2021 NAMBA Nats Race Program

father taking a picture of his posed and patient family, he would stop and ask the father for the camera so he could take the picture so the whole family could be in it. ( I don't think anyone ever passed on his offer.) He wanted to be sure some pictures in the family photo album had everyone in it. Looking back, I appreciate what he did for the families, but when you are trying to keep track of your father in a crowded amusement park ( and he would stop and not give us any notice! ) - until suddenly - where was dad?. It was frustrating - but we quickly learned to just retrace our steps. At the end of a weeks worth of boat racing there was a banquet with all the trophies getting awarded. Many of the boaters cleaned up and put on their "Sunday go to meeting clothes" Everyone cleaned up so nice. No distinctive hats. No team shirts. To me, a teenager - I saw folks dressed up, having a nice dinner and getting trophies - I felt like I was at the Academy awards !! I remember being at a regatta in the south (Louisiana?) and looking up one evening at the night sky and seeing the big dipper. My young brain was still getting a handle on how vast the universe was - I remember thinking - 'that can't be the big dipper, because the big dipper is visible in the sky over northern Illinois'. The world was so much bigger than I realized. But it was smaller too. When we were at Universal studios in 1979(?) we were walking around and we spotted a young man with a T-shirt that said "where the heck is Niles?". Well this caught my eye. I grew up in Niles. But I also knew there was more then one city of Niles in the country. But as we got closer, I recognized him. He went to the same high school as I had, and he had been in my home room ! It's a small world after all !! We were at Legg lake in California in 1979 watching the races. We were talking to some of the local boaters when suddenly we felt weak kneed. I looked around in confusion, looking for the source of the vibration. The gentleman next to me put his hand on my shoulder and said calmly ' Don't worry, it's only an earthquake'. Wow. Dad was so impressed that the Californians let us out-of-towner's feel a genuine earth quake. Knowing how competitive boaters can be - we passed on going to the regatta in Washington the following year (think Mt St Helen). The boaters at these races were like extended family at times. These were folks you saw about once a year. There were many boaters who brought their families and for a time I had a few pen pals around the country. Dad enjoyed meeting and talking to all boaters. He always seemed more comfortable behind the camera than in front of it. If you saw him at a race - he would have a camera in his left hand and a ready handshake with the right. And that's how I remember it... Trudi airborne. A boater named Don Pinckert was there. running an outrigger hydro. In early 1971, Don Pinckert called Tom to discuss his outrigger hydro. The Pinckert design was very fast on the straights. but had trouble in the corners. Tom decided to design his own outrigger. Using his experience with previous hydros. Tom designed the Wing Ding outrigger. On Memorial Day weekend in 1971. the original Wing Ding turned a two-way average speed of 59 miles per hour. It raced its first oval competition in 1971 . Wing Dings quickly became a very popular heat racing design. When asked about the name “Octura" Tom explains that he like to combine words, and he likes symmetrical letters, such as "0". He was working with an eight millimeter. turret camera during the 1950's. Because "Oct" refers to eight. he combined the ''Oct" with the turret for the turret camera, and "OC-TURA" was born. Since the first White Heat design. Tom has taken a lot of pride in designing original model boat products. Octura offers a full line of model boating hardware and propellers . Tom hasn't slov.:ed down at all. introducing ten new propeller designs since the fall of 1995. Tom·s daughter. Trudi. Traveled with her dad to model boat races for many years. The following are some of Trudi’s memories of growing up in the RC model power boating community... When I was in my teens, summer vacations revolved around the R C boat regattas. Dad would usually take my brother or I with him, and this was how we saw the country ! When he and I went to the races - he drove. Always drove. Two days to Florida or 4 days to California, it didn't matter, we always drove. By the early 80's, I got to help with the driving. I remember a weeks worth of races, and dad always had a camera in hand, taking pictures or talking. The black and white pictures he developed and printed at home. If there were a couple shots left on a roll (yes - this is pre-digital) he would maybe take a picture of my brother or I. During the week of racing Dad usually found a day to take me/ us sight seeing to the local attraction. I visited Disneyland, Disneyworld, The Henry Ford museum, and The Smithsonian (to name a few) this way. Sometimes the sightseeing would be on the way to the regatta like the Grand Canyon or Victoria Island. I enjoyed these trips !! We also learned quickly that dad had an annoying habit that drove my brother and I a little crazy. When we were at a crowded tourist spot (like Disneyworld) and dad would see a Trudi carries on the family tradition at Octura. 2021 NAMBA Nationals Page 31