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Member Spotlight
by Published on 05-02-2022 12:09 AMCategories:
Lost one of my best friends Sunday, someone whom many of you also knew as a good friend. Tracy "Wrinkleface" Nemecek passed away Sunday afternoon after a few days in the hospital. He had fallen and hit his head hard. It caused internal hemorrhaging, which they could not correct in time. I had just spoken with him a couple days before the accident. I am sure gonna miss the crazy guy, as many of you will also. I'm putting up some pictures of different times in his life that we had the opportunity to share. I hope all of you add thoughts and pictures.
Tracy and Connie's Nor-Tech 47 with twin Ilmor's
Way back, even though we had chatted on-line on Offshore Only, then on Serious Offshore after we started ...by Published on 02-09-2019 06:44 PM Number of Views: 18050Categories:
In just a few short days, the Grand Rapids Boat Show will kick off at the DeVos Place in downtown Grand Rapids.
One of the special events that will take place at the Boat Show is the opportunity to win an Offshore Powerboat Adventure Ride! Everyone 18 years of age or older will be able to sign up to win an Offshore Powerboat Adventure Ride with a member of the West Michigan Offshore Powerboat Club*. The winner will get to take up to 2 people (ages 12 and up) on the Adventure Ride.
The event will showcase two of the West Michigan Offshore member’s boats. Brian Hartman’s ...by Published on 05-30-2016 09:14 PM Number of Views: 20144
“Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence”. Vince Lombardi
Boyne Thunder 2014
When Skater Powerboats started the build of the 46’ Race/Pleasure “GOTCHA NOW” back in 2013 they knew they had an owner who was always in search of perfection. He wouldn’t even consider ever letting the boat be used in salt water. The boat was built with Mercury Racing 1350’s, M8 drives, and had every aspect of the build sweated to the smallest detail. When the pursuit of perfection was completed, Lombardi would certainly agree excellence had certainly been caught. But, when a person driven towards perfection gets ...by Published on 05-12-2015 09:48 AM
Many times we hear about “The 1%” in today’s news stories. When it comes to scarcity however, Platinum is found in only .01 parts per million of the earth’s crust, making it one of the planets most elusive elements. In the 18th Century, platinum’s rarity made King Louis the XV of France declare it “the only metal fit for a king”. So, when Bill Pyburn collaborated with Peter Hledin to produce the latest “Pure Platinum” Skater, they had a lofty target to attain to make sure the finished product would live up to the rarity of its namesake.
Photo Courtesy Shoot 2 Thrill Pix
...by Published on 03-29-2015 06:43 PMCategories:
The Simmons Marine team, consisting of Jim Simmons and Bob Mazikowski, had an outstanding season in 2014. They won the APBA High Points Championship in SVL, the OPA National Championship in Class 4, and they were named 2014 inductees into the APBA Hall of Champions. Jim also went on to win the Biggest, the Baddest and the Heaviest Trophy in all of Offshore Racing, "The Godfather Cup".
Courtesy Shoot 2 Thrill Pix
Octane Racing's Super Vee Lite Team, with driver Jim Simmons and throttle-man Bob Mazikowski, were named 2014 inductees. If you don't think it is hardto get into the APBA Hall of Champions, there is not a better person ...by Published on 03-17-2015 12:02 AMCategories:
Luck of the Irish on St. Patricks Day?
SOS: It was 1979 I believe when you burst on the scene in the Open Class and shocked the offshore world with a win out of no-where. Everyone was waiting for the showdown between Betty Cook in Kaama and Joey Ippolito in Michelob Light, just like the previous year's season long battle. But a first time open class racer from the Northeast won their very first race in their brand new boat. Give us a little more history on that win than has already been written.
Charlie: I had hired JC Simon at the Key west World Championships in 1977 to design and build a new Open Class boat for me for the following season...meaning the season of 1978.
Charlie and Jean Claude in a Cobra
So the design began with input from me on what I wanted in a fast 38 footer.
Wider strakes, but less ...by Published on 03-08-2015 06:00 PMCategories:
Charlie McCarthy, both an Icon and Founder here on Serious, was one of the group of adrenaline junkies who decided that offshore racing would be the focus of a desire for speed as a first choice. It was not the only choice, as he has raced automobiles on tracks and across the country. Including in the Cannonball Run made so famous by Burt Reynolds and Farrah Fawcett.
This year he is celebrating the 10TH Anniversary of the Historic Offshore Race Boat Association. The HORBA association strives to keep the history of the sport, both by the written word and the restoration of offshore race boats, alive and well for future generations to enjoy.
SOS: Let’s start with your history, and what it was that caused you to decide to channel your energy into offshore racing and high performance offshore ...by Published on 02-23-2015 07:22 PM
James Kimmel, the original Jimmy Kimmel as he says, is proud of his new 30’ Skater SS and has every right to be. The color scheme, right down to the specially wrapped steering wheel, gauges, gauge bezels, and interior stitching set this beauty off as a performance boat with all of the looks, performance, and custom tweaks that have given Skater their outstanding reputation. I think he was more impatient than he let on while at the show in Miami. Their winter play spot in Florida had to be waiting for this beauty to see what it could do in his hands.
During ...by Published on 11-02-2014 09:12 PM
For everyone who survives the influence of the overall Key West atmosphere of fun, the races on Wednesday, the races on Friday, and still have the energy to head down to Duvall Friday evening for the parade and street party, there will also be another place to hook up with ardent performance boaters while admiring all of the race teams along Duvall. Our friends Matt and Jason from Speed On The Water and Gino from BurgerFi will be hosting a party at Gino and John's BurgerFi restaurant on Duvall Friday evening.
Once again, ...by Published on 08-15-2014 09:19 AM
As a pre-Captain America was toasting his upcoming transformation into a much bigger and tougher super hero ready to save the world through the magic of science, he probably didn't know that some Little Guys can make it in the outside world without any magical transformation into some larger entity. If there is any question about little guys being tough, check out Bruce Lee at 5' 8" and 141 lbs. So maybe being tough, or in the thick of a contest has nothing to do with size, maybe it's just Karma.....
Karma refers to the principle of causality where intent and actions of an individual influence the future of that individual. Good intent and good deed contribute to good karma and future happiness, ...by Published on 07-14-2014 11:30 PMCategories:
Well, we've been going to Boyne Thunder as a group of friends now for three years. Brooks and Mickie, Carl and Diane, Tracy and Connie, Terri and I all got together for the first time at the 2012 Boyne Thunder event. At dinner we always go for a big round table for us to sit at so we can chat with each other and tell stories about the run while we wait for the poker hands to be revealed. After this weekends event, we were thinking about things and decided we were the luckiest table in the history of poker runs.
Our first year as a group, Carl and Diane won the second place prize ...by Published on 07-10-2014 09:14 AMCategories:
A Charlevoix waterfront restaurant and marina came close to an untimely end a couple years ago, but luckily, a couple of performance boaters with a super hero and a greek goddess portrayed as their respective on-the-water rides, combined forces to save the establishment from demise in 2013. Not only were they able to save and re-open the restaurant, but also improved it as a Lake Charlevoix destination. While it may not be a spot for high performance boating fly-bys, (it presides on a no-wake zone of the lake), it is home to some really good food and a location with a very interesting history along with their great views of the water and boats.
Iceman, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics, is an original member of the X-Men. A mutant, Iceman ...by Published on 05-04-2014 08:38 AMCategories:
Dave Denham, driver for the Pirate Offshore Racing Super Vee Lite team, was named the 2014 recipient of the Randy Linebach Lighthouse Award on Sunday evening at the Golden Nugget Casino Hotel during the awards ceremony for the Smokin' the Sound offshore race.
Dave Denham, Woody Baily, John Brunner, & Rusty David
The award is presented annually by the Biloxi Race Producers in honor of Randy Linebach, Team Airborne #24 who lost his life on Friday, April 23, 2004 during a test run for the inaugural Smokin' the Sound. Randy began his racing career in 1994 when he built and raced the boat "Aftershock". He made his national offshore debut in June, 1999 in Corpus Christi, ...Published on 02-08-2014 08:32 PM
by Serious News
Some of the Serious Offshore Sports news team had the opportunity to visit a few of our West Michigan performance boat builders and shops. We started out the day by visiting Precision Power Offshore to see Ben Wiersum at his new location and find out what was interesting there.
http://www.precisionpoweroffshore.com/
Ben had the 43 Checkmate, among others, in the shop being attended to.
Wicked Won was not in the main shop at the time, but it is a sweet boat they are starting to build new engines for.
Our next stop was Douglas Marine, home of Skater and the incomparable ...Published on 10-16-2012 03:53 AMCategories:
with Mark Underwood
Our member Underdog88, Mark Underwood, has achieved amazing results without spending amazing sums. Not only has he turned heads with what he has accomplished with his boat, but the extremely interesting (and strictly budgeted) way he has done this reminds all of us what can be attained when someone with smarts, a strong desire, and intense drive puts their mind to it. This first story has been a pleasure to work on with Mark and Becky, and certainly deserves to be the leader of our Member Spotlights. Congratulations to Mark and Becky for being the first in this section of our Inside Magazine!! Sit back and enjoy…..
Serious: Tell us a little history how you became involved with boating.
Mark: Like most boaters, as a child, we spent a lot of time on boats with my parents. My older sister moved to Florida at age 19 and bought a 22 foot sailboat and lived on it. Over the years she worked her way up to a 52 foot Chris Craft in the front row at Marina Jacks in Sarasota, still my favorite place on earth.
My brother ...
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The Inside Articles -
Victorious Finishes To The 2024 Key West Offshore World Championships
Second-generation racers Billy Moore and Brit Lilly followed in their legendary dad’s footsteps, claiming world championships in offshore powerboat racing’s
Speed on the Water Today, 06:49 PM