Having a family lake house on the main channel at LOTO since 1983, I saw the progression of performance boats on the lake. My family always had runabouts, but I knew I'd need a performance boat eventually. Had friends with them and finally picked up my own in 2008. Been enjoying the performance boat world and playing sponge learning about everything out there since then. Good times! :)

Little guy- 4-5 years old. My Dad had the fastest boat on Bangs Lake in Wauconda Ill. Don't remember the make, but it was probably 16-17 feet, had a 85HP Merc. Would run 45-50. It was an all-white boat named Casper

It started for me when I was about 10 years old. My family was vacationing on Indian Rocks Beach in the Clearwater area with the ICW across the street. I spent many days fishing off the small dock on the ICW and would see and HEAR the boats going by. I even remember the particuliar boat named "Intimidator" set the hook in me! Everytime that boat would run past me it had the sticks pushed to the bow and was L-O-U-D!!!

Growing up my dad had Bajas, and a 30 Velocity. We spent every weekend at Buckeye Lake. I had jet skis and a four winns 190 in High School / college, and would load a few chicks in my teal astro conversion van and head to the lake right after school. Funny how cool a van with a power folding rear bed becomes when you hook jet skis or a boat to the back :evilb: I missed the offshore boats, and the 24 Cig was my first performance boat. My wife loves the boat as much as I do, it's pretty much the only hard core common interest we have.

Had small fishing boats when I was a kid, loved to drive them when my Dad would let me. Always drove them wide open. I've always been a speed freak. Like everyone else my age, saw Miami Vice and wanted one just like that (and the car, and the Bren, and the clothes, and...) Bought a Yamaha on a whim at Havasu when the dealer let me drive his demo. 19', 310hp, throttles might as well have been on/off switches as those waverunner motors had no mid-range umph. Then I ran into this intern at work. He had a plane the same make as I did, and he had this "Cigarette" sticker over his desk. He also liked the same brand of cars... Did a great job and he got hired full time. Every month I was back at the main office I'd see his damn boat sticker and when I get home I'd talk to the wife about getting one. She always had some excuse for us to not have a boat. Then I got divorced, so the impediment to the boat was gone. Sold the house, moved next to a marina, and kept talking to the guy with the Cigarette every month. Next thing I know, I'm calling and texting him for advice, and BAM, title to the Formula in my hand.

So in the end, it's all Artie's fault!

Thanks bud!

Anytime! I love contributing to the delinquency of my friends!

...and thank you for the kind words. We missed you in Miami! You need to come do some Lake Erie boating, and I need to enjoy a cocktail on the way to Catalina :coolcowboy:

We will come out for a weekend to the Lake. And anytime you're on the west coast, the fridge in the boat is always stocked.

Gonna be at KOAK March 6th... so close, yet so far away!

SWA has a ton of non-stops to KSNA. I can pick you up!

Like many here, I have always been a speed freak, watched Miami Vice (still might sometimes:whistle:) but here are a few times my disease worsened:lolhit: First time on the water was at 5 or 6 yrs old starting on my great grandparents pontoon. But the go-fast bug came from Crazy Dave on Okauchee Lake and his Apache. Talk about LOUD and he had to watch out for the lake speed limit. What? As a kind in dad's 180 sea ray bowrider speed limits were not a concern. Few years later as a teen we're staying in Racine on the 370 and a brand new Apache was heading out, full head dress on the boat and they were putting on headsets!!! Just like one I had read about in a powerboat mag. Followed them out in the quicksilver rib w 15 merc, watched that Apache take off and...well....you know:evilb: Years after that up here at the Sturgeon Bay Poker Run I saw a catamaran with custom engines and all kinds or rumors, heard she outran the heli used for the radar run etc and remember one of the guys involved in the project, Mark Bentley. When I found the Sonic through Mark I told him that for years I had been dreaming of the opportunity to talk to him about a boat of my own, that was an unforgettable experience a real dream come true.

We love our boat, we love go-fasts and all that comes with it. Danielle loves it just as much as me. Hell we just showed the hot for teacher idle vid to my dad at work today and all shared a good smile at the power and fun that is go-fasts and boating in general. I am hooked so bad he asked about my car projects and I said not sure, but have considered selling both of the car projects for some blower whine of our own:poopoo: The freedom of the boat I have not found anywhere else. I love the track, but even that is not the same level of FREEDOM. Go anywhere at any speed at anytime. Where else can you get that?!