WOW, Tommy Ige, October 15, 2014: Mr. Yamato

[Ron Hill]

We thought Tommy had died. My late brother, Russ Hill, Jr. looked for Tommy in"UP COUNTRY" on Maui, Hawaii, 2013. He knocked on the door of all five "IGE's" in Maui. None of the five knew Tommy. The current governor of Hawaii is IGE.

Because Tommy's phone was no longer connected and Russ couldn't find him, we assumed he had passed. Last week, Mark Ward, Yamato Distributor in England, told me Tommy had been at Yamato factory the week before he was there.

I called Tommy, today, and told him my brother had died in December, He said his wife had died in December, also. I said, "Come and live with us, you ar e only 89." He said, "I live on a golf course why would I leave Hawaii?"

Asked Tommy how Yamato got into the outboard business. He admitted, that Yamato had copied his Mercury KG-7. Something, we always suspected.

I told Tommy we laughed and cried, two weeks ago remembering when he was going to pull my brother on water skiis, when we spread my brother's ashes in Needles.

[Ron Hill]

ADD: TOMMY IGE!!!

My brother lived two doors from Jack Snow (Norte Dame/Rams Jack Snow)... As the Snow's kids grew, JT Snow hung out with Bunker... Mary Carol, JT's late mother was very protective of JT for many reasons, and for the right reasons... But JT (San Francisco Giants JT)...and Bunker were good kids, and pretty much did as they pleased...

We are heading to Needles, in June for a week. Tommy Ige "Invites" himself...which we are all pleased really, but we give him static for coming with "US"...

Tommy loved those Yamatoes and believed they could do anything. He had this little Vee Hull he used as a patrol boat and even raced it once...he had dreams a of a Vee Hull class, I liked the idea, but no one else did...

Tommy had never been to Needles in June...it is 110 degrees at 8 o'clock in the morning. Tommy tells my brother he's going to pull him on skiis...The current is like 15 mph. I tell Tommy he's totally crazy.. Tommy starts this Model 80 and tries to pull my brother, my brother is pulling the boat backward..after they disappear out of sight....and 20 minutes later...

Tommy, dejectedly, says to Russ..."Russ, you drive, I'll water...." (Not water Ski...water)...

Russ pulled Tommy up on skis, he skied by us....then dropped off...

Then he let JT and Bunker take the boat out...even though Mary Carol's last words to us were, "Don't let JT drive the boat." Tommy gave them a 5 gallon can and a funnel. I told JT and Bunker to go up river...so when you ran out you can float back...as it turned, it was pretty cool...they'd go up river until we couldn't see them....then run out of gas...time they'd get her gassed back up and fired up again...they'd be floating back in front of camp....They ran that mother for 5 days...burned about 20 gallons a day.....Tommy never got another ride...He said they were having fun, let'm go... After that week I had a ton of respect for the Yamato 80...(Spring 1977).

That was thirty years ago, but when the family goes skiing today....The question always is, "You driving Russ or you gonna WATER?" (Even if Russ isn't in the boat, that is what we say....we liked Tommy)...

I sold 18 Model 80's for Tommy that year!!! (More than he sold).

[Ron Hill]

Tom Ige...says he misses us all...
Tom Ige

We had a race in Brawley, in the spring of 1976. Brawley is a small town that isn't far from the Mexican border, we race there in fresh water that is Coloradro River run off from irrigation. Irrigation water has too much salt, so they run it off into the Salton Sea....The whole area is 150 below sea level and as a result, even though Brawley is below sea level, and the lake is tiny, we could always show so very fast speeds there...The lake and area hasn't changed since the first time I went there in 1956...

I'm unloading my D Runabout...no carts for me, (Or anyone else for that matter).. we lifted that "SUCKER"... and a small man introduces himself and I immediately forget his name... He said did I sell any of those props in my trailer??? I said, "Sure." He said he needed "SOME." The word some got my attention. Had had like twenty hanging in my trailer.... He looked at several, aasked prices, then disappeared....

I go back to setting up my boat. A few minutes later he comes back was cash to buy like three props... I say, "This is cool, because those props ain't that great." He says he's going to need more... I say wonderful. He leaves and a few minutes later he comes back with more cash, says, "He wants the rest." This time I ask him what was your name, again... He says, "Tom Ige" and his adds, in his always nice voice, I'm the importer of Yamato Outboards... I say cool and head to the motorhome with my cash...

The club's race chairman's name is Frank Pruess, somehow he puts a class together for these "Tomatoes" (The have red cowlings and some names that sounds like tomato)...

Well, the five minute guns goes off, Tommy has LOADED like four motors out...and they crank them for a full 5 minutes and not one starts. They like sort a like the early Konig's, so my first thought was that the crank pins had slipped and they'd never run...

But Tommy went over and started one, then the next, finally they all were running. I felt sorry for this nice man, I figured by the end of the day he'd have four broken outboard motors...

Mark Pruess, my cousin, John Heggenburger, Richard O'Dell and I don't recall who ran them...on Saturday and Sunday...The motors ran both days, on Sunday EVERYONE gave them back.... As I say the guy (Tommy) leave I thought we'd probably never see him again.

Monday or Tuesday, Farnk Pruess came by as we were working on the 1977 NationalS bid... He said he was foing to buy one...One what??? A Yamato 80, he said they only cost $300. I figured, they'd be about $1,500.

For $300 I knew they had to be JUNK... But we ran a race at Bakersfield, and they ran all weekend, and they guys actaully bought two from Tommy. Tommy said they'd run for ever...we started believing him....Tommy was at every race and by the end of the year, we had maybe 10 guys who has raced the Yamatos and we'd had no engine failures,,,,and if they turned over, Tommy had them running in no time...

In the spring of 1977, I'm Region 12 Chairman and I print $20,000 brochures to promote boat racing...Ron Eisely, a Super J driver prints them at a very good cost to the Region. The boat show is in January, I start passing the brochures out at MY BOOTH (Region 12's, but I got it for free)...and Tom Ige (pronounced EE GAY) has a Yamato booth and he gives out brochures everyday for ten days...

I buy three Yamatoes at $318 each including tax and get the local drivers to make a list. We sell ten new drivers on my "NOVICE" Class...Yamato prop, B hydro boat..

Tommy and I have so much fun we sign up for another boat show...

At the 1977 Nationals we run 20 SS Hydro as we called it, becasue it had 20 Cubic inches... Bakersfield Nationals is a hugh success, thanks in part to Tommy giving away motr parts and buying adds and helping the club...

By the end of 1977 SCOA, our club, has $10,000 in the bank...

The next few years, Stock Outboarding grows...Thanks to Tommy Ige "OUR JAPANES AMERICAN". Tommy was running RB with his Yamato, and at the kilos he blew over and broke his back...

While he was recovering, Tommy was retired military and his wife was from Hawaii...Tommy and his wife decided to sell the Yamato business and return to Hawaii...

I talked to Tommy yesterday...he's well, enjoying Hawaii..he doesn't internet, like he told me the last time I called him...but he says he misses boat racing and the good times we had...

I was looking through an old Speed and Spay magazine, in a letter to the editor, there was a letter by Tom Ige...dated 1952, US. Military APO for an address...He's been a boat racing lover all his life...

Outboard racing owes Tommy a lot, he brought us the Yamato!!!!

Thanks, Tommy...the next time I'm in Maui...I'll stop and see you....

Add; We use to bet heavy on who would win, Tommy or Me....Big bucks...like $5.00 a heat......I always won...always, but Tommy always paid and would bet the next race......

Once at Brawley, I ran fifth the first heat, Tommy came down and wanted to double our bet......considering I'd taken his money all season, I figured, sure we acan double the best.....(I'd run my D Stock Hydro agains the B Alkyies)..sort of a set up, but down...

So, I head for the clock with about 45 seconds left, I drop off plane and idle...these alkies can't idle...all four B Alky guys jump...I win...Tommy CHEERFULLY pays the bet....

Next spring I sell my D Hydro to Jimmy Dawe and start running MOD VP....

I didn't see Tommy much after that!!! I doubt he ever made a dime from selling the motrs, but he enjoed every minute!!!

[Stuart]

Thanks for putting this up Ron. I can't say I knew Tommy well but he did let me drive one of his rb's back in 80. Also gave us quite the scare when he blew over in modesto kilos. Still remember loading him in the chopper. Glad to here he is doing well.

[CPO BOATS]

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=54548&stc=1&d=1374452127

I hope you can open the picture for the 4 point hydro with a Yamato. Tommy was so helpful at every race, what a great Gentleman. I truly hope that Tommy is in whatever boat racing hall of fame. He do so much for stock outboards from 1976 till I guess 1980.
Much like your stories Ron, "in a loving way" my Dad and I laughed for years after. I blew over at the regionals by Indo Ca. Tommy came running over yelling YOU FLIP!! I Don't know you flip" Tommy had the engine running in less then 10 minutes. What a great man.

[Ron Hill]

One thing I said for years and will continue to say it, "Injuries or fear of injuries, has cost boat racing many, many people."

Tommy Ige got his Model 80 (RB) going very fast, but he "BLEW OVER" and broke his back. As he recovered, he decided to listen to his wife and move to Maui and play golf.

Few people were ever more enthusiastic than Tommy, before his accident.

This is all the more reason SAFETY must become PLAN NUMBER ONE, if boat racing is to survive.

[Ron Hill]

http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=54548&stc=1&d=1374452127

I hope you can open the picture for the 4 point hydro with a Yamato. Tommy was so helpful at every race, what a great Gentleman. I truly hope that Tommy is in whatever boat racing hall of fame. He do so much for stock outboards from 1976 till I guess 1980.
Much like your stories Ron, "in a loving way" my Dad and I laughed for years after. I blew over at the regionals by Indio Ca. Tommy came running over yelling YOU FLIP!! I Don't know you flip" Tommy had the engine running in less then 10 minutes. What a great man.

It sounds like Tommy. Tommy always carried his weight. His word was always good. His English was always lacking, a little. But when he told my brother, "I water you drive, Russ." My brother knew Tommy wanted to ski and he wanted Russ to drive. (As my brother was pulling Tommy's boat down river backwards with the current).