Boating the distant past (40 years and older)

[76 Hondo]

Rated X showed up at Water Wheel in the 70’s had broke or put on the trailer after the first round in Phoenix, guys I knew were familiar with the crew and driver Dave G. Someone in that bunch decided to fire that up at 2:00 AM every kid and dog in camp was crying, I was sicker that shit sleeping on a banana chair, if there weren’t so many of us trying to kill them, and just as many saying it’s cool it’s the River!

 

[Sharp Shooter]

"Larry Dahlhoff built the motor for Tom Merrill's S9. It was the first blown gas motor Larry built and put Motor Magic Racing Engines on the map for high performance ski boat motors."


That's interesting Tim!

 

[Sharp Shooter]

1978

 

[Clank123]

 

[TonyFanelli]

 

[74 spectra20 v-drive]

Grew up with Brad skis. Thought he was a local legend on the same level as Chuck Sterns. I was pretty young though, early teens when I got my first Brad. It was a old demo. Still have my 3rd and last Brad, its at the river house. Getting down Xmas decorations last month I also dug out a box I knew had mine and dads old car club shirts/jackets and also had this Tee shirt that I got I believe in 1970. It was too big then, I was 14, but now even after a quick wash and 53 years later, it fits! haha

Didn't know that Brad started out building surfboards. My neighbor is a retired Torrance cop, an old surfer that still shapes blanks and hung out with all this south bay guys and he told me about Brad. Be cool to find one of those.

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That add with the tiny ski in Brads hand makes more sense if you ever shook the mans hand, he was a big dude, not fat just big, had huge hands. We had a bunch of Brad skis in our group, I inherited one and then got a new one for a graduation present! I think I have 10 or 12 now and all my kids and son in law ski on Brads. Do you remeber the Glad handles he sold, really nice double handles felt great in the hand, I bought a bunch from him when he was in Cerritos and my wifes brother found a bunch on ebay for me. I think I may have 25 sets of handles. Great guy made a beautiful ski.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

 

[Markus]

That kneeboard screams nosedive face first into water. Yeh had one and went back to single ski real fast.

So did we.

In Swedish waters, kneeboarding was cold as h*ll as well, with water constantly splashing over your legs.

 

[Markus]

Great thread, by the way!

The California boating scene is like some kind of forgotten branch on the evolutionary tree of boating that needs to be protected from complete extinction.

I looked at the jet boats at Camp Far West the other day. That's also a way of doing it.

 

[QC22]

My first river trip was to Willow Valley Easter of '74. 14 years old. We camped on the beach maybe a mile upriver of the marina. There were two boats, both pretty new. 18' Horizon which I'll never forget. 455 Olds and Berkley pump, over the transom headers. Burned my arm. The other I couldn't quite remember until this thread. It was a 19' Kona, and I loved the enclosed engine with a glass hatch. Maybe because of the burns, but I think it just looked so cool. The ad above filled in the blank. Thanks. Great thread!

BTW, a Havasu local has a pretty clean Horizon '18 that I saw in the channel this year. I still love the almost dish shape although it has aged a lot. The Kona still looks cool to me.

 

[old rigger]

That add with the tiny ski in Brads hand makes more sense if you ever shook the mans hand, he was a big dude, not fat just big, had huge hands. We had a bunch of Brad skis in our group, I inherited one and then got a new one for a graduation present! I think I have 10 or 12 now and all my kids and son in law ski on Brads. Do you remeber the Glad handles he sold, really nice double handles felt great in the hand, I bought a bunch from him when he was in Cerritos and my wifes brother found a bunch on ebay for me. I think I may have 25 sets of handles. Great guy made a beautiful ski. View attachment 1319900 View attachment 1319901

Nice collection!
Old Paramount friend of mine was a wood worker, retired now, he had a cabinet shop but he also had a Woodie shop. He taught Doug Carr, who's Wood N Carr shop was up on Signal Hill, how to work with wood and he also taught Brad the same.
From that first Brad ski I just loved the look of wood skis no matter the brand. Still like it to this day and while not on the same level as bending up a ski, they're fun to make. I do small batches every now and then and give them away.

 

[old rigger]

My first river trip was to Willow Valley Easter of '74. 14 years old. We camped on the beach maybe a mile upriver of the marina. There were two boats, both pretty new. 18' Horizon which I'll never forget. 455 Olds and Berkley pump, over the transom headers. Burned my arm. The other I couldn't quite remember until this thread. It was a 19' Kona, and I loved the enclosed engine with a glass hatch. Maybe because of the burns, but I think it just looked so cool. The ad above filled in the blank. Thanks. Great thread!

BTW, a Havasu local has a pretty clean Horizon '18 that I saw in the channel this year. I still love the almost dish shape although it has aged a lot. The Kona still looks cool to me.

I always like that 19 Bubble Kona too.

 

[Clank123]

 

[Taboma]

The Catalina ski race was still mostly flat bottom boats in 1969.

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1978
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1979

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Read these articles on the CSR was very cool, and stirred up memories from my dad racing it in the mid 50's. I was just a young boy running around playing in the sand waiting for their return, but I'll never forget being awakened in the early dark hours, then setting off, boat in tow from Tustin to Long Beach as excited as any youngster could be. That event was a really big deal for us annually.
Dad and his buddy would pull a chosen skier all summer at Lake Arrowhead training, training, and more conditioning. The skier I recall most vividly was the "Hot Shot" from France. Sadly, all the 8MM movies and stills were lost in the fire, I'd have gladly donated them to the Long Beach ski club as it seems their records were also destroyed.
This Frenchy who was self-promoted to be so good, ended up a dud. About half way back on the return leg, conditions were nasty and he fell for the third time.
Wanted to be brought into the boat, claiming he was to tired to continue.
After scolding the French skier for him having wasted their entire summer training his sorry ass, Dad presented him with TWO choices.

# One --- he Swims back to Long Beach, because he wasn't getting back into the boat.
# Two --- He man's up, picks up the handles and skis back, tired or not. He wisely chose this option and didn't fall again, out of fear I suspect.

The boat they'd race in the CSR was just like this one, except the bleached mahogany was a center racing stripe, not the entire deck. The Boat's name was --- you guessed it, TABOMA If I recall, the trophy I had was from a 2nd place finish in the 1956 CSR, but I can't recall the Men's class, or if it was overall.
Trivia -- same boat dad got Johnny Carson up on doubles behind, breaks my heart to have also lost that 8MM movie too.

In the CSR article above, there's a young woman's name referenced who's well known to another of RDP's very well known and highly regarded prestigious members.
Reading her name reminded me of a 2011 RDP thread in which several of us were reminiscing vintage ski racing and she joined RDP to drop in as a real fun surprise guest.
In subsequent posts and later PM's, I discovered she'd married another Arrowhead ski racer who had been a friend and neighbor. 2011, hard for me to believe it was that many years ago already.

Anyway, thanks Sharp Shooter, very cool and enjoyable thread.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

 

[old rigger]

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Jerry, I think have 90% of the mags and boating ads that you post but I still go through each of those posts because they're so much damn fun. Brings back a crazy amount of memories too, but this ad has 2 boats I've never seen or heard of...The Thunderball 19 and the last pic of the Cat made in Japan. I like that cat, reminds me a little when we tooled up the first Party Cat at Advantage. And by the first I also mean industry first.

Thanks!

 

[Roosky01]

Man, there is some
Cool history in this thread!!

But for me, the motha fuckin godfather of offshore will Always be the shit.

Love your post, Tank! This guy is the shit to me as well. A true badass that loved to boat to! I'm sure somebody on here has a story to share about Red?

I wonder where all of his boats are now?

 

[Clank123]

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Jerry, I think have 90% of the mags and boating ads that you post but I still go through each of those posts because they're so much damn fun. Brings back a crazy amount of memories too, but this ad has 2 boats I've never seen or heard of...The Thunderball 19 and the last pic of the Cat made in Japan. I like that cat, reminds me a little when we tooled up the first Party Cat at Advantage. And by the first I also mean industry first.

Thanks!

This is what I'm workin with and this pic is 10 years old so the stash has grown.

 

[Sharp Shooter]

 

[old rigger]

This is what I'm workin with and this pic is 10 years old so the stash has grown.

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I take that back, I have maybe 25%!

 

[Clank123]

 

[pixrthis]

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Tell me this boat wasn’t ahead of its time.

 

[LazyLavey]

Amazing how many performance boat manufactures and performance parts suppliers were based in the So Ca/L.A. area

Gone

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Tell me this boat wasn’t ahead of its time.

I think it was built as a test mule for outboard motors….?

 

[Sharp Shooter]

Amazing how many performance boat manufactures and performance parts suppliers were based in the So Ca/L.A. area

Gone

The flat bottom v-drive and jet movement was mostly Socal with Joe Mandela and Rudy Ramos really kicking things off.

The complete list of those who pioneered Hot Rod boating is lengthy.

 

[Orange Juice]

Seats 5 comfortably.

 

[Clank123]

 

[Sharp Shooter]

 

[old rigger]

I think it was built as a test mule for outboard motors….?

I did a quick search and Yamaha in the late 50s decided, because of an interest in fiberglass bows, they wanted to build boats. The pic of that 21 Cat was taken at the Chicago boat show in 1960.
Surprisingly very little info on the Yamaha site.

I bet Bob, @twocents , would know the skinny on these early Yamaha's.

Our Stories：06 Developing Boats Made from New FRP Materials and Expanding the Marine Products Business Business - Yamaha Motor History | Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

View Yamaha Motor’s history through pictures and stories.

global.yamaha-motor.com

Also found this old ad calling it a 24 now...

I like this little 13 ...alot

 

[Clank123]

 

[Markus]

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what happened to Nordskog?

they were selling GPS speedos this millennium

 

[mobldj]

for us old fucks,who remembers the tv adds for bill hunter boats ?

 

[Taboma]

I did a quick search and Yamaha in the late 50s decided, because of an interest in fiberglass bows, they wanted to build boats. The pic of that 21 Cat was taken at the Chicago boat show in 1960.
Surprisingly very little info on the Yamaha site.

I bet Bob, @twocents , would know the skinny on these early Yamaha's.

Our Stories：06 Developing Boats Made from New FRP Materials and Expanding the Marine Products Business Business - Yamaha Motor History | Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd.

View Yamaha Motor’s history through pictures and stories.

global.yamaha-motor.com

Also found this old ad calling it a 24 now...
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I like this little 13 ...alot
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Bob's out boating.

 

[Taboma]

Who remembers the glorious 'Jet Boat' era in Orange County. You could pay a reputable builder a hefty draw, and return a couple of weeks later to find that the business had vanished, but not to worry, another one was right there to take your money.

 

[The Prisoner]

I just found this picture. Early 90’s Havasu. My mom and me and 40 pounds heavier not 40 years ago but 40 pounds

 

[LazyLavey]

 

[Sharp Shooter]

 

[bagged97taco]

I’ll take all the Hutchison big blocks for 5k please!

 

[HighVoltage329]

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Love the early ski racing Pic at Clearlake!

 

[Sharp Shooter]

 

[Clank123]

 

[Sharp Shooter]

 

[Taboma]

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That "Finish Line Engineering" wasn't that the now deceased RDP member AZGeorge ? Or his father ?

 

[Dkahnjob]

That "Finish Line Engineering" wasn't that the now deceased RDP member AZGeorge ? Or his father ?

And before that it was started by Leonard Fulkerson, in Van Nuys, next door to Denny Nish Boat Interiors.

 

[Clank123]

 

[pixrthis]

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Having grown up at Pine Flat I’m a sucker for a Sanger with an original paint job.

 

[Clank123]

 

[dave29]

How about older than 40 years. Earliest picture is outboard at Bass Lake 1965. Newest is Campbell early 80's.

 

[rrrr]

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Isn't that Suzanne Sommers?