were placed throughout the beaches - but the majority of Trinidadians and tourists soaked in the sand. Those close to the shoreline kept moving in land as the waves came in further after noon.

At Las Cuevas Beach the story was not different, the waves continued to pound the shores. Campers were also forced to leave the lower area and head for higher ground early yesterday morning.

Bathers were disappointed but surfers were in their glee heading out to the rough seas to catch their ultimate waves.

"We are here to ensure that people do not go far into the water but we cannot stop them, we can only advise them," explained trainee lifeguard Sheldon Francis.

As high tide came in the group of 12 lifeguards patrolled the beach, cautioning bathers. Again some took their advice but others insisted on staying in the water.

with reporting by Elizabeth W Allard

Sussex ATV riders rile landowners

Concerns raised about trespassers tearing up property

DAGSBORO -- "This land is your land, this land is my land."

That adage, written by Woody Guthrie in his classic American song, was intended to encourage countrymen to live in harmony with one another. But Sussex County landowners are finding that hard to do these days, especially when it comes to off-roaders and four-wheelers who leave tire tracks, and a path of destruction, in their wake.
In a growing trend across the area, landowners have been finding their acreage is a prime place for all-terrain-vehicle riders looking for open space. They throttle up and ride -- at times going full-bore through fields of corn and soybeans -- without care for what property they might be destroying in the process.

Christopher McGee, 22, helps work his parent's land, McGee Farms in Williamsville. While riders don't frequently ride on their farm, Christopher said it has happened.

"Every once in a while you get a city person who moves in, and we just have to warn 'em," said McGee, noting the liability issues farmers can face if someone is injured on their property. "We've had some local boys (come through), and I've put the fear of God in 'em. They know if they ride here, they're gonna have problems."

For those looking for a thrill ride, any open parcel of land will do.

Dagsboro resident Jimmy Burton said he's been having problems trespassing on two fronts. The most serious, he said, is at the family's development project, Burton Acres on Iron Branch Road north of Dagsboro.

"It's not completely developed," he said. "And boy, do they have four-wheelers in there -- in bad weather especially."

Burton also has to deal with four-wheelers on his farm, Hickory Hill, west of Route 113 between Dagsboro and Millsboro.

"On the farm, they have easy access," he said. "They know how to get around the ditches."

The crops on Hickory Hill farm, Burton said, have taken a beating thanks to the riders.

"They'll just ride out in there, and I just can't understand that -- it can't be fun," he said. "The soybeans -- they'll run right through them. They just really don't respect crops."
Trespassers hit a road block

All-terrain vehicles have been taking their toll on state-owned lands as well as private property. Patrick Emory, director of the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control's Fish and Wildlife section, said trespassers are also getting their kicks on state-owned property.

"We're finding it (happens) fairly frequently," he said. "We're finding it on the beaches and along the bay. They take the ATVs out to somewhere secluded, drop them off, and they try to sneak them and ride them on the beach. They're doing things like cutting through people's yards."

Emory attributes part of the problem to ignorance. Visitors from other states bring their vehicles to Delaware without researching the laws.

"The areas for people to ride are limited," Emory said. "Sometimes riders are on the pretense that in some of these areas there are designated places you can ride. We don't have that here."

While trespassing is an issue year-round, enforcers find the spring season does bring more riders to restricted areas.

"It's usually that we find it associated with hunting in restricted areas," he said. "As it warms up, it seems that the spring brings people out to ride."

Riding in coastal areas, Emory said, has also been a growing issue.

"At a lot of areas along the bays have old roads that run all the way down to the beach," he said. "What (DNREC) has had to do is put dirt pile closures at the end of the roads so that you can't get out there with a truck. However, ATVs can get over the dirt piles."
Farmers take matters into their own hands

The last time Burton's land was trespassed upon was just a few weeks ago.

"It was dusky dark, but they had their lights on," he said. "That makes you think that when someone comes home and gets off work, they go ride. There's usually three or four together."

Burton has had to take action into his own hands to attempt to keep trespassers off his land. Signs, fencing and cables have not managed to get the job done, he said.

"My son lives back on the land and I know he tries to catch 'em and run 'em off, but they're hard to catch," he said. "He goes after them with his truck, and they go where he can't go."

According to Emory, his agency has enlisted the help of other state authorities to assist in catching trespassers.

"In cooperation with the Delaware State Police, we're trying to stop this," he said. "We've had them up there with their helicopters looking for trespassers. Lots of times, there's other ways to get out of (the areas they're in). There's not just one, so it's kind of hard to catch them."

Burton fears there is little the authorities can do to prevent the onslaught of all-terrain vehicles on his property.

"They couldn't do much, I'd imagine," he said. "They wouldn't sit back there and look for them."

While Burton has identified several of the individuals trespassing on his land and even spoken to the parents of the riders, not much has come of it. For now, Burton said he will stand by and watch the four-wheelers tear up the property that he has called home for 30 years.

"They're everywhere," he said. "Any man who's got land has got a four-wheeler problem."

McGee has seen his problem with invasive four-wheelers on his parent's land dwindle, but trespassers still find their way onto the farm. While they may try to cover up the fact that they've been in their fields, McGee said he and his family don't need to catch people on their land to know they're there.

"They may try to hide it if they've been out there, but we'll find out eventually," he said. "It's still Sussex County."

By: By Andrew Ostroski
Staff Writer
http://www.dailytimesonline.com/

Rural Roots: Work and play

this story dedicated to ATV TIRES"And this just in ...” That’s what we used to say when the news guy raced into the radio studio with some fast-breaking story. So, what is “just in” at Casa Jones? A quad, an ATV a.k.a. All-terrain vehicle, that’s what. I’m now “quadified” to join the ranks of the many rural rooters who own such a beast for pleasure or work.

I think that most quad owners purchased these four-wheeled motorcycles for fun. This latest addition to the farm machinery assemblage is for work (or, that’s what I told Laura, my wife).

Why a quad? After having to sell an old, small tractor - a 1946 Ford 9N - mainly because the creature was a stubborn, tired thing requiring more mechanical know-how than I possess, I no longer had a handy machine for harrowing (making the surface smooth for the horses) the indoor riding arena. My diesel tractor, Big Red, is just too big and awkward for finessing any corner in the arena or the tight squeezes between trees on our trail system.

Little Red is our riding lawn mower that I used to drag the small, tined harrow around the arena without bashing into the walls as I have with its larger partner; but Little Red is a lawn mower, for Heaven’s sake, and is no good on the trails. It is too slow and too low to the ground. Enter the quad.

I’ve wanted something like the quad for some time. The machine is easy to drive, requires minimal maintenance, is high off the ground, has four-wheel drive, is light since the big tires require only a small amount of air pressure (makes it very bouncy if one is foolish enough to aim for speed over safety), easily clambers over most obstacles, within reason, and, if not respected, is dangerous as hell. Okay, and it’s fun, too. My farmer’s version of a mid-life crisis sports car (except its green, not red).

A few weeks ago, the door opened to allow us to buy a good, used machine. I soon discovered that this quad can really move! It has two forward gears: high and low. I tried high on our laneway and, after braking at the end of the drive, sat panting while the machine idled, trying to lower the beating of my heart. Wow! Scary!

A good friend who also happens to be an OPP constable, advised me to be very careful driving the quad since many accidents have occurred causing permanent maiming or death. You whip along at this speed, hit a bump and because of the low air pressure in the tires, you could easily lose control and then what? The lower gear affords much better control.

So the new mechanical addition to our farm will make farm chores easier. I’ve read the books on safe ATV driving; I’m feeling more confident about operating Ye Quad.

Of course my eight-year-old son, Doug, was thrilled at the prospect of us owning such a cool toy. I took him for a drive in the lower gear to the end of our driveway/lane.

He had on my helmet and goggles that don’t cover the face. When we tootled to the end and back, he announced that his face was cold. Did he want me to take him to a pro shop and get outfitted with a proper sized helmet?

No, he said, he didn’t care if he rode behind me on the quad any time soon. He didn’t like getting face-icles. Good thing I have a beard.

By: Fred Jones

Group launches ATV site

PARKERSBURG —Five months after launching an ATV product review Web site, a trio of Parkersburg men are attracting some attention.

In October 2007, a small group of friends — all ATV enthusiasts — came up with the idea to create a product review Web site for ATVs.

The idea sprang to life after some bad luck with poor equipment.

“When you start buying parts, tires, wheels, skid plates some of the products we were buying were inferior,” said Justin Lowers. “We thought it would be a good idea to give people out there wanting to spend money a non-biased review.

“If you buy a set of tires, you want a set that is going to do what it’s advertised to do.”

ATVtorture.com was born.

The site is devoted to the test and review of “after-market” ATV parts, such as tires, air cleaners, GPS systems, air boxes and skid plates. Lowers and friends Shawn Lauderman, Gary Bradley and Nick Stewart all field test products and post the reviews, complete with photos and video, on the Web site. The ATV Torture crew does it all in its spare time.

The group also has several videos of their rides posted on YouTube.com.

The Web site has a forum where fellow enthusiasts can discuss products. Bradley, who is primarily responsible for the Web site, said they are trying add more ATV news and information.

“Basically, we are providing a product review Web site mainly composed of private reviews,” he said. “Everything we are doing on this site is trying to be positive to the ATV community.”

Lowers said the field tests are nothing to scoff at. The riders usually plan a weekend trip for field tests. On a typical day the ATVers log anywhere from 100 to 125 miles. Lowers said the Torture review crew does most of its riding in southern West Virginia. They prefer the Hatfield and McCoy system. Their last ride was on the Coal Run trail system, near Cross Lanes.

Each rider will have one or two of the new products installed on his machine to field test.

“We install them on our quads and go out and beat them to death,” Lowers said.

Bradley said when the site was first launched, the group made cold calls to companies fishing for products.

“We told them who we were, what we planned to do and basically asked them if we could review some of their products.”

Lowers said it wasn’t long before companies were contacting them to inquire about potential product reviews. Because of the number of inquiries the group is receiving, Bradley said they are looking to expand the review crew. They recently added local Jerry Barnes to the fold.

“There are a lot of riders,” Bradley said, “but it is tough to find die-hard enthusiasts.”

In addition to the Wood County gang, ATV Torture has three additional equipment critics, one in Massachusetts, one in Georgia and another in Iowa. Lowers said the ability to add reviewers from all over the country can only add to the site’s credibility.

“The riding terrain we have here isn’t the same as it is up north or in Virginia or Utah,” he said. “We are getting bigger and getting people to review more products.”

By JODY MURPHY

ITP All new Quadcross mx pro tire

ATV motocross racers will be interested to learn that ITP has unveiled the new QuadCross MX PRO tire line. The QuadCross MX PRO has been tested and developed with the assistance of several factory teams and riders, including Team Yamaha’s Pat Brown, Team Kawasaki’s Josh Creamer and Keith Little, and Team Can-Am’s John Natalie and Cody Miller. The QuadCross MX PRO has already been a big winner, as Brown rode this tire to the 2007 Steel City AMA Pro Open Championship.


For 2008, the new QuadCross MX PRO has undergone several construction updates that have resulted in significantly better performance than the original QuadCross MX tire on hard-packed, blue-groove type motocross tracks.

Key to this improvement is a scientifically advanced rubber compound that’s been specially formulated to find traction on the slickest of surfaces for excellent acceleration and braking characteristics. Considerable laboratory time was invested to make this compound possible, with extensive field testing backing up the results.

A revised shoulder profile greatly improves cornering predictability and side bite as well, for unmatched cornering performance. The front QuadCross MX PRO uses a dual-ribbed dimpled knob pattern that steers precisely with a very light feel and reduced lateral roll.

The ITP QuadCross MX PRO is available in front 20x6-10 and rear 18x10-8 sizing. Light, fast and surprisingly durable, it’s the edge every ATV racer is looking for! And we mean every racer! This is not a limited-production tire available to only select riders at national events. At ITP, we race what we sell, and sell what we race. The QuadCross MX PRO will be found at every ITP dealer in the country!
Since 1982, ITP has grown into the world's #1 ATV aftermarket tire and wheel source, and continues to provide a complete line of innovative tires and wheel for virtually all ATVs and UTVs. To order, contact your favorite distributor. For a copy of ITP’s full-color product catalog, call toll-free: 1-800-859-4740. For other inquiries or technical advice, contact ITP at 930-A S. Rockefeller Ave., Ontario, CA 91761; (909) 390-1905. Or visit ITP’s website at www.itptires.com.
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