BIG Pete – GILFLITE Boats

This GILFLITE Laser earns the tittle of ‘The Family Heirloom Boat’

Here is a heartfelt story on how this GILFLITE found it’s way back into the home of the child who’s family created many fantastic memories growing up, sharing ‘good times’ skiing with their GILFLITE Laser…….

Hey Paula, here are some photos and a quick rundown of how I found Anita’s Dads first GILFLITE.

The above photo is my wife, her brother & her Mum in the boat as kids (back in the day)

As all my friends know, I LOVE GILFLITE Laser’s.

I was looking at this Laser on Market Place and went and showed Anita, my wife’s Dad.

He goes “that looks like my old boat” ……..

We went through some more of the photos in the ad, and notice that this boat has a 351 Clevland motor in it, and he mentioned that the Laser he had previously owned had also been powered by a 351 Clevland motor.

Which I thought was unusual as most of them you see have the 350 Chev motors.

Over the next few weeks, I did some more digging, trying to find some old photos of this Laser when he owned it, as I wanted to match up the rego numbers.

I remember, Anita’s Dad, whose name was ‘Big Pete’, told me he bought the boat off a friend of ours, Brett Sands (a world renown Australian water ski champion – https://www.brettsands.com.au/ ).

So, I gave Brett a call, and he told me that he had a heap of photos somewhere and would follow it up for me.

During this time, sadly my father in-law had passed away due to illness, which made me want this GILFLITE Laser so much more!!

A few days later Brett sent me heaps of photos and it was indeed the same GILFLITE Laser that he had sold to my father in-law, many years ago.

(Which after many more years of family fun & creating many happy memories, my father-in-law eventually sold). Now I was determined to buy it back!

The boat still has the same original GILFLITE training bar which Brett & his Dad had installed, same original trailer and all.

I was in Adelaide at the time, so I rang the guy who had the Laser for sale, transferred him a deposit and drove home (back to Vic), the next day and picked it up from Melbourne!!

“Amazing how these things work out” ! On one very special day recently, the occasion was enjoyed where I was able to surprise my wife’s family with their original family boat…..

‘The one and only GILFLITE Laser’ – now our Family Heirloom GILFLITE’

I had the boat parked in their garage with a Slab of VB on the deck in honour of my Father In-law.

We have now named the boat “ BIG PETE”

And Pete’s grandkids will learn to ski behind his original GILFLITE Laser – now our Family Heirloom GILFLITE – and eventually this special GILFLITE will be passed onto our children.

Here are some photos for you to enjoy, we are absolutely hanging for our first season with the boat at our house on the river In Moama!

The first photo is my wife, her brother & her Mum in the boat as kids.