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[mercmack]

Just Looked Over The May Issue Of Powerboat..sure Would'nt Spend Any Money On The Rag..its To Slick To Even Wipe Up Spilled Soda Pop While Eating Lunch..put It Back On The News Stand..

[Miss BK]

Kick em hard. We sure don't want them to continue to support us like they did with the original post on that FANTASTIC article in the January issue, do we?

On another note, my photographer was just given an invitation to ride in a helicopter with a group doing a poker run. He's pretty excited about the opportunity and I'm sure it will be seen in at least one major magazine. I only wish boat racers spent half as much time contacting the magazines as the poker runners do. I've been doing this nearly 10 years and I'm not any closer to getting the support I need from the racers to keep it going. The first 5 years were pretty exciting, but it's dropped off dramatically since.

In fact, it seems to be going the opposite direction as more folks keep saying "DUMP THE MAGAZINES", rather than campaign for more coverage. (and there is a lot of campaigning going on elsewhere in the boating world) We will get what we work for - its up to us to determine what it is we want.

[Roy Hodges]

was a write off, for Bob Nordskog . He loved boats & boatracing. Making money from the mag was not a consideration, in my opinion. At least that was what i heard Ted May say,once in about when he was holding court at Parker, in 1989 ,i'd say. He also said same about Nordskog Marine. Ted worked for Bob , so he probably knew what he was talkin about . and, in my opinion there will NEVER be another like Bob's Powerboat mag, $ is the bottom line .

[Skoontz]

Roy:

That nailed it. And, BK has excellent ideas here. On a side note, one of the reasons we keep getting our company published, is that we submit regular, detailed press releases formatted the same way an article would be written.

The reutrn is credibility. If you want more outboards, you gotta say more outboards. It will trickle down and hopefully, the public will start buying outboards again. I could never figure out why anyone would want a cast iron hunik of stuff taking up 4' out of your boat but that's the route people are going. Which, in turn, is whay lots of inboard write ups.

[Miss BK]

Not long ago a major boating magazine ran 8 articles on one particular racing series - this meant 8 out of 11 issues had beautiful, full color coverage on this one series. (there were others mixed in as well).

What people didn't know was the behind the scenes situation - the series promoter was in contact with the magazine constantly, with all sorts of creative offers for on-site advertising to benefit the magazine - on-site banners, on-site T-shirt sales, crew uniform sew-on patches with the name of the magazine, booth space, etc. They came up with lots of ways to exchange much needed exposure for each party.

No "money" changed hands but the benefits to both sides were immeasurable. What pained me was that some teams complained about having to sew on the patches in the contracted locations on their uniforms and rebelled against it. They didn't realize that this "silly" appearing demand was actually an integral part of international media attention for their own series -- in other words, that single patch might have been a key to securing a good sponsor.

Once this particular race series CEO was gone, the agreement fizzled away, no similar partnerships were ever formed, and the coverage has never been as good.

That's just one example of how a creative mind will find a way to get coverage when they feel they aren't getting enough. And the rest of us have to show support as well.

I know some race groups are very good at submitting a pre-race announcement as well as a post race recap in press release form to as many media outlets as possible - including free websites like this one or APBA (Ross is a good example of this). This isn't easy, and takes more time from a volunteer - in some cases it's likely left to the scorer - who is probably already donating hundreds of hours and is usually exhausted by the end of the weekend.

If you think you can help your club with something like this, ask your club President if there's a spot for you.

And then maybe we'll start seeing even more articles in those great magazines!

[Skoontz]

BK nailed it. Unless you are actively doing this type of work for your club, you really should not complain. No offense intended for anyone.

[Roy Hodges]

Roy:

That nailed it. And, BK has excellent ideas here. On a side note, one of the reasons we keep getting our company published, is that we submit regular, detailed press releases formatted the same way an article would be written.

The reutrn is credibility. If you want more outboards, you gotta say more outboards. It will trickle down and hopefully, the public will start buying outboards again. I could never figure out why anyone would want a cast iron hunik of stuff taking up 4' out of your boat but that's the route people are going. Which, in turn, is whay lots of inboard write ups.

...........................................
I can tell you why it's all on inboards. It's because you can still buy an I-O for less than 20 grand . Try buying a new bass rig. 45-50 thou ? New buyers think that the" iron hunks are SUPERIOR", as well as cheaper. The magazines are NOT going to tell them any different .

[Roy Hodges]

When mercmac and I mention the lack of ink on outboards , we are talking about outboards in general, not racing in particular . There are a lot of us who don't need or care about the "glory" of winning . we only want to compete for personal satisfaction. and we don't insist on somebody else paying our way, (sponsorship) we just want it cheap enough to afford it , without our whole life being
taken over and dominated by it .

[Ron Hill]

I wrote for Power Boat Magazine fore it was POWERBAOT, in 1967 and when Bob Nordskog bought the magazine, he fired me. I NEVER took it personally, as a few years later when we became good friends, I never mentioned the firing, for fear HE'D feel bad that he'd made a BUSINESS decision.

I read old magazines, too often....but one thing that "JUMPS" off the pages in magazine after magazine was "HOW TO" articles....People don't do things anymore. They BUY them or they WATCH them.

I was reading Circle Track about two years ago, and they were predicting economic problems for many small tracks because NASCAR was showing NASCAR TRUCKS on Friday....

Things change...BRF will replace magazines...with or without advertisers. This is OUR MAGAZINE....

I love outboards more than the next guy...but they really don't sell..new or used...This 24 Hour Race, is the coolest thing I've ever seen, but does it sell ONE MOTOR in the United States??? Winning outboard races, in Europe, may sell motors in Europe, but that isn't a very large market....

Magazine run on ad revenues....Big Boat companies spend big bucks...Sometimes, Like the Blue Water Resort and Casino 300, magazines run articles......because they have interest to the readers...

I haven't bought an ad in a magazine, for my props, in over 20 years. I don't feel the return is there, a business decision...

Like it or not, most of BOAT RACING IS BORING unless your kid is racing or a close friend...If you look at Hot Boat's site, V-Drive and Jets always seem to have the most views.....Well, the T and A section has the most but, boat parts, where people fool with their boat is V-Drive and Jet guys...Lovers of their passion...V-Drives and jets won't carry a magazine any better than outboards....Bass fishing is different...

A need to LEVEL THE FIELD: Bass fishing ain't the most fish you catch, it is your five best. Nostalgia Boat Racing levels the fiield.

If you truely love Boat Racing and want to see FAMILY, FUN and Friends GROW....You need to ask yourself, "Self, what is Ron Hill saying???" See in Nostalgia, you don't need the best prop, you don't need the best motor, you don't need the best driver, ...you need to RACE within your bracket....

We spent a lot of money on Pat Bowman's Nostaglia Endurance hull with new gelcoat an all, because we hope the boat will be raced for years to come.

Magazines will follow the money and or numbers...Nostalgia can bring the numbers...

Thanks BK for writing great articles...few of us ever thank the writers....but trust me, I aways got good ink, because those who wrote about MY boat racing knew I appreciated their KIND WORDS...Nice words about Ron Hill fixing a prop for a NEW RACER won't sell magazine ads....Home made trailers and boats don't sell them either...but we loved making them!!!

Would a MOD C be safe with a 55 MPH Speed limit????

[Roy Hodges]

I did a little racing in the late 1950's ,when in nor cal , we had some races that did not even require a crash helmet . I was a deck rider in a race in Point Richmond,ca,w/no helmet & i got thrown across the cockpit and hit my head on the carlin and lucky to only get a sorehead . The worst i heard of then , was at Stockton and some guy who had NOT bolted his motor to the transom had his motor come loose & into the boat. He got his leg cut by the prop. I think SAFETY begins by not tolerating those who will do anything to win, even running over his own son in the corners. I saw that happen.