Before Sunrise
Some of the best memories in life start before the sun comes up.
For me, they started when I was eight years old.
In 2001, my parents bought their first Campbell boat — a yellow, 22-foot day cruiser named "Two Fine."
That boat changed everything.
From that moment on, Lake Havasu became our family’s second home. Several times a year we’d load up the car, make the long drive through the desert, and spend our days on the water.
It’s where I learned to wakeboard.
Where my sisters and I spent hours getting whipped around on inner tubes.
Where we’d collapse under the bow after a long day in the sun, exhausted and happy.
I even got my first concussion wakeboarding behind that boat.
At the time, it felt like a badge of honor.
But the memories I love most are the quiet ones...
Being woken up before sunrise at the Havasu Springs Lakeview condos by my dad whispering:
“Come on… it’s glassy out there. Let's take some runs!”
If you’ve spent time around classic V-drive boats, you know those mornings.
The lake perfectly still.
The water like glass.
And the unmistakable sound of a V-drive coming to life.
Fishing off the bow of our 1982 Campbell 22' Day Cruiser - Two Fine
The Next Chapter
A few years later, as us kids grew into teenagers and friends started joining our trips, we needed more room.
My parents sold Two Fine and bought another yellow Campbell — a 24-foot cuddy cabin originally named "Moco".
Keeping with the Campbell tradition of naming boats after cocktails, she was rightfully renamed "Lemon Drop".
Lemon Drop carried our family through the next two decades.
It’s where I learned to drive a Campbell.
Where I learned to back a trailer down the launch ramp so my mom didn’t have to anymore.
It’s where we spent countless family vacations and attended Campbell gatherings like Regattas, Spring Roundups, and Klaus Klam Bakes.
But somewhere along the way, I started noticing something else - the culture around Campbell boats.
Everywhere we went someone would stop my dad: “Man… that’s a clean Campbell. What year?”
A thumbs-up at the gas dock.
A head nod from another boat in the channel.
Campbell owners didn’t just own their boats.
They cared for them — the way someone cares for a classic car.
I saw people matching towels to their boat colors, ordering embroidered gear, and proudly representing the brand.
And I took pride in helping to keep ours looking perfect.
Sometimes that meant just washing the boat after a trip. Other times it meant off-season drives to Havasu with my dad — polishing gelcoat, fixing small things, or bringing the teak swim step back to life.
Those trips became something more than maintenance.
They became father-son time.
1979 Campbell 24’ Cuddy Cabin -Lemon Drop
The Tradition Continues
Fast forward to today.
My sisters and I have grown up, and our families continue to grow — and we found that our beloved 24-foot Lemon Drop had become a little too cramped for everyone to pile into.
Last fall my parents sold her and purchased a 28-foot orange Campbell named "La Dolce Vita" (new name pending).
They’re currently restoring the boat so our family can keep making those same trips to Havasu for generations to come.
For more than 25 years, Campbell boats have been a constant in my life.
But there was always one thing missing.
1980 Campbell 28’ Cruiser - La Dolce Vita
Why Campbell Classics Exists
Every once in a while, the Campbell Boat Owners group would release a T-shirt for an event.
I loved those shirts. I wore them until they were faded, stained, or falling apart.
And every time I wished there were more.
More ways to represent the boats we loved.
More gear that reflected the pride and craftsmanship behind them — not just another generic lake shirt from a marina gift shop.
One day I hope to own my own Campbell and create those same memories with my wife and future kids. But until then, I wanted to give something back to this community that has given me so much.
So I created Campbell Classics.
Apparel and accessories for the people who love these boats as much as I do.
Gear for the lake, the drive home, and the months in between while you’re counting the days until the next trip back to the water.
Not just lake shirts.
Something better.
Something worthy of the name.
Built for Campbell Owners
Campbell Classics was created for the people who understand these boats.
The early mornings.
The glassy water.
The long drives to the lake.
The pride of keeping a classic looking its best.
If you share that same appreciation for Campbell boats and the memories built around them, you’re in the right place.
Explore the collection and find something worthy of the name.
