Oh, why do I REALLY want to go to a hoverin????

TROY OHIO - 2000!

A first timer's experience with the nation's largest Hover Rally!

		From the sight of the craft that won a Technology Innovation award a couple year's ago to..... (Don Bender, MI)
		One of the most profoundly known hovercrafts in the Midwest...... (Dean Pollee, MI)
		To hovercrafts that came here with one owner and went home with a new owner..... (Harold Carter, GA)
		it takes all kinds of hovercrafts to become the overall picture of the Midwest's largest National Hoverally....
		plus the award winning workmanship that goes into that pride! (Stephen Mayor, WV and BOB!)

Have you ever asked yourself, why do I even want to bother going to a hover rally?

I don't have a hovercraft.....I won't know anyone there......and they probably are a bunch of stand-offish club members not interested in outsiders attending their functions. And besides that, I couldn't afford one anyway.......but then again, I wonder what it's like?

Darrell in his UH!

Darrell Lashley thought it would be worth his while.....and in response has written the following article just for you--whether you are a wannabe hovercrafter, a novice or a pro. You'll have to appreciate his exemplary attitude keeping him high on hovercrafts! Read and enjoy...(pictures are also from Darrell!)

"As a new club (Hoverclub of America) member, I eagerly awaited that weekend in June to go out to Troy, Ohio for the Hoverally. My wife and I were on vacation at the beach, so I cut that short, and returned to Lancaster, Pa. to leave for the trip to Ohio an hour later. A lot of stormy weather on the way out, but the anticipation kept me going. Arriving late Friday evening, turned in early to get a good start on Saturday morning.

A fun day and fairly good weather, hot and humid, what a beautiful place to have the meet, a nice level area along the Miami River, and a levee along side, with great parking on a school lot adjacent to the levee on the other side. Across the river, another levee, right next to the river and a great view of some neat old buildings downtown in Troy.

I walked all over the pits area early, to get some photos, and soon the place was a beehive of activity. I felt like a kid in a candy store with all these hovercraft to look at.

Having built a homebuilt design, I can appreciate the work put into their craft, hovercraft of any size and color, and some made by commercial manufacturers such as Neoteric, and Weber, great looking machines.

Everyone was polite and helpful, and willing to go out of their way to be useful to other people. Bob Windt, of Universal Hovercraft, whom I met there, was everywhere, if he wasn't in the air with the WIG, he was helping someone out or giving some good advice.

I won't soon forget that great Ice-Cream snack wagon on top of the levee, pleasant people with great food. The races were interesting, with enough flexibility in the rules, that anyone could race as long as they met the safety standards.

Quite a good turnout of local people who either brought their own chairs, or sat on the edge of the levee, and a free show for them. I met a lot of nice people and have been in touch with some of them since I've been back.

A pleasant evening in a nearby park, with a picnic style dinner, under a large pravillion, and then the annual meeting . Some interesting stories, along the course of the evening, I enjoyed one in particular, from Chris Fitzgerald about the first hovercraft race in Australia.

All in all, a great day, this is an event all members should attempt to attend. Sunday got off to a rainy start, but then turned cool and breezy, I had to leave by lunchtime, to return home, with more bad weather on the way, but one thing for sure, I'll be back next year!"

There's a great group of hovernauts on the internet now.....they have their own egroup and constantly are in touch with one another.....most recently, this post happened, which sums up this whole event....

... I just have to say something here.  Something I've wanted to say for a while now.

The hovercraft community is a group of people who are the funnest group I've ever come in contact with.  It is medicinal, therapeutic, and a "secret treasure" of this world to me.  It is pure, uncorrupted fun, combined with intelligence, ingenuity, action and consequences.  It is a pleasure seeing people have this much fun, excitement, and camaraderie.  It is like small children playing some wonderful game.  And to make it all the more fascinating, the nature of all the messages and posts are that of - children.  Playful, helpful, innocent, excited, humorous and honest.  You'd never guess that such a large number of the hovercraft community are well over the age of 40 by reading the contents of these messages.  It is the communication of children at play.  Hovercrafting, it seems, is a fountain of youth. Though I can not claim to be interested in a lot of public hovercraft education and recruiting efforts (I like the idea of keeping it small, special, unregulated, and wonderfully astonishing to spectators - the fact that it's not mainstream is what makes it so wonderful), I love to see that the pure, true backbone of what makes the hovercraft community thrive - is 100% genuine good people.   I'm honored to have come in contact with you all. Bob Hodges, 32 http://www.rlhenterprises.com/hovercraft

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to Weber Hovercrafts Home Page and more Hoverins!

to Hoverins 2000 for more great coverage

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