velocitoy

Due to all the "events" of the last couple days, I think it's time for some levity. When my son (13) and I travel back & forth most weekends, (lake in summer/Loon mtn winter), since he was very young he would want me to tell him stories about the things I did as a kid. Boat stories in summer, ski stories in winter. So, what I want you to do is tell a boat story. A harrowing day on the water, a near miss, a funny tale , etc... In other words any story where there is no death or permanent injury is fair game... HEY JEN,are you listening? You know your turn buoy incident would be considered a "BOAT STORY".... Read these and laugh!!!........I suppose I should go first..........When i was around 14/15/16/17, there were a bunch of us that would waterski together. When there was to be a ski show,most of us would be involved in it in some way. In those days you had to manually wet down the jump ramp with buckets of water. We all had seen a film about Cyprus Gardens, it was an eye opener. In one scene it showed the ski boat go straight at the ramp at 45 mph and do 1/2 a powerslide and the spray from the boat would wet the ramp... it was soooo cooool!!!! One of the guys in the ski club had a 16' Century Resorter(1963).... He was a nice enough guy but he was VERY conceited...He was a guy you loved to hate...WELL...he was convinced he could master that move for the next ski show...Damned if he didn't do just that....Sooo, at the next show he was going to WOW the crowd with his new stunt in his FATHER's boat... Soooooooo, it's time for the jumping portion of the show & the announcer is really talking this up ....He starts waay deep in the bay & gets a full head of steam... goes straight for the ramp @ 45mph, cuts the wheel to the right, pulls the throttle back, doesn't get back on the throttle like he's supposed to and procedes to slide sideways up the ramp, goes off the top and actually lands right side up!!!!!! He did rip the propshaft & rudder off in the process....His father was not a happy man...Luckily all of us kept the boat from sinking and got it to shallow water....Even the grownups thought it couldn't have happened to a more deserving individual....From that time on, whenever he would get a little too full of himself we would remind him of his "launch of the CENTURY" !!!!!!!!! NOW: LET'S HEAR YOUR STORIES

mopower

That will be a tough act to follow

X-Rated30

Drag boat races. Local hero (?) Mike Battaglia (AKA "Mad Mike") makes good.

He is racing a faster boat in the finals in Waco. He has been running good all day, but mechanic tells him it will never hold together for another pass. He goes out anyway.

X-Rated30

As he crosses the finish line (in the lead), the motor goes. First the oil and fuel ignite...

X-Rated30

... then the batteries.

As the story goes, the other guy challenged the win. He got off the stretcher at the chopper, and went to give them the bat.

He lived if you hear him tell it. I drank a few beers with him tonight.

Anybody out there remember this guy? He is truly a nut.


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X-Rated30

BTW -- Doesn't nitro-methane make a pretty fireball???