In 2001, a bunch of riders from Northern California wanted to hook up with a bunch of riders from Southern California. It started out with a handful of people wanting to meet at a lake, ride and hang out all weekend. The outcome however was much bigger than we had all anticipated, with hundreds of attendees. What began as an idea has blossomed into a full blown event dubbed the West Side Spring Ride!
Now it’s March 2003, and the time is nearing for the 3rd Annual Westside Spring Ride. This year's event is going to be held at Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area, approximately 25 miles southwest of Bakersfield, California, on April 25th thru April 27th.
Buena Vista is a manmade site, completed in April of 1973, consisting of 2 lakes and took 43 days to fill both Lake Evans and the much larger Lake Webb with over 2,300,000,000 gallons (or 6,800 acre feet) of water. Amenities include several attractive installations of children's play equipment, two concession buildings, picnic areas, along with three boat launching ramps and an RV dump station.
Lake Webb is an elongated shape of 873 acres for boating, jet skiing and fishing, as well as an additional 125 acres for jet skiing (max. speed 45 mph). Projecting midway into the lake, a horseshoe shaped spit of land contains 112 campsites in a double row. To maintain the landscaping through the dry season, a sprinkler system operates, requiring campers to place their things in designated spots. Lake Evans at 86 acres is the place for the more serene pursuits of sailing, fishing, and boating at no more than 5 mph. Jet skiing (max.35 jet skis) is authorized during busy summer months.
There will be sponsors handing out swag and gift certificates. There will also be new boards for people to demo, for those looking to replace their current setup. Some of the sponsors that will be participating are;
This event isn’t just about riding, it's about wakeboarders meeting other wakeboarders. A chance for people of all ages to hook up with old friends and to make new ones. For those people that we “talk” to on message boards, this is your chance to put a face to the name. People are venturing from all over the west coast including, California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona and even Texas. This isn’t just another event, this is the West Side Spring Ride, an event for everyone that can make it.
Let’s kick off the season the right way, with some riding, socializing, and purely, simply having some fun! See you there!