Nice retrospective on how it was born and how it still (in a way) lives today.
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports...cessful-boats-became-one-of-its-most-popular/
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports...cessful-boats-became-one-of-its-most-popular/
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The KISW "Miss Rock" Hydro
- Thread starter Rob Piotrowski
- Start date
Given the diminished interest in Unlimited Hydro racing, no more live TV or limited radio coverage, I doubt a radio sponsorship would garner the same fan base as back in the 80's and 90's. What do the Unlimited boats have for a season now, three venues? That said; it is a shame. The Hydro's on Lake Washington used to be one of the largest events in the Northwest.
Heck, I was in charge of all the radio coverage technical infractructure and ran the audio mix of the sixteen mics around the racecourse for eleven straight years.
Those were the days!
Heck, I was in charge of all the radio coverage technical infractructure and ran the audio mix of the sixteen mics around the racecourse for eleven straight years.
Those were the days!
KYYX hosted that for years in the '80s. Then it bounced around KISW, KVI, KPLZ, KJR-AM, KZOK, KUBE.
They sure were. This year coverage was barely a whimper...
I was surprised a few years ago when I realized it was hydro race day and I switched on the TV, and there was no live TV of what used to be one of the biggest sport / summer events in Seattle.
Now? I couldn't care less.
Edit to Add: After reading the Sea Times article, it's a bit of nostalgia. Sort of like hydro racing in general.
The pic of the Miss Rock on fire in 1990. Wow. Cool article, nonetheless.
Now? I couldn't care less.
Edit to Add: After reading the Sea Times article, it's a bit of nostalgia. Sort of like hydro racing in general.
The pic of the Miss Rock on fire in 1990. Wow. Cool article, nonetheless.
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Don't remember the year that Seafair made stations bid for the rights. KIRO wound up with TV rights, and one station group at a time could carry the radio. KVI/KPLZ had it under Golden West rule but never under Fisher. I do remember it went from KPLZ to KUBE because Shannon Sweatte chartered an Argosy boat for all of us to hang next to the race course and display a large KPLZ banner to face the beach.
Unlimited Hydro always seemed to me to be sort of a club event. There were never more than 6-8 teams (boats) and always the same players. Bernie Whats-his-name and Miss Budweiser always seemed to win and once off the line the finish was almost never in doubt unless a boat flipped. And personally, I always thought racing on water was a death wish.
Years ago I found Formula 1 boats which are more popular in Europe than the USA but there are several domestic events here yearly. They are the sports cars of the water and much more exciting to watch.
Years ago I found Formula 1 boats which are more popular in Europe than the USA but there are several domestic events here yearly. They are the sports cars of the water and much more exciting to watch.
That was Bernie Little. Bernie owned one of the largest Bud distributorships. You're right toward the end and before his death, Bernie and his race crew dominated the sport, which killed any chance for actual competition. He had the most boats, the highest-paid crews, drivers and resources. The other teams were like the Miss Rock, volunteer crews, yearly scrambles for sponsors, one boat, one engine, and a lot of sleepless nights. When sponsors like: Procter and Gamble (Tide), Atlas Van Lines, and the original home improvement warehouse Pay N' Pack bailed, there was really only Bernie and Budweiser with the real money. All that, combined with an incompetent governing body board of directors at the (then) Unlimited Racing Commission, a greedy City Council and Seafair Commitee, Unlimited Hydroplane racing couldn't handle the strain. As Eric mentioned from a broadcast rights perspective; when Seafair eliminated the partying (including the ability to bring libation into the spectator areas), started making radio and TV bid and pay handsomely for the broadcast rights, that was the beginning of the end for Seafair and the Hydros in Seattle.
Yeah, Joe Q Public just stopped being interested when Joe Q Seafair decided to up the pricing and reduce the fun element for whatever reason (unless you were one of the rich people on a boat). Lack of TV and radio coverage put the last nails in the coffin.
There were numerous other forms of greed that probably paid off for Seafair in the short run but have killed the Seafair races as a sport for the general public in the long run.
When I was a kid, every kid had a favorite hydro.
I doubt even most adults in Seattle today even know what a hydroplane is. The only ones who know are boat owners and perhaps a few people who live along the lake (mostly rich people).
It's like drag racing -- no one knows what that is anymore, either.
Us old guys still do and judging by the number of kids in the pits at major events there will be drag racing fans for the foreseeable future. The parking lots used to be filled with muscle cars and homebuilts. Now it's dad's SUV and a couple of kids.
Admittedly, the old days where guys off the street could bring their cars and compete are pretty much gone except for the weeknight "run what you brung" events. Televised events focus only on four classes so everything else is left out and you would never know about them unless you attended in person. And because it is a money sport (meaning lots of sponsor money is needed to be competitive) there are only about 20 teams in the fuel classes that compete at every event. Some of the more exciting classes don't exist any longer (AA/FA and any motorcycle besides Hardleys for example).
Todays kids don't seem to be interested in what's under the hood so perhaps in the next few decades this sport will fade out. But right now it still seems to be going, if not as strong as in the past, at least it pays the bills.
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That was the Miss Chick-Fil-A, always veered to the right and never worked on Sunday.
The story of this event being diminished in Seattle is more about Seattle than unlimited hydroplane racing. True, the events are fewer overall, but the real issue is Seattle is such a changed city from when this sport was huge.
In the 50's KING TV made it an annual TV event, by the 60's, all three network affiliates offered live television coverage. It was "The" event of the year. Of course, there were no pro sports in town, other than a minor league baseball team, and the Sonics in '67, (but out of season). The U of W was the only competition, but in the summer, (before the football season), even they had no sway.
As Seattle gradually added pro teams the event became diminished in the late 70's. As mentioned, KIRO TV became the sole provider of TV coverage until that ended. Another factor is the migration to Seattle from other States in the 80's through especially the past half decade has made the event less significant to the masses.
In the 50's KING TV made it an annual TV event, by the 60's, all three network affiliates offered live television coverage. It was "The" event of the year. Of course, there were no pro sports in town, other than a minor league baseball team, and the Sonics in '67, (but out of season). The U of W was the only competition, but in the summer, (before the football season), even they had no sway.
As Seattle gradually added pro teams the event became diminished in the late 70's. As mentioned, KIRO TV became the sole provider of TV coverage until that ended. Another factor is the migration to Seattle from other States in the 80's through especially the past half decade has made the event less significant to the masses.
I don't think the pro sports teams made as much of a difference as the change in the City's population (from Boeing country, to Microsoft country, to Amazon country).
The Mariners were around back during the 80's when the event was still big. So was a version of the Sounders. I think the growth in population, plus the change in how the event was coordinated -- from something Joe Everyman could enjoy, to an event tailored more for the yacht-club crowd -- was more important.
Of course, traffic, and all that changed, making it easier for a lot of people to forego the entire process of going to the event. And, of course, people coming here from all over the world really had no connection with Seafair or the hydros.
The Mariners were around back during the 80's when the event was still big. So was a version of the Sounders. I think the growth in population, plus the change in how the event was coordinated -- from something Joe Everyman could enjoy, to an event tailored more for the yacht-club crowd -- was more important.
Of course, traffic, and all that changed, making it easier for a lot of people to forego the entire process of going to the event. And, of course, people coming here from all over the world really had no connection with Seafair or the hydros.
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