2012 Wooden Boat Challenge Competitors Georgetown Wooden Boat Show | Georgetown, SC

Team #1 Jay Park and Kyle Rahner Myrtle Beach, SC Jay is the manager of Ferguson Enterprises and spends the majority of his time fishing in Winyah Bay and North Inlet. Kyle, father of Madison and Hannah, is the plumbing manager at Carolina Cool and enjoys woodworking, boating and riding motorcycles. This is their first attempt at the Challenge.
Team #2 Zack Westmoreland and Nick Westmoreland Myrtle Beach, SC These brothers are competing together for the first time. Zack is a Carpenter Extraordinaire at Bruce Construction and loves to work with wood of any shape or form, but finds that he spends most of his time whittling. He is most proud of last year’s “broken oar award”. Nick is a Mechanical Prodigy at the Timmonsville Garage. His veins pump 10W-30 and he is fluent in both English and metric. He shares his passion for hot rods with his three year old son William. When he is not swinging wrenches he can be found in the deepest, snakiest holes trying to hook a few fish.
Team #3 Joshua Dupree and Cale Cauley St. Stephens, SC This is the third attempt at the Challenge. They tied for 5th place last year with a time of 3:36:11. These guys went to high school together, then into the Air Force, and spend their free time modifying boats.
Team #4 Ken Stouffer and Warren Nelson Georgetown and Pawleys Island, SC Ken and Warren are owners of Canvas Home Improvements, LLC. Ken, a carpenter for 40 years, builds furniture and is about to finish a 17 ft. dory. He has been an exhibitor at the Boat Show several times over the years. Warren is a construction consultant, homebuilder, carpenter and goes fishing every chance he gets.
Team #6 Brad Smith and Clyde Bristow III Charleston, SC and Advance, NC This team, coached by Brad’s wife Amanda, is called the “Nickel-Dimers”, which represents the brotherly friendship they’ve shared since college. Brad is a civil engineer and Projects Manager for North Charleston Public Works and enjoys hunting, fishing, backpacking and woodworking. Clyde is Director of Nursing at Wake Forest Baptist Health and enjoys hunting, fishing, woodworking and model railroading. This is their first time building here in Georgetown.
Team #7 Fred Hoelscher and Chris Eldridge Georgetown, SC Fred is a veteran of the Challenge, having built with numerous friends, his son, his daughter, and now with his son-in-law Chris. We want to thank Fred for all of his support throughout the years. Chris is the Horry County Administrator and enjoys mountain biking. Last year he built with his wife Stephanie, who is taking a year off to keep an eye on their newest addition, 2 month old Teagon.
Team #8 Skip White and Dave Lowe 1st Place Winners/ Dynamite Payson National Award Murrells Inlet and Georgetown, SC Skip and Dave won the Challenge in 2010, placing 1st in the time and quality categories. Skip is a general contractor and boating enthusiast. Dave, a retired DHEC disease specialist, enjoys photography and plays guitar in his band “Nuts and Bolts”. Keep an eye on this team.
Team #9 Adrian Dobson and Frank Shepard, Cape Fear Community College Wilmington, NC Adrian and Frank are competing for the first time. Adrian is studying boat manufacturing and boat building. Frank is a 1st year boat building student and member of the National Guard.The Boat Building School at CFCC has been part of the Competition for many years. Mark Bayne, a repeat competitor and past winner of the Challenge, just took over the head teaching position from a retired Ed Verge These students are so enthusiastic about boat building and always make the rowing race more fun.
Team #10 Daniel Craft and Scott Dimon, Cape Fear Community College Special Award Winners Wilmington, NC Daniel is a 22 year old former marine who was wounded while deployed to Afghanistan. This is his first year competing in the Challenge. Scott is in his second year of CFCC’s boatbuilding program and this will be his second time competing in the Challenge.
Team #11 Bruce Fleming, Jr. and Bruce Fleming, III 2nd Place Winners & Special Award Winners Jacksonville, FL and Ashville, NC This father and son team is competing for the first time. Bruce Jr. retired from the Navy after 30 years and is currently the dockmaster at The Marina at Ortega Landing in Jacksonville where he keeps his Hardin 45 ketch. Bruce III is a licensed general gontractor and enjoys woodworking, camping, hiking and gardening. They have built a half scale model of the Carolina Bateau and two practice boats. They are ready for the Challenge.
Team #12 Sean Hoelscher and Gary Gates 3rd Place Winners Georgetown, SC Sean, a city planner for North Myrtle Beach is an eight year veteran of the Challenge. He and his partner, Clinte Goode, placed 3rd last year in Georgetown, securing them a spot in the National Boat Building Challenge held in May of 2011 in Beaufort, NC, which they won with a time of 2:42:04. Gary is the head of the Middle/Upper School at Lowcountry Preparatory. He participated in the Challenge in 2010 with his son, Luke.
Team #14 Jason Gill and Stan Reich Greensboro, NC Jason, owner of Gill Woodworks, Inc, has been a boat builder for the last ten years and a cabinetmaker for the last twenty years. Stan, employed at Gill Woodworks, enjoys sports, boating, fishing, camping and family related activities. They are strong promoters of family and community boat building. This is their first attempt at the Challenge.
Team #15 Bob Smith and Neil Knighton Chester, SC and Garland, TX Bob, a retired sales and marketing executive, is planning to build a mahogany speedboat based on a 1930’s design. He and wife Linda are enjoying the restoration of their 125 year Victorian home. Neal is a gift officer/estate planner for Buckner International in Dallas, TX. He and Bob have collaborated on several “construction” projects over the years and look forward to this new challenge. This is their first time competing.
Team #16 Arthur Johnson and Jerry Miller Georgetown, SC Arthur is a custom carpenter specializing in the renovation of houses built in 1700’s and 1800’s and building furniture from reclaimed cypress and pine. He has never built a boat. Jerry, a woodworker and tinkerer, is a retired real estate/banking lawyer who enjoys being on the water. He has never built a boat or “speed built” anything. He’s hoping not to embarrass himself and to walk away with most of his fingers. Needless to say, this is their first attempt at the Challenge.