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Terry Berkis
08-16-2006, 03:35 PM
I just happened to stumble upon this website and found a picture of my father Oley Berkis...I would be interested if anyone had any more...I also have some to share....thanks

RBT
08-16-2006, 10:05 PM
WOW, I am assuming this Oley was your dad. I have some from him racing in gravenhurst WAAAAAAAAAAAAY back.
Let me see if I can dig them up.

RT

Terry Berkis
08-17-2006, 05:15 AM
Yes,
He sure was! lol! Oley died 14 years ago and had 2 daughters and a son...Dan...who died this past March. So there is just my sister and I left...I would love to hear old stories, etc. if anyone knows of any.

Thanks, Terry

terry taylor
08-17-2006, 07:49 AM
I was a spectator many years, had spoken to your father [a great guy]. I aways admired his devout ability, and persona, this led me to compete in SJ.tunnel 150 XS during this time I fufilled my ambition, And having shared it with his precence has been a great memory.

baldad45
08-21-2006, 09:41 PM
I never knew your dad but was told by one of his peers that the tunnel hull I have was raced by him. I would love to see any pictures you have of the boats he raced.113371

peterse90
08-23-2006, 01:28 PM
Yes,
He sure was! lol! Oley died 14 years ago and had 2 daughters and a son...Dan...who died this past March. So there is just my sister and I left...I would love to hear old stories, etc. if anyone knows of any.

Thanks, Terry

Best source of information about Oley Berkis would be from Mark Rotharmel, Rob Scythes, Fred Wolf and Alex Hledin.
Mark was Oley's Mercury team mate from 1975 to 1979, then from 1980 to about 1984 they competed against each other on the water but were always friends on land.
Rob Scythes raced against Oley in the early 1980's and also did lots of work on Oley's boats.
Fred Wolf ran Mercury Racing in Canada
Oley drove for Alex Hledin when Mercury pulled its factory racing team in 1980. Oley was driving for Alex when he had the horrific blow over on the Saturday before Valleyfield in 1980. That accident put Oley out for about a year.
I have lots of pictures from 1974 to about 1984.

AnthonySS
08-23-2006, 02:19 PM
TERRY,

Many years ago a guy named Kevin approached me at the boat show after seeing a portarit shot I got of your Dad at a Dunville event around 1990....he liked the shot and asked if I would send him a copy...well I lost Kevin's adress and I still have the blow up (Kevin actually said his last name was Berkis too)

So the picture is still up for dibs...however I will have to find it as we recently moved :)

BTW...welcome to SnF as your Dad was one of the best;)

AnthonySS
08-23-2006, 02:25 PM
These Photos and adds are courtesy of Mark Rotharmel

of course you know who 44 is ;)

peterse90
08-23-2006, 02:48 PM
These Photos and adds are courtesy of Mark Rotharmel

of course you know who 44 is ;)

Great picture...1974 Canadian Mercury Racing Team;
#44 Oley Berkis bright red marathon Molinari
#S-1 Spencer Dunn white sprint Molinari (Spencer was virtually unbeatable with this boat).
#11 Mark Rotharmel; U class
#501 Bert Serra who although lived in Michigan liked Canadian racing (and ladies) so much he raced in Canada throughout that year.

Terry Berkis
08-23-2006, 06:26 PM
Thanks to everyone who is contacting me! AnthonySS...thanks for the photos, etc. from Mark. I actually just saw him in March...for my brother's funeral...for those of you who may have know Danny...Dan....Dana....he passed away at the age of 52 this past March 16....very very sad. I saw Fred Wolf last Friday and told him about this website...Kevin is my cousin, and his last name is not Berkis...it is Kinch. I would love to see the photo...I talk with Kevin on a regular basis...he has moved to Ohio...but I will let him know.

AnthonySS
08-24-2006, 02:41 PM
THANKS Terry...I will have a look for the photo this weekend :)

I don't remeber who sent me this photo but it was from Canadain Boating Magazine

AnthonySS
08-24-2006, 02:45 PM
Another

AnthonySS
08-24-2006, 02:48 PM
Freddy Fincham...even made this add...Fred still usually joins us on the Rice Lake Charity Poker Run:)

peterse90
08-24-2006, 09:07 PM
First race that I ever went to, and I vaguely remember Oley, was Cherry Beach 1971. Oley was running a rocker bottom Molinari with stock 135 Merc, the same boat he ran in 1972.
In 1973 Oley and Spencer Dunn were the Canadian Mercury factory racing team in S class. Spencer had a smaller sprint boat while Oley had a larger marathon boat. In 1973 in Magog at the Marathon Nationals Spencer blew his smaller Molinari over right at the start line leaving Oley to hold off OMC's Tom Wood and Jim Cascadden to win the 1973 Marathon Nationals. I think this was Oley's first major win (Mark Rotharmel may correct me on this). Oley finished 8th and first Canadian in this same boat at the PS-100 race in Toronto (won by Reggie Fountain).
My favourite Oley boat was the red 1974 pickle-fork pictured above. Oley came 10th and was second Canadian in the Toronto PS-100 held September 1974 in that boat (Jimbo McConnell won the race).
Here are 2 pictures of some of Oley's boats; the 1973 Molinari full front marathon boat and a pickle-fork Molinari Oley raced in either 1975 or 1976 that was pictured on the cover of the Picton Race Program.

peterse90
08-24-2006, 09:25 PM
Here are 2 more Oley boats.
Oley's 1978 Twistercraft pictured at St. Louis. Oley's Twistercraft was often mistaken for a Seebold because it had Seebold front and rear cowlings (expertly installed by John Scythes). I brought these cowlings from Seebold's St. Louis shop on top of my Seebold SE boat as a favour for Oley and Fred Wolf in April of 1978.
The other picture is from the front cover of the Gravenhurst Race Program for 1983. This was Alex Hledin's Seebold boat with Alex's own top secret fuel injection system. I think this may have been Oley's last boat, he drove it from 1981 untill he re-tired.

Hydrovector
08-25-2006, 06:33 AM
I do believe I have some video footage of Oley running in Dunnville.
I got to dig out the videos and check. I remember him making eveyone else look slow!!

Jimboat
08-25-2006, 07:52 AM
Hi Terry - Here's a few more pics of Oley from my archives. It was good to see you in March in Cambridge ... a sad day though. Boat Racing in Canada would not have been the same without Oley, Dana and both you girls. My fondest memories are of those days! (Send me a PM or email sometime).

Oley in Mercury Racing Poster (1984)
Oley in 1979 St.Louis crash (1979)
Oley with Tom (Wood) and Mark (Rotharmel) - 3 amigos

/Jim Russell

BMourant
11-23-2006, 01:13 PM
I just happened to stumble upon this website and found a picture of my father Oley Berkis...I would be interested if anyone had any more...I also have some to share....thanks

Hi Terry....I was on Mercs racing team back in the 70's was a good friend of your dad....I have should have some pics of your dad in one of my albums ...would be happy to email to you.....bet I have one with you in it...lol........bmourant@shaw.ca ...............

BrianSmith
12-06-2006, 07:59 PM
Hi there. I remember your dad. He was a pretty great guy and a keen competitor. The pic of the black Moly is I guess of one of his first boats. Over the seasons we met up with him, Spencer, Tommy, Freddy, Mark, Francis Kennett and others when we returned to racing in Canada.

Really a great time. The pics within the post of Fred Finchams #7 boat are actually of the sprint we sold to him to run in SJ. Pretty scary ride with a C6! I almost totalled myself with it in Parry Sound when I barrel-rolled it in front of Andre Savard.

Brian

tammyw
12-12-2006, 09:44 PM
Terry,
I am so sorry to hear about Danny. I wish I could have made it to the funeral but was racing, as usual. We have some old pictures of your dad and Danny, if you would like them, please let me know and ofcourse I will email them to you.
If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Love always,
Tammy Woolf, Miss Behavin #8, SSt 60

kerrieb
04-27-2007, 09:47 AM
Hi - I am the oldest daughter of Oley Berkis and stumbled on this website recently. WOW! Great old memories. I also would appreciate any photos anyone has because I am assembling them for my kids that never got to know their grandfather. Thanks. Kerrie (Berkis) Bolton

BrianSmith
04-27-2007, 12:36 PM
Hi there: I remember the Berkis Clan well...especially your father. For Oley, racing was truly a "family affair".
I am living in the souther part of Mexico now.

Brian Smith (CANTEK RACING)

kerrieb
04-27-2007, 04:46 PM
Brian - I remember you well. I was only a teenager then (far too long ago) and always enjoyed the excitement of the racing world in those days. I don't know if its what I'd want for my kids now - but boy did we have fun!
Kerrie

kerrieb
04-27-2007, 04:54 PM
Just a little more information. Oley actually did not retire. He raced the summer of 1991 and had just passed the medical physical exam to race again the next season (two months before his 61st birthday). He was skiing Whistler in April 1992 and died of a heart attack on the mountain. Always the thrill seeker, he went the way he would have wanted. Kerrie (Berkis) Bolton

Jimboat
04-30-2007, 08:40 AM
Terry/Kerrie - here is one more pic of Oley that I came across.

/Jim

jimmyjr
05-10-2007, 03:09 PM
.i was just talking to my dad and he sure remembers oley.he only had great things to say.oley was a hard competitor.my dads name is jim cascadden

kerrieb
05-11-2007, 11:51 AM
Although I was only a teenager when our fathers raced, I know that Jim Cascadden was a tough competitor. I also know that my father, Oley, respected Jim very much as a racer and as a man of integrity, always speeking very well of him.

Jeff Lytle
02-16-2008, 10:16 AM
Here's a pic of Henk Engels and Oley taken at either the Sportsman Show, or the Boat Show in Toronto many years ago.

For a few years, the booth was always in the same spot all the time. In the rear of the booth, up against the back wall was a door that led to a small service room full of valves and meters. It was great cause it allowed us a place to put our stuff, and also a place to have a bit of peace and quiet if you wanted to take a break.

I was about 18 at the time......Henk asked if I could go get 3 Cokes, which I did. He and Oley went to the back room, one of them said that they had some rye, and they were going for a drink. I went in and took this pic shortly afterwards.

Oley seemed to having a great time!! :D :D

kerrieb
02-16-2008, 11:42 AM
Great photo! Thanks for the memories of my dad.
Kerrie:)

stoole
11-20-2008, 04:45 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDDzA0TuLxE

Mark75H
11-20-2008, 06:51 PM
Cool! Thanks, Scott!

stoole
11-23-2008, 02:42 PM
Hopefully i'll get some more cool footage ready sooner then later

Jeff Lytle
01-07-2009, 07:38 PM
http://www.hydroplanequebec.com/video/vintage%2008/dunnville91moduh1.wmv


With Oley, Tom Henderson, Tom Woods, Bill, Rob........Tom is smokin' in the Evinrude V8 #24!