Idaho Unlimited Hydroplane Racing NOT a Rumor
Back in April, Unlimited Hydroplane Racing featured a rumor that had floated in a column called “Huckleberries Online” in the Spokane, Washington Spokesman-Review. There, they cited some supposed activity to bring our beloved boats back to Couer d’Alene Lake. Any true hydroplane racing fan must be thrilled that the rumor has been confirmed! The Diamond Cup Regatta will return after an absence of 44 years!
With a picture worth a thousand words – and a video making a writer’s job much easier, let’s start with coverage from KHQ TV in Spokane:
Sure, this is a big deal for the sport. Fortunately, the media sees the growth that has occurred in recent years and recognizes the juggernaut that is building. Reference other coverage:
- MSNBC: Hydroplane Boat Races Return To Lake Coeur D’Alene
- CDAPress: Hydro-mania. Diamond Cup Regatta returning to Lake Coeur d’Alene after 44-year absence
These a just a couple, in addition to the KHQ video above, but the overall coverage has been very good.
My point?
There seems to be some genuine momentum being built for expanding Unlimited Hydroplane Racing to other cities. If you’ve been following The Boat Book, you know our friend Frantz in Arkansas has been making great progress in his Herculean efforts to bring racing there. Just recently, he’s made some excellent progress in getting the right people to have the right attitude.
Now, I’m starting to hear grapevine material that there could be a new race cite on the west coast announced soon. Not sure whether this will be an exhibition, or a new entry on the official schedule, but this is “directionally correct.” Any activity in this direction is a good indicator for the future.
So my questions to the Unlimited Hydroplane Racing community are these:
- Is this the elixir that will provide a boost to the sport?
- Is it sustainable and how many cities creates a “sweet spot?”
- Are there any other strategies that should be deployed?
- Is the Arkansas and Idaho “grass roots” approach correct?
- Should stronger leadership be displayed at the top?
Give some thought to these topics as they will play a part – for good or bad – in the future of the sport.
Consider. Campaign. Capitalize.
Working together, we can find the right combination of strategies and really fill out that thousand-word picture.
Dave
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Thanks for your article regarding the Diamond Cup Regatta in Coeur d’ Alene . I am the President / Race Director for the Regatta. This years event is Aug 31 – Sept 2 . This is my 4th year and 3rd event in bringing the boats back to Lake Coeur d’ Alene. We are finally permitted to have Races again. Please feel free to call or email anytime. Cell 208-691-1612 email : dmiller@naabellc.com
Doug, it is my pleasure. Good luck with your event!
Dave
Yahooooo for Idaho!
I am sitting here catching up on all the news when this tid-bit came to mind. Almost all of us have bodies of water suitable for Unlimited, and for those like myself, water hasn’t been the problem. It’s where to put the boats and the people.
A great thing to bring up in a discussion when selling someone on this idea of bringing a race to your state or city: the water is there, so you don’t have to build a permanent structure. That would need something going on there all the time to pay for it. Plus the millions of potential dollars this race can generate.
Believe it or not, this fact, and a short two minute video has been my biggest selling tool. Most people do not have a clue what a hydroplane is. But when they see this video, they think the boats are so cool. There have been a lot who have said, “Oh yea, I’ve seen them on Speed or ESPN.” I would encourage anyone who would like to have a race at their locale to start the process.
I myself am a gabber – I can talk to anyone. I’ve been in retail, so I also know how to sell. That’s most of this process anyway, just selling the idea. You are going to meet a lot of new people, and for me, people I could not imagine myself ever having contact with. You don’t have to be anyone special to do this either. I have had people ask me, who are you? Are you H1? Are you a promotions company? My reply has been no, I am just an average Joe who loves this sport, and wants to see it in my state.
There have been bumps in the road with this project, and mostly because those contacts just didn’t want you stirring anything up to cause them to have to do anything out of the box for them. You get a sense pretty quick if they are interested or not. In general, most of my contacts have been very helpful. Thanks everyone.
Frantz