Man In Motion
- vol. 14 # 5
by Steve Fennell
Since 2007, Bill Gogel has been running with the best of them at performance boating events across North America and has established a strong presence on the poker run scene.
Over the course of nearly two decades, poker runs have captured the attention of the performance boating community, affording the opportunity to enjoy the thrill of speed with family and friends in an unintimidating environment. Performance boat manufacturers have also jumped on the band wagon in recent years, sponsoring events, designing exclusive poker run edition models, and introducing countless new customers to the fascinating sport.
Whether they are 36 or 66, enthusiasts of all ages enjoy the thrill of wave-riding action at venues across North America. In fact, it wasn’t until long-time poker runner Bill Gogel of Daytona, FL, was in his mid-40s when he caught the performance bug and began attending poker runs.
An avid boater since he was 19, Gogel has owned and operated a series of boats of all types but his outlook on boating changed forever in 2007 which he visited the headquarters of Velocity Powerboats in Sanford, FL.
“I often drove past Velocity and I always wanted a performance boat. I finally stopped in a few times but could never make a decision to buy one. Finally one day, I went over and spoke with Kenny Hohwiesner (general manager for Velocity) and Steve Stepp (company owner) and they sold me my first Velocity, a 32.”
While Gogel contemplated the purchase, it was the helpful insight provided by Hohwiesner and Stepp that led to the ultimate decision.
“Basically I was a novice with performance boats,” says Gogel “I wanted to have a model that was about the safest it could be. I feel Velocity is one of the safest boats out there. It doesn’t have a stepped hull, but after talking to Steve who has raced for years, he explained it’s hard enough for racers running the stepped hulls, let alone novice boaters. After talking to him, I felt very comfortable and I bought my first performance boat.”
A short time later, after extensively running his 32,’ Gogel once again visited Velocity. This time he saw an all-new 390 in production and “fell in love with it.” A few years later, he bought it without a second thought.
Since then, a poker run season hasn’t gone by without Gogel and his family attending any number of events. As Gogel says, they have attended events from Key West to Canada.
With such enthusiasm for performance boating events, he attributes part of his passion for performance boating to the service and dedication provided by Stepp and Hohwiesner. In fact, Hohwiesner attends nearly every run with Gogel and his family. When he is not there, service or help from Velocity is never far away.
Gogel’s first event was at a run in Jacksonville in 2007. After his 32’ had minor mechanical problems, he called Hohwiesner who came to the event and fixed the problem on the spot. A little more than two years later, at the same event, the starter on his 390 failed. As Hohwiesner was at the run, he simply went out, bought a new starter and had Gogel’s 390 running in time for the green flag to drop.
“He is just that type of guy,” says Gogel. “He even delivered my boat to and from the 1000 Islands Poker Run in 2009, while we flew. I feel he is there for us when we need him and both Steve and Kenny have been very good to my family and I. Kenny and Steve are more like friends now. They come over to family functions at my house and everything. They are just nice guys.”
Gogel’s 390 Velocity comes in at an LOA of 39’8,” narrow beam of 8’3,” and has a weight of approximately 9,500 pounds. Providing the power are twin staggered Mercury Racing 700 SCi engines that deliver speeds in excess of 115 mph. With poker runs still heavy on his agenda, Gogel feels his 390 will easily stand up to the test, not only from a performance standpoint but from a safety aspect as well.
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