Blue Angels’ Budget Sidestepping Seafair?
The Blue Angels may not visit Seafair this year. Does it matter to you?
Unlimited Hydroplane races are events all by themselves. They are exhilarating weekends of speed, fun, and (given recent gray, wet days, hopefully) warm weather.
In addition to enjoying the fastest boats in the world, race sites offer other activities appropriate for all members of the family – and families with a wide variety of interests.
For example:
- Big Wake Weekend at Folsom Lake, California, through their slogan of “A California Beach Picnic & Party Combining Culture, Sport & Entertainment” pretty much says it all.
- At the Lucas Oil Madison Regatta last year in Madison, Indiana, they included events ranging from car shows to pre-teen pageants, and bed races to waterball fights.
- Even Detroit has the Navy’s Super Hornet (F/A-18) Tactical Demo Team.
You get the idea. There seems to be plentiful and varied activities at race sites, over and above Unlimited Hydroplane Racing.
As Unlimited Hydroplane fans, to what degree does it matter to us if certain elements in a schedule-packed weekend aren’t included?
Kiro TV in Seattle is reporting Blue Angels budget issues. Now, unless you’re just off the shuttle from Mars, you know very well the budget and spending issues currently in play with the U.S. Government. This is not the place to debate THAT issue, only to use it as a discussion point.
With mounting pressure on the government to be mindful of budgets, spending, and the image portrayed about each, KIRO is reporting the possibility that the Blue Angels may not attend Seafair this summer. Back to our question: if that happens, does it matter to you, an Unlimited Hydroplane Racing fan?
Don’t get me wrong.
A 40-year tradition is important to a community. Families have built their shared summer experiences around such an impressive display of aerobatics and sheer speed. (Of course some in our circles could argue the same about our beloved boats!) This is not meant to minimize the importance of those events for those people, but it does beg the question.
There is still a fair amount of time before Seafair, and the reporting is clear that a final decision is not yet made. Anything that adds to a grand weekend that includes our boats is welcomed and we hope all the details can be worked out, allowing the Blue Angels to continue their proud and lengthy tradition in Seattle.
But if they can’t, would it really matter to you?
- Do you attend the airshow in Seattle?
- Do you enjoy the car show in Madison?
- Do you watch the wakeboard exhibition at Folsom Lake?
More importantly, would a lack of Blue Angels at Seafair in Seattle cause you to NOT attend the Unlimited Hydroplane Races?
Why or why not?
Dave
www.UnlimitedHydroplaneRacing.com