The Not So Live-ish Report From Whitefish Woody Weekend III.
Thanks to fellow Woody Boater Tim Salt for sending in to all of us this fantastic not so Live -ish report from the Whitefish Woody Weekend III was presented by the Big Sky Chapter of the ACBS on the weekend of June 27-29, 2014 in Whitefish Montana. The event was once again hosted by our good friends and fellow Woody Boaters at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake.
This year’s assemblage of boats was quite impressive with 36 classic boats registered including 6 award winners from the 2013 ACBS International Boat Show. Eight ACBS chapters and 17 different boat builders were represented with boats coming from Montana, Idaho, California, Oregon, Washington, Florida and Alberta Canada. Whitefish Montana was recently picked as on of the best small towns in America by Men’s Journal Magazine. Hosting events like WWW III is one of the reasons why. The event began with a Friday evening cruise around Whitefish Lake. After having spent most of the day driving through rain showers to get to Whitefish participants were happy to see all the waving supporters on the decks, docks and beaches around the lake.
At the end of the cruise, we were treated to a beautiful rainbow and a Montana sunset.
On Sunday, the boats were on display at the docks of the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. The event has really grown in popularity in the community of Whitefish over the past three years. Even though there were intermittent showers, dock walkers were out in force.
Wally and LaDonna Bell’s 1958 Resorter, Placid Punch. Ron and Jane and Wes and
Sue Yandt’s 1963 Yandt Utility, Uncle Bob, Brad and Sandy Hill’s 1928 Gar Wood
triple, Cheyenne and Tom and Nancy Suiter’s 2000 Hacker Craft, Sollazzare are in the
background.
The Pacific Northwest brain trust, Dick Werner, BK Powell and Hutch Hutchinson with
Carol and Hutch’s Resorter Orange Roughy discussing the merits of adding the “User
Class” to the International Show awards.
Richard and Susan Kasperson of Lynnwood WA brought their 1941 Chris Craft Deluxe Utility, Chubasco which won Best Restored Antique Utility at last year’s International Show. Chubasco is sharing the dock with Bill and Mary Jo Schneck’s 1948 Deluxe Runabout, 48 Caliber and Bill and Lora Phillip’s 1937 Deluxe Runabout, Lize.
Frank and Barbara Robinson of Newberg OR, brought Das Wasserauto a 1928 Dodge
watercar which has been in the family for over 75 years.
Life O’Riley owned by Daryl Onia and Kerry Bailey of Calgary AB,
won Best Outboard Boat and Motor at last years International Show.
Jim and Marianne Carlin o f Woodinville WA were happy boaters when they won the
Captain’s Choice Award for Malibu, a 1940 Chris Craft Custom. Jim said he has
owned the boat for 20 years and this was his first ever award. Hard to imagine. She is
beautiful. Jim also won the Poker Run Best Hand.
Whitefish Woody Weekend is a non-judged event and it was a good thing because the
quality of the boats would have made judging very difficult. Voting for both People’s
Choice and Captain’s Choice awards was very close.
The Lodge provides a beautiful venue for the event.
Phil and Linda Currie of La Jolla, CA own this immaculate 1958 Penn Yan Swift. Phil
regaled us with his childhood stories of vacationing on Whitefish Lake in the 1950’s.
Bob and Betty Moore of Polson, MT brought their 1952 Stancraft Day Cruiser Dee Doo
and docked it right next to Dick and Louise Werner’s Chris Craft Green and White. Mint
Julep won Best Cruiser at last year’s International Show.
Twin Finn, owned by Jim and Cyndi Atkinson of Chatsworth, CA won the People’s
Choice Award. Twin Finn, a 1959 Chris Craft Continental was awarded best Restored
Classic Utility at last year’s International Show. Cote d’Azure a 1953 Riviera owned by
Steve and Lisa Schaller of Bigfork, MT is in the background.
Red Dog, a 1946 Gar Wood owned by Scot Suiter won the Best Time in the Poker Run.
Maybe it was the Corvette engine? Behind Red Dog is Debbie Too!, a 1957 Correct Craft
owned by Fred and Beth Goughnour of Montana City, MT.
The event concluded with a Poker Run around the Lake on Sunday Morning. “Hutch” and Carol Hutchison put together one of their most challenging courses ever but everyone completed the course in time for a wonderful BBQ lunch at the Lodge.
Poker Run participants were greeted by the King and Queen of Whitefish Winter
Carnival at one of the rest stops. The Whitefish Winter Carnival has been an annual
event for over 50 years and has recently been identified as one of the best winter
carnivals in the world by National Geographic.
Christine Schuh completed the Poker Run in her 1956 Larson Falls Flyer which she had only taken delivery of the day before. Fortunately, she had Karen Harrison as her mate. (For those of you keeping score, Paul and Karen made it safely to the event but The Rocket, Best Non-Wood award winner at last year’s International Show, had to abort the launch with steering problems.)
Award winners Jim and Marianne Carlin and Jim and Cyndi Atkinson with Brian Averill,
Lodge Owner and Tim Salt, Big Sky Chapter Event organizer.
A great venue, great boats, great people and a great event. See you next year at WWW IV on June 26-28, 2015.
All this talk of whitefish is making me hungry! No whitefish salad in the fridge, but I have a white hot, meaty hot sauce, mustard and relish…and a great view. Breakfast of champions.
What a nice way to start the day. Beautiful spot! And what an interesting assortment of boats too. Thanks Tim.
Though ACBS has so many awards for so many classes / categories, it was interesting to read a User Class award is in discussion. I guess it’s important to think through such things carefully so there are no unanticipated negative consequences. The one that comes to mind with me is too many user boats crowding out show quality restored and preserved ones at limited space venues. On the positive though, a User Class might attract some wonderful well-maintained boats and some new, down-to-earth blood (and blood in the bilge) at judged shows.
There are many such boats here in Les Cheneaux (Hessel) each year. They motor in, clean up and show for the day, then go back to work that evening. It’s heartwarming to see boats used as they were originally intended. Talk about “Preserved.” These boats are Preserved in PURPOSE too.
I hope the User talks continue. Maybe it would be a good question to pose WoodyBoater readers? After all, readership here covers a broad spectrum.
Question. If “Whitefish Montana was recently picked as one of the best small towns in America by Men’s Journal Magazine,” what are the best small towns in America according to, oh, I don’t know, say, Cosmopolitan Magazine? Just curious…
1) Manhattan
2) uh…is there anything other than Manhattan?
Mmmmmmontreal.
Montreal does not appear on the map…
One small correction – That is Tom and Marianne Carlin with the award-winning barrelback “Malibu” – a boat they have owned and used for many years, now restored and (it seems) following their truck everywhere it goes…:) The boat has a great history and I’m so glad they are adding to it and enjoying the boat every chance they get. Congratulations Tom!
The Captain’s Choice award winner with the runabout MALIBU, is not Jim Carlin, but actually me, Tom Carlin.
Please correct in 3 places in the write ups under the photos.
Correction! TOM Carlin, not jim. His boat “Malibu” is from the old Camp Malibu up in Princess Louisa inlet in BC
A most awesome, and very fun show, and of course Brian and Fab from the stunning Whitefish Lodge are the most perfect hosts you could hope for….The Lodge would be full this weekend anyway, but they always “Roll out the red carpet” for all of us tipsy Woodheads. Tim and Deb (show chair people) always make it a vibrant, and interesting event. Now that more, and more of my friends are coming, it an even bigger party. I will be back next year for the third time!….O Ya…See ya out there….”Bone Daddy”