The 2011 Lake Arrowhead Wooden Boat Show – “In The Alps Of Southern California”

“Serpent” a rare 1955 Chris-Craft Cobra will be the feature boat at the 27th Annual Lake Arrowhead Antique & Classic Wooden Boat Show this weekend in California. The beautiful 18′ Cobra which is owned by Craig Brewster from nearby Big Bear Lake won both the Marque Class Best of Show and Best Chris-Craft of Show last year at the prestigious 2010 Lake Tahoe Concours d’Elegance. “Serpent” will be on display at Lake Arrowhead Village during the show.

Lake Arrowhead is nestled in the majestic mountains of the San Bernardino National Forest, widely known as “The Alps of Southern California” – is the best kept secret on the West Coast. A stunningly beautiful, cozy and quaint mountain resort paradise, Lake Arrowhead features countless outdoor recreational activities such as hiking, backpacking, bicycling, water and snow skiing, fishing, and much more. With the stunning scenery and wildlife, comes a natural peacefulness that has lured people to these mountains for centuries.

One of the many antique & classic boats that will be attending the Lake Arrowhead boat show next weekend is “Happy Days” a spectacular 1954 Chris-Craft 19′ Racing Runabout, freshly restored by Don & Molly Hardy from McCall Boat Works in McCall, Idaho.

The complete top to bottom two year restoration on “Happy Days” will certainly be a nice addition to the Lake Arrowhead Boat Show this year and live up to the Southern California Chapter ACBS slogan of “Bigger and Better Than Ever”.

You can see a summary of the complete two year restoration of “Happy Days” on the McCall Boat Works web site by clicking here. It’s a great story leading right up until the day they left this week for the big trip from Idaho to Lake Arrowhead, Califorina.

Fellow Woody Boaters Dave Anderson & Jack Cooperman are in charge of organizing the Lake Arrowhead Antique & Classic Wooden Boat Show this year, which is hosted by the Southern California Chapter ACBS. Here is the press release they prepared…

DON’T MISS THIS YEAR’S BIGGER AND BETTER LAKE ARROWHEAD ANTIQUE & CLASSIC WOODEN BOAT SHOW

27th Annual Antique & Classic Wooden Boat Show
Saturday, June 4th (from 9 am to 4 pm) & Sunday, June 5th (from 9 am to noon), 2011

The San Bernardino Mountain lakes provide us with a lifestyle unique in the world. They are not only a scenic and refreshing relief from the tract-filled flatlands, but they are rich in colorful history. What more would you expect when we’re only an hour and a half from Hollywood—the land of glamour and fantasy?

Beginning in the 1920’s, sleek wooden boats began gracing our lakes. More and more of their glistening natural wood hulls were slicing through the waters with their unique rumble. These beauties were expensive and guaranteed attention-getters. As such, they were the choice of the rich and famous. There were a small handful of wooden boat manufacturers at the time, among them Gar Wood, Chris-Craft and Hacker Craft.

A 1955 Chris Craft Cobra will be the feature boat of the show. It is one of the rarest and most expensive Chris Crafts made. Only 106 were built and only for one year—1955. It was the company’s first experiment with fiberglass, the distinctive gold engine cover with the fin. They never expected this model to be a large seller due to its limited seating capacity and overall utility, but just the same, it’s a cool-looking boat and one of the most sought after classics today.

The beautiful boats will be displayed at the Lake Arrowhead Village docks and throughout the Village. In addition to the boats, Woodie cars and hot rods will be shown.

The show is produced by The Rim of the World Historical Society with the assistance of the Arrowhead Lake Association, the Lake Arrowhead Chamber of Commerce, the Antique & Classic Boat Society, the Up The Hill Woodie Club and Lake Arrowhead Village. (Click on the sponsor name to link to their site)

Dave Anderson & Jack Cooperman – Southern California Chapter ACBS

Also on hand for the “Bigger and Better Show” this year will be “Truant II” a spectacular 1939 Gar Wood 28′ Custom Runabout. This boat is also for sale so bring your checkbook, the big checkbook!

“Truant II” is powered by a huge 894 Cubic Inch 316 HP Scripps 302 V-12.

Below is a very cool historical photo from 1955 at Lake Arrowhead, courtesy of The Rim of the World Historical Society, the producers of next weekend’s boat show, from their web site. The good old days when life was easy… and gas was cheap. I see a Barrel Back, a Riviera, a 21′ Cobra, and a … What do you see? (You can click on the image to enlarge it)

Fleet Review. The Lake Arrowhead Yacht Club has conducted activities on the lake for many years. This scene is their annual ‘Fleet Review’ from 1955. Of interest in this image is the very rare Chris-Craft Cobra seen at the lower left.

Photo Courtesy - Rim of the World Historical Society

So if you are planning to be in the Southern California area this weekend, make the short trip up to the “Alps”, breathe some fresh mountain air and plan to stop by Lake Arrowhead. Check out the wonderful selection of antique & classic boats which will be displayed throughout the Village and at dockside.

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