BACKTRACKING
The Madison Regatta
by Terry
Hogan
Time passed
by. Until time arrived. It was
time, and they came again to picturesque Madison, Indiana. Madison is a town born of the river and
the currents run deep. It was the
4th of July and the unlimited hydroplanes returned. It was a misty and drippy 4th
in Madison, but water didnÕt dampen the spirits of the crews who worked hard
prepping the beasts that dance across the tops of waves.
Crowds
came. Some with umbrellas. Some with raincoats. Some traveled
light and took the risk of dampness. The smell of barbequed ribs, hamburgers, steaks, and
Italian sandwiches hung in the foggy air over the crowd. Carnival rides, fortune tellers,
souvenir stands and the marine recruiters hawked their wares to spectators
during the slow periods of the day.
There were
no small hydroplanes this year.
There were no restored boats this year. It is a personal prejudice, I suppose, but I dearly missed
the old restored boats. I prefer
the roar of piston engines to the shriek of the turbines that power the
unlimited hydroplanes.
Nevertheless,
it is something to see these boats flutter across the murky Ohio River at
speeds approaching 200 miles an hour on the straight-aways. The rooster tails extend high and long,
appearing much cleaner than the river from which they come. The river was high
on the 4th. It was
carrying lots of silt to pass on to the Mississippi River. Sandburg might have
written, if heÕd been a river fan, that the Ohio, upon reaching the Mississippi,
might say, ŌHere old friend, IÕve carried
this load for hundreds of miles. I now pass it over to you.Ķ
While some
spectators try the food and souvenir stands during the slow moments, I watch
the fans. I met Bill Haworth this year.
Bill is 84 years old and lives in Madison. But his origins were in
Illinois. He was in Charleston,
Illinois when he found his way into the army during WWII. He was with the 82nd
Airborne both in Africa and in Europe. After the war, he got a job at the
Jefferson Proving Grounds, test firing weapons. Now he is retired. His face shows many miles
traveled. But his eyes are an
intense light blue that look out of place in an aged face. He comes to the races about every
year. I donÕt know how I could
have missed him. His hat carries a small replica of the 82nd
Airborne patch. I donÕt suppose
many of his comrades are left and their important stories are gone.
The Miss Madison was clearly the favorite
with the crowd. The town of
Madison puts on this event each year.
It is a work of love by many volunteers. With the demise of the Miss Budweiser racing team that
dominated the unlimited racing circuit for years, the races are now more
competitive. The Miss Madison is owned by the citizens of
Madison. It is the oldest name in
the sport and is the only boat that is owned by a community. Miss MadisonÕs driver is Steve
David. The first thing people say
about Steve is ŌHe really is a nice guyĶ. And he is. He signs autographs.
He stops, stoops down and talks to little kids at their level. I eavesdropped as he spent five minutes
explaining to a young boy about how he is strapped into the boat; the safety
harness, face mask with air supply; and how the steering wheel has to be set
into place after he has been strapped into the boat.
IÕm writing
this late on the 4th.
The winner of the GovernorÕs Cup wonÕt be determined until late Sunday
afternoon. In years past, it
frankly didnÕt matter that much to me.
I go to take photos, watch people, and to try to find a worthwhile story
or two.
But now I
care. I have become a Miss Madison
fan. It is a fine boat, with a
fine history, and supported by a beautiful little town chucked full of river
history and river architecture.
Finally, I care because Steve David Ōreally
is a nice guyĶ.
IÕll drive
the 160 mile round trip again on Saturday. IÕll look for the perfect photo; IÕll hunt for the perfect
story; and IÕll watch the Miss Madison
run its qualifying heats, cheering for the home town favorite and the really
nice guy who tries to keep her right side up
.
Addendum:
Although Miss Madison had the best
qualifying time, she came in second place in the big race Sunday
afternoon. As was the case last
year, large logs and other debris swept down the Ohio River Sunday. The flotsam, at times being the better
part of who trees, caused delays in heats and damage to the unlimited
hydroplanes. Perhaps next year.
7/10/08