NAMBA October 2021 Web.pub

PROPWASH October 2021 19 Doug Twaits, Sr. does not need any introduction to anyone in model boating. As a past NAMBA President, District 1 Director for 12 years, and pioneer in promoting / growing the Fast Electric classes across the country, Doug’s resume’ is literally an instruction book on how to promote the hobby you love. During Doug’s reign as District 1 Director, if anyone needed to know something about model boating, the answer was “Go ask Doug.” Doug was very competitive in all of the hydro nitro classes until he jumped over to the FE realm in order to make that a popular facet of model boat racing. Doug’s son, Doug Jr., followed in his father’s footsteps as he is an avid racer. Doug Jr. took a chapter in his dad’s book on racing and promoting FE model boating. You can say that model boating is in their blood as both are life long NAMBA members and both are NAMBA Hall of Fame inductees. I venture to say that Doug Sr. could have changed his middle name to NAMBA, as no one kept NAMBA closer to their heart than Doug. He was the Contest Director of the 1984 Nationals in Newark, New Jersey, NAMBA president back in 1992 to 1993, District 1 Director from 1980 to 1995, and numerous class chairman positions here in District 1. When we think of going through life doing the things that you love and helping countless others share in the fun, Doug was definitely a pioneer. All of our District 1 participants are mourning the loss of these four prominent members. Each one of them touched the lives of all of us with their unselfish efforts in making model boating better for decades to come. I really doubt that we will get accustomed to the absence of these four boaters, because each one made such an impact on us and they made every race day a better experience. Guys, we miss you. In Memory Of “Big Daddy Don” Dad’s love for R/C racing started when I was 18. For him it was all about family and the next year he pulled in his boys Jay, Eric, Dave, and me. The next year, with Dad as my guide, I won my first District Championship (A Mono). Later it would be my kids Sean, Jessica, Reneė, and Katie at the pond for the weekend with Dad as crew chief! The folks in District 9 are what he considered extended family. The pot-luck dinners, BBQing, and after race activities are the times he enjoyed most. “Big Daddy Don” took pride in building and painting (especially checkerboard) R/C boats and for well over 35 years Dad was all about the racing. He always expressed his pride in his boys for good sportsmanship, hard work (retrieving boats), and helping others (pitting). He always made sure we performed proper maintenance on our own boats, especially the engines like a good crew chief would. District 9 and the racing community will surely miss him. During his last days Dad said “Son, I wish I could go to just one more race!” That was may Dad, plain and simple. Racing was in his blood. - Tod Osman Growing up as a kid “Big Daddy” Don seemed like the easi- est going and loving of all the kids’ Dads. He must have honed his patience from all those years being a schoolteacher. You never saw him get upset about a bad call or a wrecked boat or a driving mistake from one of the Osman family. At one point Don was the first that I had seen to manage to have three generations in competition on one day. Todd, Jay, Eric, David and then David's daughter Leanne, and few others that I can't remember, would all be in tow. Don became known for his rainbow suspenders and his checkerboard boats. It first started with the checkerboard Miss Bardahl which has to be one of the most recognizable Unlimited Hydroplanes in all of Hydroplane racing. Don painted the boat (Continued on page20)