AUGUST 18- Hoverlovers Awards Ceremony

Muscoda WI - August 17, 18 and 19 Continued (Page Two)

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I don't remember a hover-in yet that didn't threaten a shower or two, and as usual, the skies darkened at times or we had a shower in the evening, but nothing curtailed the awards ceremony! Sometime back Jerry Coffman and I had thought about giving the ultimate to deserving hovernauts.....those who had shown honesty, desire to help others and even made some rescues with their hovers. Jerry went ahead and drew up 2 fantastic blank awards and our minds started spinning. This was going to be fun. But now to pick those that would be the most deserving and save a few for next year!

Although the most difficult item was getting everyone together at the same time, we managed to pull it all off successfully. It went over so well, we will plan on doing it every year at some hover-in somewhere!

		Bob Steinhauer, Muscoda, WI,and his faithful Eagle 1 received the Hoverlovers Meritorious Service Award for his many rescue attempts on the Wisconsin River as well as his desire to promote hovercrafting.
		Ray Matthews, Freeport, IL, received the Hoverlovers Meritorious Service Award for his promotion of hovercrafting in his community and surrounding area as well as online. Ray also is instrumental in printing out flyers and pamphlets to hand out at hoverins and school demonstrations.
		The Silver Prop is the highest award any hovernaut can receive. It was determined we had 3 Silver Props to be awarded this year, and one of these went to Vernon Weber of Weber Hovercrafts, Cuba City, WI. Vernon has spent a great deal of his time on weekends (even Sunday afternoons) helping last minute hovernauts prepare their crafts for upcoming hoverins for very little (if any!) remuneration! Vernon has also been instrumental in school and club hovercraft demonstrations, occasionally coming to work to inform the rest of the Weber Hovercrafts crew that they had 'another one' to go to! Good job Vernon.
		The second Silver Prop is awarded to Verdon Weber, for all his support and generosity he has given to would-be hovernauts, schools, clubs and the general hovercraft public he has met at all the hover-ins he has attended. He has brought his SC23 to many schools, libraries, and clubs just to demonstrate what a hovercraft can do. He also has a model hovercraft that he has taken with him to gatherings and taught others how to build. What a hovernaut, huh?
		In the beginning, I said something about getting everyone together at the same time......the Gungels received their Hoverlovers Family Hovernaut Ambassador of the Year award later on Saturday after the morning awards ceremony. But this didn't dampen anyone's spirits.....it just gave us more time to get together and plan a 'fly by' formation with Peter in the lead. If you will recall, Peter was building the UH6F at the April Muscoda Hover-In and now has it completed....and looks forward to spreading his wings and flying a 10F at the next big hoverin-in!
In the spring of 2001, Dave LaCombe gave his UH10F to Brian Roesch, (and yes, it was running!).....and Brian decided that he would award Dave this surprise Hoverlovers Meritorious Service Award for all his generosity! This award was given on Sunday when I could get Dave and Brian in the same picture! Brian was running between football practice, DJ'ing and hovering, and didn't miss a beat! Dave's hover trailer broke down only about 11 miles from the boat landing, but with Dennis Alm's and other hovernaut's aid, he was able to get to the hover-in for some great hovering.
		But the best award, I felt, went to Carl Gorsuch, of Cincinnati, OH, who overcome massive opposing medical odds and completed his 4th hovercraft within a year's time. And he brought it to the hover-in for some real fun time! It was the hit of the landing! Carl's Award is the third Hoverlovers Silver Prop Award.

Well the weekend seems to be a great success now, and yet there's more! Turn to Page 3!