Ron Hill Family: Hill Marine and Signature Propellers

[Ron Hill]

When Chad turned 14, he started running A Runabout. His Sorensen J Runabout was a perfect J boat, but in A, I think he wrecked the first three or four races.

Ernie Dawe gave us this boat, I thought it was dark blue, but got this picture from Mary Zapf, yesterday...doesn't look dark blue to me...

See, Marlee, I was telling Chad the same thing I was telling you at Long Beach....A long time ago, I sold props to a guy named Steve Warnock in Wisconsin. When we get together, he usually reminds me that I gave him a driving lesson, one on one when he was first starting. He says He never forgot what I told him.....Steve Johnson almost won the 2008 D Mod Hydro nationals...He drove like I'd told him on BRF....

[Ron Hill]

Wayne, I'd never seen that article about Parker in Waterskiing...

People, cities, groups and others , have trouble at times. The city of Parker had not been getting along with the Indians, so they moved the 9 Hour to La Paz Park from Blue Water Marina. Blue Water is right at the damn that used to be called Squaw Dam. That name is no longer politically correct, so now I don't know what the damn dam is called, but Blue Water is the widest part of the river and that is where the Enduro had always been started from.

In 1978, starting at La Paz, 6 1/2 miles up river, the river was much narrower than Blue Water, and as the river works, at night people use electricity, so the river flows more water from the generators. So, in the even, had Renato and Bobby Herring tested, there was plenty of water. But, in the early morning, people sleep, and they don't use their lights.

The river can drop several feet. When the race started the race, I had no plans, desire or dreams of leading the first lap. My goal was to finish the first lap. Bobby Herring and Renato were of the mind set that THEY would lead every lap.... Well, Bobby sprinted out along the shore line and hit a sand bar and it ripped the transom out of his Molinari.....He was probably going 130 MPH. With no motor hooked to the boat it flew back across the river and about five boats crashed. Major wreck the crash picture was in a Powerboat Magazine, but I haven't seen it in years.

Bobby was unhurt, but slipped getting out of the patrol boat and broke his knee cap, as I recall...Fred Hauenstein's ride with Jimbo broke on lap one, so, Freddy drove with me. After our win, Freddy went to work for Mercury where he stayed for 29 years...

[Sutter's Gold Jr.]

I believe this is the crash picture you are referring to at Parker. Lee Sutter is one upside down. This was a year or two after his blow over at Parker that almost killed him.

[Ron Hill]

Sutter's Gold Jr.: Thanks for the picture, but isn't that only half of it??? Your dad, Lee Sutter was one great driver and one great person. When Lee lived in Fountain Valley, he visited me dad in Garden Grove. I wasn't there... Later may dad, said, "Bob Weikart and Lee somebody came by....That Lee guy sure is a nice guy, seems to really know a lot about 20-H motors..." I told my dad that LEE was Lee Sutter from Seattle....Oh, the Old Man says...

Bunker's:

Tom Ige

---

Tommy was/is an interesting guy, Japanese descent yet was a 25 year man in the US navy, Tom was a vegetarian until he met up with my mom at boat races. My mom always produced the greatest pick nick type baskets full of great things like dry salami and cheese and crackers etc... Although Tom was a veggie, he could never pass up the salami. Regarding the "Bat Boats" Tom had this bitchen little 14 foot glass runabout. We Hill's had this at the river with us, My dad, Russ, decided he would waterski behind this little outfit, powered by a Yamato model *). The Colorado river at Needles has a current of about 6 mph, my dad was actually pulling the boat, and Tommy down stream!!!! That's when Tommy created a saying that is still part of the Hill vernacular!! He began shouting at Russ sayin "YOU DRIVE!!! I'LL WATER!!!!"

And the rest is history....

Add We had a neighborhood kid with us at the river on this trip, he burned up 5 gallons of fuel in that little boat, had the time of his life as a 12 year old, spoke with him 3 or 4 months ago, he told me that that was the most fun he had ever had.... I am sure he meant besides winning 7 consecutive gold gloves in both leagues and probably more fun than losing the World Series to My beloved Angels, probably more fun than "Rescuing Dusty Baker's son....
If you still don't know the person to whom I am referring.
JT Snow.

ADD TO BUNKER'S STORY:

JT's mom gave my brother STRICT instructions, as they left the house, to "Not let JT drive the boat..." As I recall, JT and Bunker would get a five gallon gas can , fill up that little Yamato 80 and head up the river....They'd only get about five mile before they ran out of gas, as they floated down river trying to fill the tank they'd float by camp. Off they'd go again up river. For about 5-6 days Bunker and JT ran that MODEL 80 wide open and burned 30 or more gallons of gas. When the week was over, Tommy and I had become good friends....same with everyone in the family....We told JT's mom he NEVER drove the boat so she didn't have to worry....But Tommy and I started selling Yamato motors at boat shows, as I was NOW a believer, as Tommy always was, that the Yamato 80 was a GREAT little motor...By the Nationals, 1977, that same year, we had 26 "B" Locals race at the Bakersfield Nationals..."B" Local became 20 SS Hydro.....

[Ron Hill]

When your kids are small they say things, later you can't remember them....Chad used to tell me, in our motorhome, "Light on, dark scares you." Or when taking an elevator, he'd yell, "No push the butt."...

Granddaughter number 2 seems to have some good ones that I just bust out laughing at....When it is hot she yells, "Hot off." Or when she's eating...which is ALL THE TIME...She says, "Not me done..."

Hey, I know this is a boat race site...but I got J drivers in the making...

[Lars Strom]

Ron,

I am pretty sure you already have this picture,
received it today from a friend of mine in Sweden.

[Ron Hill]

Well, this boat is so light, the birds had it in the tree trying to make a nest out of it...I need to thank All Marine is Stockton, California for bring this boat home for me......I didn't offer to pay...as Ken Christy drove the rig back, and I told Ken he owed me...

[Bunker Hill]

Just looking back at this post, page 13 ther is a picture of Ron Hill's 1-C
This past sunday, 11/16/08 we finaly got to test the latert Hill 1-C
Marlee Hill's BRF special # 1-C!!

[Ron Hill]

Just found this old press release and picture of my Hallett four point.

I like this picture better than the one on my avitar....maybe Sam can change it...

[Ron Hill]

• Nov 3, 2006

Bob Leach brings this brand new V-8 Evinrude to Havasu...John Castelli and me are going to test it....(John and me both could have been brain surgeon had we not spent our time racing boats... Anyway, we get in the mother idle out passed the 5 MPH Zone and nail the throttle...She takes off so fast when she almost throws us in the back seat....at about 80.....she just won't go any faster.... We decide, another prop, big one...We take off, she almost throws us in the back seat...but about 84 she won't go any faster.... I tell John, "She must be blowing out. When we get her up to speed, get in the back and look at the gearcase...see if the prop is in a bubble... John says, "He doesn't see a bubble...maybe I should look....So John is going about 85 and I'm sticking my head over the transom looking at the gearcase... Hell with it, we decide she sounds like she's loaning up...Let's go put a smaller prop on....This time, the boat really does a "Wheelie" on take off and I can hardly hold the wheel to about 75.....then, she flattens out...I stop..We decide, we need to make a long run, maybe she'll clean out as it seems to have good low end, but maybe the top end jets are too fat... So we go down the river about 10 miles at 75 MPH.... As it is getting DARK...we say, "Wow, every prop turned 6250 RPM....wonder if this sucker has a rev limiter???? She did!!! We got the rev limiter off...and with a light boat, John went through the kilo at 118...without a capsule...I sold the boat and decided that was too fast for my friends to be going...without a capsule... Well, it wasn't the first day I wasted fooling with boats!!!!