Bill O' Hall of Fame Nomination

Bullett55 · 03-02-2010, 02:49 PM

Jeff and Renee Hill, Team Hill Racing, have nominated Bill for the IJSBA Hall of Fame. I, along with Dan Solie and Jon Lee, have sent Scott emails in support of Bill's nomination. Figured most of us here who benefit from Bill's expertise, racing background, and his contributions to the sport would agree. You can email your comments and support to info@ijsba.com. Thanks.

donwkk · 03-02-2010, 04:49 PM

Done -

Quote:

Bill O'Neal Hall of Fame Nomination

Just wanted to add my support for Bill - I have been greatly impressed by his vast knowledge of the sport and his willingness to share that knowledge with others. If I had a vote I would gladly cast it for Bill.

Regards - Don

seadoo_newby · 03-05-2010, 09:24 PM

Definitely!

email sent!

nightrider05 · 03-05-2010, 09:45 PM

Ha...you all act like Bill contributes to this forum..

JUST KIDDING! Bill is probably one of the most knowledgeable guys on here. Always willing to offer great advice.

Will send an email this evening.

seadoofreak · 03-05-2010, 10:20 PM

bill has help me out on this site a couple of times thanks bill

nightrider05 · 03-05-2010, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seadoofreak

bill has help me out on this site a couple of times thanks bill

Send an email to the link in the first post. Let them know how much of a help Bill has been! Show him your support!

Team Hill · 03-09-2010, 11:49 PM

Bill deserves this honor. He has been a part of the watercraft racing industry for a long time. He has helped numerous people throughoout the years. He even had a factory Seadoo team in the past. I have learned so much through the years by reading his posts and he is always eager to give advice when needed. We wish him the best!!!!

Jeff and Renee' Hill
Team Hill Racing

Mr. Bill · 03-10-2010, 06:28 PM

Jeff&Renee',

Thank you for your support. I feel left out as my wife has been a HoF'er now for a couple of years. It's a bit of personal jealosy I guess that I have not joined her in the HoF, as I was the one that pushed her into the runabout racing arena when she was only interested in her standup class racing. Her first attempt at runabout racing came at a central California event in about '92 at Camp Far West reseviour up the mountians above Fresno. We were there for her standup events, and I was there to wrench on a few entries that had joined us to go compete there as none of us had ever even heard of or seen the place. I loaned her my own '89 limited SP that normally would only see action at the lakes and rivers on rec trips, but even as a reliable pump gas rec boat, I knew it was as fast or faster than the racing limited runabouts in region 1 and 2, and I had confidence that she would do well on it.
She didn't believe it, but agreed to try it out once. She was scared to death before the race and threatened to back out. I refused to let her back out unless she was injured. We almost fought over it. The race was a two moto event, with about 9 enteries and she placed second in moto 1. Returning to the pits after the race to pick up her limited Jetski for an upcoming moto in the womens limited standup race that was soon to start, she looked at me and said, "I could have won that race".
She was detrimined to go out and race moto 2 on the runabout. I gave her some tips about using her speed and position at the first bouy, to just force her way to the inside of the turn at bouy1, and hold the line to and around bouy2, again on the inside, forcing anyone who may be still running with her to take the outside line and jump her wake going into 3. From then on, she held the lead to the checkers in moto 2.
I had uncorked a copmpetitive monster that I knew was inside her waiting for the confidence to let it out, so next time out, I gave her some extra power and worked on the holeshot and bouy course with her on days between races. I then joined her up with Shawn Stubener at a small pond in Newberry, and set up an IJSBA legal slalom course. We spent many days doing just slalom only. I knew that if she could be competitive on a slalom course with record quick times, she would have the skills to negociate the big bouy racecourses better than almost anyone she may face at a race anywhere. She was a dedicated and fast learner and I had my male racer that I was supporting who had proved to be the man to beat in region 1 and 2, out there practicing along with her every chance that I could put them together for practice at a larger lake in Newberry, where at least a half dozen of my racer customers that I built and maintained their race boats for in the regions 1 & 2 races we attended almost every weekend and outlaw races inbetween.
The two of them both walked away with WF victories in their respective classes in 1993 at Havasu, and both dominated the region 1 & 2 races during the rest of the year. If you recall those times out here in California, we had as many as 8 different promoters running race series here all year 'round, and almost every weekend somewhere between Phoenix, Havasu, and Parker AZ., and throughout So. Cal and Central Ca. to San Jose. Some events in the surf, and at many lakes and reseviours in Central and So. California and at the Colorado River.
Those were excellent times for racers out here, as many top pro's would come out to join us at many flat water events, and surf races. At many events notible pro racers that entered our So. Cal races included Shawn Stubener, Karen, Mike and Jeff Jacobs, Fish, Pointer, Yellich, Pruier, Bonacchi, Williamson, Goacher, Sheldon, Fitzgerald and at least a dozen more top pro standup and freestyle competitors from time to time. These were days before the IJSBA recgonized Runabouts, but every promoter, IJSBA or not, had rules and classes for runabout men's classes, and if you were a female, you competed heads up in the mens races.
I know my wife's fondest memories of races, allways is some victory or championship she won before their were other women in the runabout races, or maybe one or two more women, which at that time was more than alot of women racing in a men's runabout race, and that never happened around here until well into her second season on a runabout. Most of the time it was just Diane against the men, like when she took home the overall limited runabout title at the WF's. Her biggest regrets in racing was while out on the national tour the two years she did every race for Sea Doo Racing/ Watercraft Magic Racing, she could not practice between races. It was go to work on Mondays, get off work Thursday or Friday, board an airplane, dial in the boat for the conditions, wake up the next day and go racing. Competitors were not allowed to practice on the official racetrack or slalom course. If you wanted to run some bouys to practice, you had to bring your own and setup your own course, which was illegal at most race sites we visited on The Bud Tour because the lake patrol would not allow any private bouy race courses on their lakes or beaches. She only got a few days in that two year span to run a few "visual" race courses while out on a lake somewhere either at the site or nearby. She knew her #1 & #2 competitors were practicing daily between races, and she was running the whole show in our home, and when not keeping up with the chores here, she was working a stressfull and difficult job, and was lonely and felt abondened by me. It became too ruff on her to live two lives at one time. So, after placing 2nd in the 1996 WF's, she quit watercraft racing alltogether and has since been a kinder and greater person to know and be around, like she allways was before going out on the National Tour. She spends as much time as possible on her mountian bike and road bike since leaving watercraft racing behind her. She learned alot about herself from the experence, and overall, has very few regets and lot's of good memories and friends that she met along the way during her years racing, most of which she stays in contact with, or ask me about her all of the time and say to tell her she is missed. I supported her strongly when she got started racing, and I supported her decision to stop competing as I could see it was killing her spirit and was no longer what she wanted to do in life. She still enjoys going out for a little recreational riding with some of her friends now and then.

Now I am the one she cannot convince to quit alltogether. I, to this day, give as much help and support to as many people as I can afford to do timewise and as long as Watercraft Magic stays viable, and has provided me with a lifestyle and occupation that I truely enjoy almost all of the time since I started in the business, I will continue to do what I do.
I am an old crippled somewhat grumpy at times watercraft mechanic and shop owner. Until this business can no longer survive with me running it, I want to continue in the business and helping others become better watercraft owners, and users with knowledge of what a watercraft is really all about, both wrenching on it, and using it in a manner that is becoming of a good boater or racer and not contributing to the extinction of the sport so many of us has to enjoy.

I do believe that myself and many, many others, before and after me, belong in the HoF for all of the contributions to the sport and industry as a whole that they have given. Unfortunetly, like most HoF's of any sport, can only reccognise so few of us each year, and the choices are vast. So, if it happens, it happens, if not this year, maybe some other year. Even if it never happens for me, I know I had a role in it happening for many others to come, and one very special person in paticuliar.

Thank you for nominating me to the HoF. Today, I feel special, and you made it happen.
Bill O'Neal
WCM

bhambrook · 03-10-2010, 09:03 PM

Just sent my nomination for Bill O’Neal for the IJSBA Hall of Fame. Lets keep sending them in: info@ijsba.com

Thank you Bill for being so willing to share your wealth of knowledge of personal watercraft with us all.

Brent

Minnetonka4me · 03-13-2010, 07:29 PM

Email sent.

The question is...how is Bill not already in there???