2022NAMBANatsProgram.indd

75 about a week later! My first one was a gas powered sport hydro.” Russ says boat racing quickly became a family affair with is youngest daughter traveling everywhere with him to race. When daughter lost interest in her teenage years his father joined in as his my pitman and mechanic for over 25 years and when he lost his father, his sister Susan stepped up and now they go everywhere to race. Russ boast,“I have made it a family affair for a long time, My wife isn’t very interest- ed, but she has always been supportive of my hobby.” Russ continues,“I have met many lifelong friends from boating. While so many of the people are very important to me, Jim Feener, Henry Velasco, Lenny and Leanne Blake are the ones that come to mind. We do lots of thing outside of boating and they are wonderful people.” While in NAMBA Russ says he has had many accomplishments with NAMBA and this Hobby, but he thinks the best one was when he was elected president of NAMBA. He also adds,“I have many, many Memories! But the one I think of the most happened just last year at the nationals. My Five year old Grandson took over the microphone and was helping in between heats, not sure where he gets that.” Russ shares with a smile, “I always enjoyed seeing boaters win for the first time and also people that hadn’t won much a lot along the way take home the big trophies but the memory that sticks with me the most is when I hopped into the retrieve boat turned to sharp and flipped it over and sunk it right in the launch area with everyone watching. We also asked Russ what advice he’d give to new boaters. He said,“Coming from me I think the thing I would try to pass on is to work hard in life but enjoy the time when you not working. While it is hard sometimes, obody ever looks back and says I should have worked more and taken less days off.