Rocky Aoki Dies at age 69
07-13-2008, 04:51 PM
#21
Registered
Join Date: May 2002
Location: St Johns, FL
Posts: 1,175
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
This is kind of creepy. Was just reading a year old magazine article ( http://nymag.com/guides/money/2006/23465/ ) on Rocky and it ends like this:
e leans forward. “Now is like astrology war,” he confides, in a low, hushed voice. “An astrology war between two wives. Chizuru uses astrology to look for bad for me. Keiko, she always using stars to look for the good.”
I ask Rocky if he really believes in that stuff. “Look at Reagan!” he says. “Keiko’s astrologist say Rocky’s life, like, go to hell for two year. And it’s right. Last two years like a hell. But that two years, almost over right now. Now my life go up like this.” He grins crookedly and raises his hand up, palm down, like a kid with his hand stuck out of a car window, riding in the wind. “Only one problem,” he says, dropping his hand and lowering his voice. “Keiko’s charts, they say someone close to her die this year.”
It’s a thought that could confirm the worst fears of Rocky’s children—Daddy, Keiko is going to poison you to death!—so why is Rocky grinning?
“For a while, I worry. I think, Maybe it’s me. Maybe I die this year. But now … You know, now Keiko’s dog sick. It’s terrible, terrible. But if Keiko’s dog die,” he says, grinning, “maybe Rocky be okay.”
e leans forward. “Now is like astrology war,” he confides, in a low, hushed voice. “An astrology war between two wives. Chizuru uses astrology to look for bad for me. Keiko, she always using stars to look for the good.”
I ask Rocky if he really believes in that stuff. “Look at Reagan!” he says. “Keiko’s astrologist say Rocky’s life, like, go to hell for two year. And it’s right. Last two years like a hell. But that two years, almost over right now. Now my life go up like this.” He grins crookedly and raises his hand up, palm down, like a kid with his hand stuck out of a car window, riding in the wind. “Only one problem,” he says, dropping his hand and lowering his voice. “Keiko’s charts, they say someone close to her die this year.”
It’s a thought that could confirm the worst fears of Rocky’s children—Daddy, Keiko is going to poison you to death!—so why is Rocky grinning?
“For a while, I worry. I think, Maybe it’s me. Maybe I die this year. But now … You know, now Keiko’s dog sick. It’s terrible, terrible. But if Keiko’s dog die,” he says, grinning, “maybe Rocky be okay.”
07-14-2008, 10:28 AM
#22
Allergic to Nonsense
Platinum Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Granite Quarry, NC
Posts: 5,011
Likes: 0
Received 17 Likes
on
17 Posts
May God Bless him... He was a truly unique individual. I knew him well from racing of course, but ran into him in , of all places, a Friar's Club roast. He had been a member of the Friar's Club for years.....
One other thing....... He could crash anything. His mishaps included offshore boats, a high altitude balloon (on Take off), and his one ill fated attempt at driving a GN circle marathon flat bottom.
All of the boat racers in heaven will be well fed...... now they have steak and shrimp to add to their fried chicken and biscuits......and Bernie will bring the beer.
T2x
One other thing....... He could crash anything. His mishaps included offshore boats, a high altitude balloon (on Take off), and his one ill fated attempt at driving a GN circle marathon flat bottom.
All of the boat racers in heaven will be well fed...... now they have steak and shrimp to add to their fried chicken and biscuits......and Bernie will bring the beer.
T2x
Charter Member
07-14-2008, 10:31 PM
#25
Registered
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 2,098
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sad to hear. The race in Point Beach was one of my favorite things about growing up in that town. My dad was a cop and would pick up a few extra bucks working security for the boats. He always said Rocky was the nicest guy in the bunch. I still remember him coming home after the races one year and telling me "Guess what? Rocky won his own race." That was pretty cool. Rocky would always make sure he gave my dad a jacket for helping out.
RIP Rocky.
RIP Rocky.
07-17-2008, 05:36 PM
#27
Registered
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Lanoka Harbor, NJ
Posts: 3,354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Just rec'd an e-mail from Rocky's wife. The funeral tom'w is private, but she said that she really appreciates the many condolonces from the people in the offshore fraternity.
She said Rocky considered the world of offshore racing such an important part of his life and he loved being with the people who raced and the fans and at the race sites.
Here is a photo from last year when my wife and I had lunch with Rocky and his wife in Point Pleasant.
I spoke to him last when Al Copeland died and he wanted to send something special for the funeral.
In just a short time we have lost two of the big names of the sport. I'm so glad we had the reunion last month so many of the guys could get together for one more time.
She said Rocky considered the world of offshore racing such an important part of his life and he loved being with the people who raced and the fans and at the race sites.
Here is a photo from last year when my wife and I had lunch with Rocky and his wife in Point Pleasant.
I spoke to him last when Al Copeland died and he wanted to send something special for the funeral.
In just a short time we have lost two of the big names of the sport. I'm so glad we had the reunion last month so many of the guys could get together for one more time.
damn ... Charlie, did Rocky make it down for the Bimini run reunion? Very sad and sorry to hear this news. As with so many others ... Pt. Pleasant in 70's & 80's got me hooked as well!
LEGEND!
07-17-2008, 08:23 PM
#28
Registered
He wanted info on Al Copeland's funeral, which I got for him back in April. He wanted to make sure he sent something special for that funeral....now here we are just few months later talkng about him.
Brownie and I were talking about him the other day after his death and agreed that he was absoloutely fearless in a raceboat.....speed, big water, bad weather...forget it, he wanted to win.
Here is a photo of him having the time of his life with the fans at Pt Pleasant....he was the king and the court jester all in one.
07-18-2008, 08:04 AM
#30
Registered
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Lanoka Harbor, NJ
Posts: 3,354
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
No he didn't make it. I spoke to him a short time ago and he said he wasn't doing very well.....I didn't realize how bad he was, I told him to hang in there and maybe with the warmer weather things would get better.
He wanted info on Al Copeland's funeral, which I got for him back in April. He wanted to make sure he sent something special for that funeral....now here we are just few months later talkng about him.
Brownie and I were talking about him the other day after his death and agreed that he was absoloutely fearless in a raceboat.....speed, big water, bad weather...forget it, he wanted to win.
Here is a photo of him having the time of his life with the fans at Pt Pleasant....he was the king and the court jester all in one.
He wanted info on Al Copeland's funeral, which I got for him back in April. He wanted to make sure he sent something special for that funeral....now here we are just few months later talkng about him.
Brownie and I were talking about him the other day after his death and agreed that he was absoloutely fearless in a raceboat.....speed, big water, bad weather...forget it, he wanted to win.
Here is a photo of him having the time of his life with the fans at Pt Pleasant....he was the king and the court jester all in one.
Pt. Pleasant back then was very special ... I remember every summer waiting anxiously for what seemed like eternity, a couple weeks after school let out, in reality, for race weekend. Very first few years, getting up very early and driving down to King's Grant Marina to see the boats. Taking many pics (which I can't find) and having to wait for them to come back from developer LOL 
... then getting lost in them for 364days until next year's race. I couple years older (14yrs old?) we started riding up by boat each year from Lanoka Harbor, NJ, (8mi. south of Tom's River) up the bay thru the canal and out the inlet with all the other boats, pure exhilaration! They'd hold back traffic for race boats in canal if you didn't get out early enuf and then everyone would make a dash for the ocean ... chaos was to putting it mildly.
One year when it was called the Brass Monkey(?) my dad's buddy ran the (short) race in a 16' Avenger (red) with a Merc outboard 150HP and it was the chit back then! It was a typical Pt. day on the ocean and needless to say he had quite the challenge to finish that race, but did! I got a shirt and wore it proudly until it literally shreaded from use.
Then there was first time on a 'go fast' boat, it wasn't a Cig or anything ... but to me it was a dream ... 25' Wellcraft Nova with twins. I remember like it was yesterday, when he hit the throttles and the sound and the bow lifted so high before she planed out, I thought I was going to tumble out the transom.
Best memories with dad and fiends one could hope for! Thanks for all of your great pics, memories, and insight about the sport you provide Charlie ... MUCH APPRECIATED.
Best Regards,
Chris Ward
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Ron P
General Boating Discussion
6
07-13-2008 08:20 PM
