History

Seafair Through the Decades  |  Hydroplane Race Winners  |  Scholarship Program Winners  |  Video Archive

The Miller American speeds across Lake Washington. The Miller was victorius at SEAFAIR in 1985 and '86 with Chip Hanauer.

The charismatic and competitive Chip Hanauer would capture the spotlight of unlimited racing as the decade progressed first replacing Muncey as the pilot of the Atlas Van Lines in 1982 and then moving to the “other beer boat” in 1985 as driver of the Miller American. Hanauer would win his first of seven consecutive Gold Cups in 1982 in Detroit. This string included a victory in the last Gold Cup held on Lake Washington in 1985. Hanauer would also win in Seattle in 1982, ‘86 and ‘89.

Sponsorship of unlimited hydroplane racing would boom during the 1980s. Not only were corporate dollars being spent to back the boats, but to support the race sites as costs of producing this mega-event were on the rise. The Seafair race on Lake Washington would be sponsored by The Squire Shop in 1980, Sea Galley Restaurants in 1981-83, 7-Eleven in 1984, Budweiser in 1985-88 and Rainier Beer in 1989-92.

Another major change taking place at the race site was the creation of beer gardens within the enclosed spectator area in 1987. Race fans were no longer allowed to bring alcoholic beverages into this area as Seafair began to curb its rowdy image successfully bringing back the family atmosphere at the event.

The biggest night of summer in downtown Seattle is Torchlight Night. The Torchlight Parade was as popular as ever with 300,000 or more lining Fourth Avenue on the Friday night of “Seafair weekend.” The Torchlight Run, which began in 1977, swelled to more than 7,000 runners during the fitness-crazed 1980s.  The 10k (6.2 mile) run which preceded the Torchlight Parade is still running strong in the 1990s.

The greater Seattle area was booming economically and growing in population as the decade progressed. In an effort to attract area newcomers to the festival,  Seafair added some new events to its schedule most of which continued with the fitness trend. These  included a triathlon, sports festival and rowing regatta. A Seafair Beach Party featured a volleyball tournament, jet ski racing and team tug-of-war.

The Seafair Triathlon was a popular event that began in 1982 and ran through the decade. There was individual competition, corporate teams and even a kids’ triathlon. This event grew to be the largest triathlon in the Northwest.

Many looked forward to the Navy’s participation in Seafair each year. The U.S. Navy Blue Angels were as popular as ever, with their precision maneuvers over Lake Washington. The armada of Navy and U.S. Coast Guard ships arriving on Seattle’s waterfront were a sure sign that the maritime festival was in full swing. Thousands would tour these ships or head to Boeing Field for an up-close look at the Blue Angels’ jets.

Seafair went through a number of transitions in this ten year span. There were dramatic changes in how the festival was funded and alcohol consumption was much more controlled at the hydroplane races. The focus of the Miss Seafair Pageant shifted from being a beauty pageant and became a scholarship program. Seafair survived many challenges during this decade and would move into the 1990s after celebrating 40 years as Seattle’s summertime tradition.