What Better Way to Start a New Year (2014) and Honor One of Their Own Than to Have a Meet-Up.

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While two-thirds of the country is locked in a deep-freeze with sub-zero temperatures, Southern California jet boaters were breaking out the sunblock for a day on Lake Elsinore at the annual Tom Papp Memorial Run.
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This semi-impromptu gathering of jet-setters was a just-after New Year’s tradition, honoring the passing of one of the most popular and
proficient jet boat guru’s of the high performance west coast scene.
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Papp was a master of all things jet boat related, including hull design, set-up, hardware, rigging, pump tricks and engines.
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An incredible number of river racers and dragsters flowed through his Riverside shop at one time or another seeking advice and expertise, including Mr. RoadKill TV himself, Mike Finnegan.

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Over the years, the event has grown mainly through word-of-mouth. There are no sign-ups or entry fees, just show up, behave yourself and have a good time. It also doesn’t hurt that Southern California always seems to come through with incredible sunny skies and glass smooth water in January.

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This year, 2014, somewhere on the plus side of eighty boats lined the launch ramp to remember and swap stories about Tom.
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The equipment came in all shapes and sizes from full-on race boats to bone-stock family cruisers….just the way Tom would have liked it.
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