Vashon’s July Fourth starts early, ends late

Independence Day on Vashon celebrated with hydro race, fireworks.

By Elizabeth Shepherd • July 6, 2022 1:30 am
(Brian Brenno Photo) On July 4, the day on Vashon began with Evan Hill’s win in the island’s hydro race and ended with a professional fireworks display over Quartermaster Harbor.
(Brian Brenno Photo) On July 4, the day on Vashon began with Evan Hill’s win in the island’s hydro race and ended with a professional fireworks display over Quartermaster Harbor.

The calm, grey predawn morning of July 4 began with a large crowd of fans gathering at Jenson Point to celebrate the 64-year tradition of a high-pitched and high-octane hydroplane race around the island to mark Independence Day.

This year, the race featured seven hydros. Evan Hill won for the second year in a row, completing the circuit in 33:56 minutes, followed closely by Jacob Middling, at 34:01 minutes. Mitch Van Buskirk came in third, followed by first-year racer Nick Amundsen. Evan Mattingly’s hydro broke down near Dilworth and did not finish.

Morgan Synder, who has also participated in the hydro race on many other occasions, got his hydro in the water in this year’s race, but due to mechanical problems, was not able to finish. Beau Coy, who intended to take part in the race, was running it in a new hydro which had mechanical problems and failed to start.

At dusk, islanders returned to the waterfront — claiming spots at Dockton Park, Jenson Point and other waterfront locations, to catch the return of a professional fireworks display to Vashon — the first since the pandemic shook up the tradition in 2020.

This year’s lengthy and colorful show, funded by anonymous donors and produced by Pyro Spectaculars as a tribute to the company’s late show designer and head pyro technician, Greg Farnsworth, repeatedly lit up the sky over the harbor, eliciting oohs, ahhs and applause from those who watched from various vantage points.

Those yearning to look up to more beautiful displays of light in the night sky still have something to look forward to — wet weather caused the cancellation of “Liquid Light,” a laser light and music extravaganza planned to take place outdoors at Open Space for Arts & Community on July 3. But stay tuned: Open Space said the event will be rescheduled for later this summer.

— Brian Brenno contributed reporting on Vashon’s hydro race.

Correction: This article, in the July 7 print edition of The Beachcomber and a previous online version, omitted the name of Morgan Synder as one of the participants in the race. We regret the error.