If Visual Imagination founder Mark Morris, a former professional motorcycle racer of note, isn’t all in, he’s not in at all. Morris approaches everything he does with total commitment, including the rare occasions when he gets away from work to spend time with his family. That’s why the powerboat graphics business he founded 20-plus-years ago in Peculiar, Mo., has thrived and created some of the most famous paint jobs the go-fast boating world has ever known—from the Speed Racer catamaran to the Monopoly V-bottom to every luxurious Cigarette Racing Team 59 Tirranna center console ever built under former company owner Skip Braver. A self-described workaholic with a dry wit who blends perfectionism with deep humility, Morris set the standard—and continues to raise the bar—for today’s finest powerboat painters. His work ethic is unparalleled, his talent unmatched. That's why he continues to stay in the lead.
And while you may never get to meet Morris—after all, he is a workaholic— you can get to know him and his business better by watching “In The Lead with Mark Morris,” episode No. 1 of the fourth-year video series that tells the stories of the most accomplished and innovative racers, builders, influencers and entrepreneurs in the high-performance powerboat industry. Special thanks to supporting sponsors, MYCO Trailers, Bluave Marine Audio, CP Performance, DEFCO Trucks, Hardin Marine and Race World Offshore.
Chapters
00:52 In The Lead With Mark Morris
01:22 Growing Up On Skis And Bikes
02:00 Amateur & Professional Motocross Racing
03:13 Morning Commute, Part I
03:49 Mark Starts His Painting Career
04:33 Retirement from Motocross
05:10 Morning Commute, Part II
05:45 Visual Imagination Is Born
06:19 Airbrushing The Monopoly Boat With Randy Kent
07:19 Painting the Speed Racer MTI
08:11 Looney Toones and Other Theme Boats
09:07 Staying On The Cutting Edge Of Painting
09:59 The Visual Imagination Team
11:00 Car Themed Boats (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Mercedes AMG)
11:30 Customer Friendships (DCB, MTI, Cigarette Racing Team & More)
12:51 Morning Commute Part III
13:13 Work-Life Balance (Family Life)
14:49 Skiing At Breckenridge
15:25 The Future Of Visual Imagination
16:08 Credits/Sponsors/In Memory Of
In The Lead Season 3 features include:
Ep 1: Jeff Harris, Fountain Powerboats
Ep 2: Steve Curtis, Offshore Racing Throttleman
Ep 3: Michael Howe, Howe2Live / Howe & Howe
Ep 4: Kruis Retherford, GSX Powerboats/Glasstream
Ep 5: Stu Jones, Florida Powerboat Club
In The Lead Season 2 features include:
Ep 1: Peter Hledin, Skater Powerboats
Ep 2: Johnny Tomlinson, TNT Custom Marine
Ep 3: Randy Scism, Marine Technology Inc.
Ep 4: Tyler Miller, M CON Racing
Ep 5: Stephen Miles, Stephen Miles Design
Ep 6: Bob Teague, Teague Custom Marine
In The Lead Season 1 features include:
Ep 1: Grant Bruggemann, Grant's Signature Racing
Ep 2: Nils Johnsen & Trond Schou, Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats
Ep 3: Shaun Torrente, Shaun Torrente Racing
Ep 4: John Cosker, Mystic Powerboats
Ep 5: Mark Waddington & Brett Manire, Performance Boat Center
Ep 6: Tony Chiaramonte, DCB Performance Boats
Ep 7: Justin Wagner, Waves and Wheels
In partnership with:
MYCO Trailers: http://www.mycotrailers.com
Bluave Marine Audio: https://bluaveaudio.com
CP Performance: https://www.cpperformance.com
DEFCO Trucks, https://www.defcotrucks.com
Hardin Marine: https://www.hardin-marine.com
Race World Offshore: https://raceworldoffshore.com
Produced by:
Scrapyard Media: https://www.scrapyardmedia.com
Follow SOTW
Website: https://www.speedonthewater.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/speedonthewatermag
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/speedonthewater
Subscribe to see the newest episode of In The Lead every month: https://www.youtube.com/user/speedonthewater
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