ARE YOU COMPETITIVE? ARE YOU SURE? CAUSE, IT'S OK IF YOU ARE OR NOT...

[Tony Castronovo]

One year ago next month I was talking with Tom D. about putting up a forum sponsored by WHH for Enforcer and other gas model boat hobbiests. He thought it was a good idea too and also helped by starting some discussions, and of course putting up his great looking Enforcer boats. Of course we both new there are other established Forums relevent to gas model boating, but I wanted to have a forum where Enforcer owners can meet and share their excitement and boats whether they raced them in competition or just enjoyed them for sport. After all both segments are important to the continued growth of the hobby. I wish a few more competition boaters understood this on the other forums.

 

Guys like Tom D. are the best example of how our hobby works. Tom purchased a Magnum 57 about three maybe four years ago and loves it. He would call me or Pam and tell of the fun he was having. A couple years ago Tom went to a boat race and as a competitive guy, he wanted to give model boating a try. He raced full size boats, so I knew he would have no problem, and most important he listened to us boaters that were sucessful at racing. It didn't take very long for Tom to place and then start winning races, and now after his second full season he finished, I think 6th place out of over 60 or more boats. That's pretty impressive to say the least.

 

What so many racers don't know is that only a small percentage of people are competitive by nature. I'm not talking about sticking out at work or behind a keyboard growing muscles during an internet despute, I'm talking about guys that don't like or can handle the stress, the work, and or financial investment that goes along with what it takes to be competitive, not to mention the potential for disaster. A truly competitive model boater must understand and accept all of the above before they can walk away with the throphy, this goes along for almost every sport. There are very few low investment forms of racing whether it is time or money or both spent, and I can't think of one at the moment.

 

Now there's the stress level to contend with, the willingness to put yourself out there as an individule under a pressure situaton to perform. Guys like Tom and I are musicians, and are use to that invironment and thrive on being forefront and not wanting to, well we call it "suck". It takes guys with that sort of mentality to be able to throw his boat in the pond with six or seven others and shoot-it-out. I remember my first time on stage, I mean I played it over and over in my head so many times, I was ready to go. Hell I practiced for years in a warehouse where a few people (friends) would gather to watch, sort of like a fun day with model boats and friends. It was at Art Stocks Playpen in Fort Lauderdale, the DJ yelled, Give it up for one of Florida's newest Heavy Metal Bands, Dragonfly! I ran out on stage the drummer click-off the start of the song, I looked out into a crowd of well over 200 people, and felt like I was going to throw up. As bad as that was I pulled it together because throwing up in front of record producers is a bad thing. Anyway, I was able to pull it together and by the next to last song the pressure was there but I was able to enjoy the experience.

 

When I raced my first model boat competition it was almost the same. I was fine until my pit guy threw my boat in. I think I forgot everything I learned over the prior few months of practice. My hands and legs were shaking and Damn I didn't want to run anybody over! I found a safe place for me to make my circles and finished the race, and over time became very competitive for the next eight years. The morral is, none of us really know how we will react in a competitive situation until we are put into one, and each differ. And then if for some reason we don't reach some sort of comfort level over time, I think it's best to accept who we are and what our limitations are. I spent a couple years racing full size cars and I won a couple races but I quickly found out I wasn't special. I was no Jeff Gordon, and could never be one. Special is the ability to overcome adversities, and sometimes there are many each in their own elements, and to tell the truth I was always a little to fearful during the race, and that kept me from taking the chances that those that won most of the time did. I may of not won or placed as often as I wanted, but I understood the problem was me, accepted it, and enjoyed just being part of the field. There was once where Brian Johnson (singer of AC/DC) passed me like I was standing still, and I though...How cool to be in a race with and passed by Brian Johnson. Now alot had to do with his car racing budget and his pay check having a few more zero's on it then mine, but I hope you get my point.

 

When I was racing model boats in the 80's and owned a couple hobby stores, I figured this out by simply applying my excitement to my customers about how great racing model boats was. I'd set them up with a racing boat, helped them practice, and even their first race, then wondered why in the Hell they weren't at the next. They would have some excuses but most ended up with, "I thought it was cool, but like playing instead". I can tell you this for certain, if it wasn't for the majority of these non-competitive guys there would be no such thing as Enforcer Boats, and maybe not even gasoline powered boats? "One has to exist it order for the other to continue".

 

What is great is that guys like Tom D. are now here on this site and can walk other guys from the sport segment over to the competition segment with honesty because they too experienced the hobby from the sport beginning, just like most of you here. This is something I didn't expect and very healthy for our industry.

 

I mean why can't you enjoy a day at the lake with your friends and family running a 40 MPH boat, and then next week go out and race a 60 MPH boat? I could never understand the difference or felt the need to belittle someone having fun with a lesser performing model... But then again I enjoy model railroading as well as fast things, and Lord knows trains aren't performance minded.

 

I also wanted a forum where everyone on it, well... "why can't we just get along"?  Now almost 12 months later I am so pleased to report our 200th member, and also a site that has given me absolutly no grief. You guy's have been the best! I have had phone calls telling me that they were going to call me but guys on the forum answered their questions, I can't ask for any more.

 

I have also not heard a single word about one model boater not liking another, or any of the rest of that 12 year old mentality that I hear and see so much of on one perticular model boating site. To all of our members, I tip my hat to you, and appreciate your inputs and your helping out other fellow boaters. Keep up the good work! 

 

Thanks! Tony C.