mel riggs
 

looking for a phone #. anyone?
thanks todd

Re: mel riggs
 

920 872 2728..................

Re: mel riggs
 

thankyou
todd

Re: mel riggs
 

Re: mel riggs
 

THE REAL GODFATHER OF OFFSHORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!magnum mark............

Re: mel riggs
 

hey Indio what are you doing on line?? you have a plain to catch ............ ;)

Re: mel riggs
 

no problem I am wearing my PF flyers......................m.m.........









p

Re: mel riggs
 

Amen brother!!!!

Here is a photo of Mel on the left with Dennis Weaver of Gunsmoke fame in the middle and Odell Lewis on the right.

Between Odell and Mel, they won just about everythng out there...Miami - Nassau, Bahamas 500, Key West...etc, etc.

He was one of the very best that ever got in an offshore boat.

The second photo show Mel and Odell in separate boats finishing that close after 250 miles of racing.

Re: mel riggs
 

the good ol days :rolleyes: wish i was around

jr mike

Re: mel riggs
 

Ha!! now Mel looks thru a big magnifying glass when reading the bills due :drink:

That's a great pic.

Re: mel riggs
 

Much in the same manner as you when you are ''pleasuring yourself''. :D

Re: mel riggs
 

mel used to be a wrestler, and odell used to wrestle alligators........some crew........proud to say mel and me go back 35 years.............one of the few guys who give boating a good name!........mark..

Re: mel riggs
 

Mel rocks!!! They are one of the best in the area...

Re: mel riggs
 

In the world dude...not just the area!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.........

Re: mel riggs
 

all i can say is. great guy. my drive got to him at noon today. he called me at 5:00 pm said it will be done in 1/2 hour ready to ship on wednesday. thankyou mel great service.
todd
ps: thankyou phil lipship for the name drop!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: mel riggs
 

Can I ask what the name of his company is?............he's not far from me.

Re: mel riggs
 

Riggs Marine, El Dorado, WI. Mel is one of my all-time favorite characters.....

Re: mel riggs
 

On a farm just west of Fondulac....theres stinky cows in the neighborhood

Re: mel riggs
 

That's the smell of money... :D :D :D :D

Re: mel riggs
 

the smell of money you save doing business with him......9 acres of pure boating pleasure.definitly worth the trip to meet theese folks...........a real American family business...........Mel his lovely wife and daughter and three sons really are living the dream..........for the record he worked and raced for Carl Kiekhiffer the fonder of Mercury.....................m.m..........p.s...... he has my 800sc mercs all rebuilt and ready to go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.............mark.

Re: mel riggs
 

You're gonna be running the 800's this year?
When's the swap out?

Re: mel riggs
 

No way with the price of gas I like the n/a power............m.m.....

Re: mel riggs
 

And if your ever up there make sure you have Mel tell you the story about kicking Reggie Fountain off the seawall at Lake X and not letting him get out of the water.

Re: mel riggs
 

Another thing about Mel...... In 1966, I injured my ankles badly in the Sam Griffith Race (2 Finishers out of 60 boats). Up to that point, everyone just stood behind the wheel or the chicken bars and held on for dear life. I designed, and Biltrite built the first racing bolster cockpit. I couldn't race otherwise. When we showed up athe Dupont Plaza hotel for inspection for the Key West Race in the fully bolstered 'Donzi Blue Devil', most of the guys jumped in, felt the security and jumped out. Next race, every boat had a bolster cockpit except one....... 'Mona Lou', with Mel and Odell Lewis. Tough mothers. They never ever put one in, and they called me the "p" word every time they saw me.....

Re: mel riggs
 

Builtrite manuf............roy and john homan...........cool guys.........Brownie you are showing your age.............mona lou is a police boat now......m.m....

Re: mel riggs
 

I know somebody else with initials.............MM..........later...........p .s.....have a good....day

http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...ntown42/MM.jpg


http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...42/MrMagoo.jpg


http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a2...n42/smiley.gif

Re: mel riggs
 

I store my Magnum in Fond du Lac at a buddies house.......I must drive right by his farm on the way there.

Should I stop by next time?........would he like to see an old 27 Sport?

Re: mel riggs
 

Mel will "tell you like it is".

He may slip in a few colorful words along the way.

Great guy - great crew.

Re: mel riggs
 

When I moved up to race in Open Class......all the hot set-ups were using Kiekhaefer trim tabs. Mel built me a set of tabs that were lighter, stronger and trouble free. The guy knows his stuff when it comes to offshore.

Here is photo of him in his younger days.

Re: mel riggs
 

Hey Brownie:
who were the 2 finishers in that 66 Griffith race and why did only 2 make it.

Re: mel riggs
 

I have a picture somewhere of 2 28' raceboats on the side of a wave, one running along the crest, the other running parallel, but lower on the wave. They are 50' apart, and the wave is wider (not taller) than that. The wave was on the last reef, just seaward of Fowey Light, off Key Biscayne. That was the last race before the smallcraft warning rule. The finishers were Jim Wynne in the turbine Maritime, and Jerry Langer (Official winner) in a 20' Outboard. I was driving Billy Wishnick's 'Broad Jumper' a 28' Donzi. Bobby Moore and I were in the engine room just before the start, and I got some oil on my sneaks. The first big wave, we stood it up, and my feet slipped out from under me. I hit on my knees, with my fat ass coming down fast. My butt hit my heels, and flattened them to the floor. Talk about hurt!!!

Re: mel riggs
 

Sure he would, just get off at the dirty book store exit and don't bother him at lunchtime 12-1 :evilb:


BROWNIE:: is Jim Wynne the designer that did some hulls for Cruisers Inc in Oconto WI?

Re: mel riggs
 

Yep

Re: mel riggs
 

Almost every race Mel was racing in for Mercury, Carl Keikhafer told him to come in a close second so he would not offend people buying Carl's engines. That is straight from the horse's mouth. You can imagine the stories Mel has, I have been so fortunate to have been able to ilsten many times to him reminise. For some really good stories, you have to talk with his son Tracy Riggs. They are a class act family from Eldarado Wisconsin

MEL RIGGS : THE GODFATHER OF ELDARADO

Re: mel riggs
 

Hi Brownie -

How is your book coming?

Thanks, Barry

Re: mel riggs
 

For a guy in the boat biz this incredably positive!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!mark........p.s..Mindy I hope you show this to the old man..................p.s.....Vermox rocks.............m.m...