Captain Ron: The Man Behind the Shootout
In two weeks, the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout will be in full effect with boaters from around the country flocking to the Missouri lake to be a part of the 24th annual event, which is now a 10-day affair starting the weekend before the top-speed runs. And to think, just five years ago, thousands of powerboat enthusiasts were left wondering if the Shootout would even carry on. Well thanks to hundreds of volunteers and the dedication of one man in particular, the event is bigger and better than ever.
Duggan (left) presents the 2011 Top Gun trophy to Bill Tomlinson (holding trophy), joined by Mystic Powerboats owner John Cosker. (Photos courtesy of Ron Duggan & Robert Brown.)
That man is Ron Duggan, aka Captain Ron. The owner of Captain Ron’s—the host property for the Shootout—Duggan was born in Kansas City, Mo., and has been coming to lake since he was a kid. Now almost 30 years as a resident of Lake of the Ozarks, the 52-year-old runs a handful of businesses on the lake while remaining a great family man to his wife, Nicole, and five kids. I caught up with Duggan this week and, along with answering my list of questions, he shared the good news that the speed limit was raised from 60 mph to 70 mph for the poker run on Friday.
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