2020 Water Follies hydro races postponed for first time in 54 years

The Tri-City Water Follies is postponed for the first time in 54 years.

The board of directors decided Monday night to delay the 2020 HAPO Columbia Cup.

But the race might still happen this year.

“We’re looking at September, but we haven’t decided yet,” Kathy Powell, event director for the Tri-Cities Water Follies, told the Herald.

The Tri-Cities signature event draws 35,000 to 70,000 fans. Visit Tri-Cities estimates the economic impact from the weekend is as much as $3 million.

The decision comes on the heels of Sunday night’s expiration of the state’s Stay Home, Stay Healthy order to slow the spread of the virus, and Gov. Jay Inslee’s expansion of the Safe Start reopening plan.

That plan allows Washington to reopen in a phased approach, with each of the four phases adding more activities and easing restrictions.

Hard-hit Benton and Franklin counties remain in Phase 1, as new cases remain higher than state targets for reopening more businesses.

Powell said it was clear the counties would not be in the right position by July to allow the event to be held.

The board’s next meeting is July 6. That’s when the board will make a decision on whether to race this fall.

Fall race options

Powell said that the committee that spent some time in looking at a postponed date were concerned if it’s financially feasible to race in September.

“Will the boats come? Will the fans come?” Powell asked.

She said she told the board she would put together an outlook, to cut costs to make the event successful.

“It would look a lot different,” she said. “It would be a more general admission type of event.”

That could mean fans paying to come in each day of the race, with no private sections or weekend packages.

The original 2020 HAPO Columbia Cup was set for July 24-26. The annual events also includes the HAPO Over the River Air Show, featuring aviation demonstrations and performances.

55-year event

It the races do not happen in 2020, it would be the first time an unlimited hydroplane race has not been held in the Tri-Cities since 1965.

The first race was held in 1966, when a boat owner named Bernie Little earned his first-ever unlimited hydroplane race victory with a boat called Miss Budweiser.

Powell said the Water Follies organization always makes sure it has a year’s worth of money in the bank just in case there is a chance the races don’t happen.

“Of course, we thought it would be for bad weather,” she said in an interview last month.

The plan this year, besides the unlimited boats, would’ve been the Grand Prix World hydros, the West Coast organization of those type of boats.

Powell said the some drivers of the Hydro Racing League, the East Coast version of Grand Prix boats, had said they wanted to come race in the Tri-Cities if the event was held.

The Hydro Racing League canceled its season in April because of the new coronavirus. And the 2020 H1 Unlimited schedule also has been decimated.

Spring training for the H1 Unlimited hydroplanes already was canceled in early May. The events were scheduled to start this weekend.

The season opener on Guntersville Lake in Alabama, was set for June 26-27. Not long after, the APBA Gold Cup in Madison, Ind., was also canceled.

On May 20, the officials at Seafair in Seattle made the decision to not hold the Seafair HomeStreet Bank Cup, which was to be held July 31-Aug. 2 on Lake Washington.

Now, only San Diego’s HomeStreet Bank San Diego Bayfair — set for Sept. 18-20 — is the only race officially left on the 2020 H1 Unlimited schedule.

Powell said the board is doing everything it can to hold the Tri-Cities event.

“We do (want to do this),” she said. “It’s a Tri-Cities tradition. Folks around here are eager to have some summer fun. It’s important for our community. But safety is first and foremost.”

This story was originally published June 1, 2020 at 7:17 PM.