Leo B. Wildman Photographer

[Mark Poole]

That last pic of the 808mm, must be the first piclefork ever built. Looking at the motors looks to be around 1964 or 65.

[Ron Hill]

Ted May, Joe Moore, Bill Knoch, John Craven and myself were at Bixby Slough, March 1954, when the DeSilva Boys brought out a "NEW" Hydro for Lowell Haberman...It was a "PICKLE FORK" with both pickles connected ith a 1 X 2 piece of wood...The boat had so much lift, that it kept doing "Wheel Stands", not blowing over, but we gave the boat the NICKNAME of "The Flying Sling Shot", because, from a distance, when the bow went up, it looked like a GIANT Sling Shot.

My dad took a ride in it, a announced that is was a "DUMB DESIGN" as he came back soaked and said he hit a wave and the water came right down between the "Pickle Forks', though they weren't called that then...and he thought he migh drown...

Ralph designed them, there were several. Not sure they ever won a race...But I had seen a Swith with a "PICKLE" fork front end, in a Speed and Spray magazine years earlier...

So, this wasn't the first "Pickel fork" ever...But, like my dad inventing water skiing on Lake Elsinore...He had never heard of water skiing before he built a ski...these guys may have designed this themselves, without any knowledge of anyone else's design...

More pictures from Leo B. Wildman...

[Ron Hill]

Some more Leo B. Wildman photos...

232 might be Dick Sherrer, as I know Dick raced a GALE Outboard Motor...

424 is a Fantasy Hydro....I think, Kenny Pyle designed this boat...The hydros, didn't really out run runabouts in THE OLD DAYS, as the boats were heavy, two people in the boat and all, the sponson had more drag than a flat bottom...

I guess what I like about these photos are, not one of these SUMBITCHES ain't "RACING"....Nobody is just riding around, they're "RACING BY GOD"...

[f8andbethere]

Let me know I can teach anything to anyone including a Hill (though it may mean a little duct tape to get the lesson started :-))

[Mark75H]

If he was going to, he would have already. He's got a camera and he's going to use it

[Powercat]

I too wish high quality scans were available of the stuff Ron has, but I am
gratefull for the decent camera images he is able to provide. It's quick and
easy and it works.. ( Sounds like Ron's race boats!! )
Danny Leger

If he was going to, he would have already. He's got a camera and he's going to use it

[Dave_E71]

Ron:

If I get figure out how to scan, I have all my dad's pictures, w/ a bunch of Leo Wildman shots in the box.

If I can't figure it out, I would "Consider" sending them to you, but you would have to PROMISE me that I will get them back.

Joe

Joe, Ron and maybe Wayne,

If you need a scanner you might look at the Canon LiDE 25 or LiDE 70. They're inexpensive ($50 or $80) and as an added bonus, they're so easy to connect, even a boatracer could do it (only one USB cable to plug in). They aren't professional grade but we're not doing professional grade work.......

Another nice thing about them is that they are small/light enough that when not in use mine leans against the wall under the desk.

Dave

[Joe J]

OK, I finally sat down and figured out how to scan.

Below is a Leo wildman photo of my dad, dated August 1970. It was taken at Lake Casitas, above Ventura CA.

Joe

[hydroc888]

Joe . i am glad to see you got the scanner working. Post more pictures of your Dad. He was a great boat racer .

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Thanks for the info Dave, but I have two Canon scanners already. Trouble is my best one was sabotaged by my brother-in-law. He installed a security program so strong it wouldn't allow me to get into my programs. It's like Fort Knox. I erased it, but I still cant't figure out how to use any of my programs. I should have started on the DePue stuff a month ago.

Don't let this be any discouragment though. That is good information, and I am glad to see Joe J getting his working. I had no clue when I started, but I was compelled to learn after joining BRF. As Dave says, it is easy to learn, so any of you guys out there afraid to try, get that out of your mind. Get your mind on finding that shoebox and start scanning your photos.