Lakeside’s Bill Brace has led a colorful life as a Navy Seabee, actor and stuntman. But now 84, he has turned into inventor and entrepreneur.
Lakeside’s Bill Brace has led a colorful life as a Navy Seabee, actor and stuntman. But now 84, he has turned into inventor and entrepreneur.
This retired Navy Seabee worked in the movie business for 35 years as stuntman coordinator and director, and was a diver for Scripps Institute. His time in the movie industry gave him the opportunity to work with great actors such as Anthony Quinn, Robert Redford, Steve McQueen, Barbara Streisand, Robert Young, Andy Griffith, Sam Elliot and Sidney Poitier. He said his life, as a stunt man and movie double were wonderful years.
“I’ve done a lot of things in life, I’m a renaissance man,” he said.
Now as an inventor and entrepreneur, his idea for Carry Me 123 did not come from his work, but from the two things he loved to do—skiing and fly-fishing.
“I didn’t learn to ski until late in life at 55 and I kept sticking my skis and poles through the back window of the car,” he said. “It got kind of old and I don’t know what happened but I woke up one morning and I had this idea. So I sketched it out on how I thought it would work and took it to an engineer.”
Brace said he created a clay mold and figured out a way to make it easier, which was to hang it on a window and put bungee cords around it. He tested it with skis, poles, 2” x 4”s, PVC pipes, fishing rods, and walkers for seniors. He then went to another company, which is his fulfillment house and they put it all in a package, making it ready for sale. Over the past few years, Brace has focused on perfecting and marketing Carry Me 123, adding product development to his long list of lifetime accomplishments.
“Carry Me 123 is so simple you can’t find anything wrong with it,” he said. “A lot of people like it because it is so easy to set it up on your car window, roll it up into the sack, put the bungee cord around your objects and away you go. Rolling it up in the sash is what holds the skis in place. You can go down the highway at 75 mph and it won’t rattle, it doesn’t scratch the window and it is such a simple device. It will fit on any car door and holds up to 75 pounds.”
Brace said Carry Me 123 is a safe way to drive with a rack on the side of the car.
“Almost everyone that has bought it, loves it, and thinks it’s the best thing they ever saw,” he said.
Brace said the immediate challenge is to communicate his new invention to hundreds of thousands of ski enthusiasts, to let them know that Carry Me 123, can make the skiing experience simpler, therefore more time and energy can be spent enjoying the sport. He said this is the same for those who love to fish, boogie board, skateboard, and do home building projects as his device can hold equipment and materials, quickly, simply, safely and effectively.
Brace’s unique and simple product is fully developed and available for purchase through Amazon and at www.carryme123.com. On CarryMe123, there are photos and videos that show exactly how simple this product is and the many things it can be used for. Brace said with Amazon, if you order two, shipping is free.
