35 Years ago today
 

The powerboat community lost a legend. Crack one open for Don today gang and watch some old reels and enjoy his legacy!

It wouldn’t have been the same without him. He certainly got our passion started and gave it the legs to be where it is today. Center consoles and outboards. I mean deep v and big blocks. It’s sad to see it really fall like it has. These milenials are ruining are cool cars and boats. Being Don back to give them the what for.

Really? Millennials are buying the CCs and outboard cats like hot cakes? Can’t even make out that last sentence

Pretty sure millennials are living with mom and dad still, spending their money on starbucks and video games.

Is this really going to turn into boomer vs millennial vs gen x? In the words of r lee ermy.... You're all equally worthless.

I'd rather see some fun old stories on Don and the awesome stuff he brought us.

I can’t imagine a more colorful, larger than life personality, to promote the go fast life style.

Hard to even comprehend what our sport/hobby would look like w/o his involvement.

I laughed when I was recently going through some old boat magazines and saw a reply from Don in regards to moving offshore to inshore (I had no idea that argument was that old!) and he laughed at them and said it basically made it a sport for sissies!!

Dont ask him the question if you’re afraid of the answer 😂
Classic Don A.

What were some good books to read about the time period? I know there is one out there but it's like $400 on eBay or something.

Would boats have gotten faster and bigger if he hadn't have been around? Probably, because people can't leave things alone so bigger and faster would have evolved. What he did give us was faster and bigger in a very stylish way, so that everyone had to have what he was selling to be the next coolest person on the block. Very creative mind with niche for business that set a path forward for the things we love about the boating world. I would have loved to see what direction he would've taken his business in his later years if he would've been alive.

It was a joke. My opinion. I like many center consoles but it’s a shame that many good companies went under and others don’t even make a performance boat in the classic style. Don’t think it would have been Don’s vision but what the hell do I know. Sorry i offended you not my intention. A shame we can’t communicate with each other without the vitriol. I don’t have good eyesight shoot me. A blind opinionated unrepentive deep vee performance boater. Though I have graduated to steps. 😂

He certainly was a driving force in the advancement and evolution of the performance boating as we know it. I've read everything I could find about his life. What I found most interesting was his connections to NJ organized crime, the drug smugglers of the day, George Bush Sr and most notably Meyer Lansky. Many theories exist on who shot him and why. What is undistributed was his willingness to push his professional, personal and racing life to the absolute edge. In many cases with little regard for personal preservation. The drive that made him a champion required taking risks not many people would be willing to take. It;s definitely sad he is gone but I think his life is a true example of what can happen if you run WOT for extended periods of time.