As a frequent visitor to the lakes and waterways along the Colorado River it's nearly impossible to go to the water without hearing the adrenaline spiking sound of a high-horsepower big block as it thunders along the surface of my favorite stomping grounds. For all intents and purposes, Lake Havasu and surrounding areas is the birthplace of west coast performance boating. What started out as just some good old boys trying to one up their buddies each weekend in their flat-bottomed v-drive ski boats has evolved into an industry of big dollar, forced induction, rocket ships with a seemingly limitless supply of horsepower. Entire industries have been born out of the need to support the performance marine market and it's insatiable thirst for the next big thing. At the red hot center of this feeding frenzy, one manufacturer has emerged as the mark by which others are being compared. Dave's Custom Boats, or DCB, has become the industry standard on the west coast for what a performance boat should and could be. Since their start in 1990, DCB has continually produced machines that raise the bar on quality and finish and this weekend I had the opportunity to get a first hand look at what makes these boats so special. This is the story of the 2013 DCB Regatta...



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A couple of weeks ago I was talking with River Dave on the phone about upcoming events. Dave made mention to me that the DCB Regatta and the Schiada Notta Regatta were the same weekend and he wasn't sure how he was going to go about covering the two events. I had the weekend open and, since I've never had the chance to take a close look at any DCB's, I volunteered to head to the Nautical Inn Resort in Lake Havasu to shoot some photos and take in the event. Dave accepted and the plan was set.

Now, I'm a small boat guy and I choose to spend as much of my boating time as possible on the infamous Parker Strip. As such, I've not had much experience with boats larger than 23 feet, so the proposition of photographing boats ranging from 26' to 41' and upwards of 2700 horsepower under the hatches was intriguing. To be honest, however, I was a little nervous and unsure of how I was going to like the whole DCB scene. I mean some of the door prizes that DCB gave away at the banquet are worth more than my whole boat! Plus, all my buddies were going to be down in Parker for the Schiada Regatta and I'd heard rumors of DCB owners being black sock wearing, tattooed, ego maniacs... What had I gotten myself into!?

I figured the best thing to do was to head down to the water and just start shooting photos of the boats and see if I could get a feel for what lay ahead. It was Friday evening and boats were just starting to show up to the Nautical, which serves as ground zero for most of the big performance boating events that come to town. I walked around a bit and everything seemed pretty normal so I got to shooting. I want to make note of something here. As a photographer, sometimes you are faced with the unenviable task of making something that is categorically uncool, look like the Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Issue. This is not the case with DCB's line of boats. If you were stumbling drunk with a disposable Kodak camera you would come away with pictures that look amazing. You just can't take a bad photo of these things! I had a great time getting some shots of the boats as the sun was sneaking out of site behind the cover of the suites that line the shore of the resort.



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Once the last drop of available light had faded away it was time to swallow my anxiety and head over to the pool area where DCB owners from all over the country and even as far away as Canada were gathering to register for the Regatta and buy their hands for the following day's poker run. I walked through the gate armed with a stack of RDP shirts and my camera and prepared for what I imagined would be a total shunning by everyone in attendance. What I encountered was something else entirely. First off, where were all the black socks? These people were wearing sandals just like any self respecting river rat. And yes there were tattoos, but you can't even walk through a nursing home these days without seeing some serious tribal arm bands, so what's the difference? Instead of being treated like some pariah with a camera, I was pleasantly surprised when someone walked up and said "Hey, are you from RiverDavesPlace?" Even better was this gentleman's willingness to take me over to Peggi Vincent, Executive Secretary at DCB, to drop off the shirts and then make sure to introduce me to Dave Hemmingson, the founder of DCB and the man responsible for all these great boats and people coming together. So far, so good!

After being introduced to Dave we were politely interrupted by a gentleman who just wanted to thank Dave and his team for building an incredible product and more so for building a community of enthusiasts around the brand. The way Mr. Hemmingson gave his attention to this gentleman you would have thought that he was the owner of the new red M41 that was unveiled just recently, but in reality the man owned one of the smallest boats in attendance. It's sometimes the small things that tell you what kind of person you are dealing with. Granted, Dave Hemmingson builds a great product that demands respect from even his staunchest critics, but it was this brief conversation with one of his clients that impressed me the most.

Dave went on to introduce me to Tony Chiaramonte of DCB and a few other key folks and certainly gave me more of his time than he needed to. To say that the DCB stereotype of the of folks in attendance is mistaken would be a gross understatement. Everyone I encountered were pleasant and it soon became apparent that people who love boating are largely cut from the same cloth. This was shaping up to be a great weekend!



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The following morning came quickly. From my standpoint there is no better time of day to shoot pictures than in the early morning. The morning light casts a dramatic tone over everything and there is a stillness that only happens just before the sun rises. It was a great morning to be at the lake and once again the boats made my job easy. Do yourself a favor and get up to watch the sun rise once in a while... It's always worth it!

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After a quick breakfast at Makai Cafe I headed back down to the Nautical to get some more photos and listen in on the driver's meeting which took place just before the poker run was to begin. As I was taking pictures of the blue M31, which was one of my favorite boats at this year's Desert Storm poker run, I heard "Hey, Tom!". I turned around to find Dave Hemmingson and the owner of the very boat I was shooting, Brad Macaulay from British Columbia. Dave told me that Brad had offered to let me tag along in his boat for the poker run. As I tried not to act like a teenage girl at a Bieber show, I thanked Brad and Dave and got myself ready for the pending thrill ride. Once again Dave and his friends dispelled the stereotype in stellar fashion!

Right next to Brad's M31 was the brand new M29. This is a new model for DCB and was rigged with twin Merc 300XS outboards. The boat is flat out beautiful with the ominous whackers hanging off the back and its clean, tasteful gel scheme. DCB does a great job blending style with absolute function and the M29 is no exception!

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Shortly after introductions we were set to head out for the parade through the Channel and then on to the poker run. Brad and his wife, Cindy made me feel right at home in their amazing boat and we made small talk as we waited for all the boats to gather in Thompson Bay to start the Parade. Brad and Cindy tow their DCB all over the western U.S. enjoying poker runs and other events as they make ample use of their wonderful machine. This rig is no trailer queen. Just two weeks prior they had been in Lake Powell for the Lake Powell Challenge poker run and the M31 was out on the water for most of the DCB Regatta weekend. Brad and Cindy were wonderful hosts and I'd like to thank them again for such a fun ride!

For the poker run we ran with Charlie Brown in the orange M35s, another favorite of mine. We also ran across the red M41 in addition to Skaters "Predator" and "Lick This" out making sure Skater had proper representation on the water.

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I can say this about my ride in the M31. These rigs really show you what's possible in performance boat manufacturing. The refinement of these boats is completely off the charts! The experience is more akin to a ride in an exotic sports car than a lake bred hot rod. There are no squeaks or rattles, only the indescribable whistle of the the twin 1100 horsepower Mercs as they sling shot you across the lake. It's an absolute, e-ticket, thrill ride in the lap of luxury! The only way I could describe this boat is, it's what every boat wants to be when it grows up!

After the poker run I thanked Brad and Cindy for the hospitality and packed up my gear. As I drove away I replayed the events of the weekend in my head. To say I had a great time would do the event an injustice. The 2013 DCB Regatta was a first class event to be sure, but what I took away from this weekend is very simply, we are all boaters. I don' t care if you have a 1979 jet boat with a 455 Olds or a 2700 horsepower DCB the love for being out on the lake and enjoying the ride is the same. Some folks wear black socks, some wear white socks, and some people never wear socks, but if you are a boater you can rest assured that other boaters are going to want to tip a cold drink and talk about the epic day they just had on the water. So, if that sounds like your kind of people you are in the right place!

See you on the water!

Tom Leigh (PinkTaco)

To view all of the photos from the weekend check out my Facebook page HERE

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