Bowman's Sporting Goods

 

Bowman's Sporting Goods

I first became aware of Bowman's Sporting Goods in 1954 when it was located on the west side of Woodbine Avenue in a group of ram-shackled stores adjacent to the LILCO power plant. A parking lot now occupies this historic footprint. Neighboring stores included Harold Suydam Hardware where bulk “Varnoline” paint thinner was repackaged and sold in one-quart whiskey bottles. Chu Chinese Laundry, and “The Shoemaker” also were in this group of long-gone buildings. I was particularly fascinated by the outboard motors Bowman sold, those Evinrudes which included the powerful “Big Twin 25”. Hurricane Carol came through that fall and the storm surge flooded Woodbine badly, but old Ted Bowman survived the elements to kick off the 1955 season with the all new Evinrude “Aquasonic”, the first year of underwater exhaust engineering which made the motor much quieter. As advertised, it was “whisper quiet” and the power head cowling had new distinctive graphics to enhance the appearance of the motor and mimic Detroit styling. This was 1955.....I was nine. I suppose it might seem a bit unusual that a nine-year-old would take all this detail in, but for me, boats and motors were an obsession. Ted Bowman also had a line of small aluminum boats called “Sea Sled”. A twelve foot Sea Sled with a 7.5 horse Evinrude would get up on a plane and nip along at 15 or 20 miles per hour. For now, all I could do was dip my oars in the water and pull back as hard as I could. The age of power boating would have to wait a year or two.

By 1956, Ted Bowman moved his sporting goods store out of the Woodbine location and onto Main Street next to the Shipwreck Diner which at that time was just “the diner”. Back then, we all referred to it as “The Greasy Spoon”. Ted stocked a lot of sporting goods such as guns, fishing rods & gear, archery stuff, boats and of course, Evinrude motors. He upgraded his “Sea Sled” offering to a new line called “Sea Scamp” which was a very uptown looking wooden family runabout capable of higher horsepower. I was mesmerized by those Sea Scamps, with their gleaming mahogany decks and automobile-like wraparound windshields. By now, the outboard lines were growing to 30 horsepower, then 35 and by 1958.....50 horsepower! Sounds pretty silly by millennium standards considering drug enforcement type boats sport up to 900 and more outboard horses.

In 1959, I had elected to build my own boat incorporating some common horse-trading sense and Ted Bowman was part of the loop. I already had a corroded Johnson 10 horse but the need for more power was overwhelming. With the expertise of a friend, we refinished the 10 horse and made it look brand new. Since it ran well it made an excellent bargaining chip in an even-up swap with Ted for a corroded Evinrude 15 horse that also ran well. The swap was made and I had another “project motor” to refinish. I was then thirteen.

In those days, there was a code of decency; no lawyers or contracts. Parents didn't intervene unless there was suspected foul-play, a philosophy that was generally accepted. It's hard to imagine today that any kind of business deal could survive between a thirteen-year-old and an adult, but that's the way it was done. It was a time when business was conducted with a handshake, literally and no one looked back for recovery. There were no drive-through law suits and people didn't cry about being taken advantage of. If I had gotten a bad deal from Ted, my parents would have said “that was a cheap lesson” and no one would have rushed to the defense of a “helpless thirteen year old”. It's a lifetime lesson that has served me well in answering the call of accountability. When I look at Northport I see more than buildings and streets . Shades of a lost society unfold as I contemplate the way life once was. I miss Northport, but just as much, I miss the way people like Ted Bowman shook your hand to seal a deal.....and townsfolk gathered together like family for the Saturday clam bake.