You And Your Johnson…Outboard

Check out this vintage Johnson outboard commercial. While totally unintentional at the time, today it’s filled with double entendre humor.

A good friend of mine named Joel Johnson actually sent it to me. Back in the day, Joel was the Editor of Water Scooter magazine. Yeah, the name was horrible, but Joel was a fantastic editor who guided the magazine through the days when monthly issues of 164 pages were the norm. He’s also the guy who gave me my first job – a test rider for Water Scooter’s (soon to become Watercraft World’s) Dream Demo. From there I landed a monthly freestyle instructional column with the magazine, which led to my position as the mag’s Editor-at-Large, which led to, well, a 20-plus year (and counting) career in both the personal watercraft and boating industries.

So in keeping with the commercial’s theme, I’d like to say thanks…and finally admit that I owe it all to my Johnson.

Jeff Hemmel writes for Boating, PersonalWatercraft.com, and Powersports Business. The former Senior Editor at Watercraft World, Jeff is a multi-time award winner as well as a 2008 inductee into the IJSBA Hall of Fame. His first book, The Anti-Pirate Potato Cannon...and 101 Other Things For Young Mariners To Try, Do, & Build On the Water, recently received a bronze medal in the 2010 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. For more info, visit Jeff Hemmel's website..