My dad grew up spending
summers in Lavallette NJ boating. Seeing several speed skiffs in the
area racing he purchased his own skiff in 1969 from Bud Bender. In the Mid 70's, at his automobile repair business
in Lansdowne PA he built his first mold and started building his own skiffs. As a little kid I remember watching the
races in Seaside Heights and Toms River. At one
time he had two skiffs that he built, racing during these times. In the late 80's I lost interest as a teenager
in the skiffs since we were not getting to the shore as much. After high school I concentrated on a small
construction business of my own. My dad having no-one left to skiff with sold his molds to a guy by the
name of Bruce "huck" Saunders, who built the GlassHopper. Bruce went on to win several championships with this boat. Bruce
since sold the Glasshopper to John Morris and it is now "Nite Works". John has since kept up the winning ways with this
skiff claiming several of his own championships.
I moved to Florida in 1999 for business reasons and in 2002, I had some
spare time finally to start skiffing again with dad. We took his last remaining skiff and built his 3rd set of molds, which
gave birth both to the JS-14 and the JS-19. The JS-14 was painted orange and was raced in ECBRC a few times back in 2004
with a 350 in it. I got Rookie of the Year in 2004 in the skiff class. Busy with work, I didn't return to ECBRC
till 2007. Along with a new skiff, the green JS-19, in the 375 class we campaigned both skiffs. The JS -19 was our second
skiff from the new mold and the first skiff to be built using epoxy resin, foam core, carbon fiber and vacuum bagging
technology borrowed from the top offshore boat builders such as Douglas Marine(Skater) and a good friend Doug Wright of CNC Design
Automation. We had a rough season in 2007, loosing the JS-14 skiff at the Barnegat race. Fighting setup all year in the JS-19 we
were finally able to pull off a win in the Class Championship 5 Lapper in Beach Haven.
A lot is going on over the winter. I bought
my dad's marine business and renamed it K2 Marine LLC. We're currently building a 3rd skiff
to replace the orange JS-14. A new all carbon fiber with Corecell foam Core throughout the entire boat - floor, sides,
bulkheads, transom and deck and adding a new canopy design. Plus the green JS-19 is having the motor replaced with the
305 chevy just back from HG after getting the salt water drained from the oil pan and will be run in the 315 stock class.
The new skiff is going to get the 350 dry sump chevy and run in the 375 modified class. We are also talking with a garvey
racer about building a new garvey for the possible 2009 season. Also a big THANKS to all that helped me out at the
Barnegat Race. The ECBRC is the best family of racers one could ask for.
