In 1961 I was delivering newspapers on a Sunday morning. When I came to Renton Ave and Henderson street I saw Miss Bardhahl sitting in a trailer in the gas station. No one was around so I crawled up Into the cockpit and sat staring at the gauges and turning the wheel. Real excitement for a 12 year old!
That thing could really move in smooth waters. This water was choppy and she was still hauling ass. Such a cool classy boat. Love the front engine designs.
2011 Columbia Cup. Stayed at a rental house on the Pasco side, walked about 3 blocks pushing a hidey-hole beer(aehm!) snack cart down to the edge. A cold adult beverage held high as we wade in waist deep, to cheer on the Unlimited's. The Bardahl was a bit piggy/stubborn with full tanks in the turns, ,but, , I'm the same way after a big meal!. After she shed some gallons, things got better. Still choppy as F in the Bridge turn. Was waiting for it to dig in. Love that paint on the Bardahl, stood out more than the rest. Just finished a 1/10 scale Miss Thriftway. Fresh teak decking and all. I actually worked at Thriftway while in High School, for a short time.
You hit it right in the nose! The fun is standing in waist deep water with a cold beer in your hand, watching/feeling a boat go by. That's It! But now it's family fun and you can't go in the water which makes you can't see the course. I was a kid in the 70s and it was family fun. The cops didn't bother you unless you did something stupid. It seemed people would look out for each other more back then.
Ah, the Green Dragon! Sure takes me back....my Grandfather lived in the Ballard district of Seattle and we'd visit during SeaFair most years....I was standing on the lakeshore in 62 when Miss Seattle Two nosed in and disintegrated. This freshman in high school was just nuts over the unlimited. Thanks for posting this video, much appreciated! -Veteran '66-68
The Green Dragon was my favorite hydro when I was a little boy. One of my cousins lived with her family on Tiger Mountain outside of Issaquah, WA.. She says that when the hydros were running on race day, she could hear them while she stood out on the front porch of her parents house.
My favorite boat as a kid in seattle,moved to kodiak alaska at 4 years old,1967 and remember i had a electric plastic bardahl boat to play with in tub lol
this was when hydroplanes ruled the earth ! my dad was in the air force at geiger next to spokane, wa. i was a kid in the 50s' loved jets and anything fast. we saw hydroplanes on trailers at gas stations on weekends. i would watch the races on tv w/ my dad. i'm a schooled artist and am working on several hydroplane sculptures. looking at videos and old photos to help me understand these beasts. a great movie, thanks.
I used to go to the Stan Sayres Memorial Pitts every year until I was old enough to own a large enough boat to tie up to the log boom to watch the races on Lake Washington. For a motor head there is no sound as sweet as a Rolls Merlin with a supercharger firing up in a boat like that.
PS, my favorite boat was the Such Crust which had TWO Rolls Merlin engines. I watched it go by flat out with both engines running perfectly (a rarity). The finest moment if many years of attending Seattle Gold Cup racing.
I was at Coeur d' Alane in 59 when the earlier Miss Bardhal nearly killed the driver because Ole insisted on running with the cowl on instead of off like everyone else.
That was Jack Regas. He returned to racing in 1967 only to have another bad accident. Then one more in 68, that's when he retired because they told him another one would kill him.
One of the scariest damn things this landlubber has ever seen! I've never understood how the drivers of those things can maintain even the slightest shred of control.
Miss Bardahl was my favorite back in the day,i was born in seattle"shit hole now" but lake washington hydro races were bad ass.I had a little plastic bardahl with 9volt battery i played in the tub with in alaska.Every year we would fly down and stay at cousins to go to the races.
It's wonderful to see these boats in action. Terrifying in actual competition. My father sold two Allison V-1710 engines to the owners of Miss Bardahl in 1965. I presume they are lying at the bottom of the Ohio River these days.
A-MEN Brother! When i think about those scrape men at the end of WW2 tearing those old planes and engines for scrape value, i feel sick! Look how many of those shows that found a old plane somewhere and are rebuilding it. Its like they are worth there weight in gold! Lol
Great video, fun to watch and seems like you are there in the boat. But, technology has advanced the safety for the driver in todays covered cockpits. These old boats are still fast and can still flip upside down. IMO very unsafe for the driver to actually race these boats any more and are only good for a museum display.
Silly...totally limited connect/experience with that rig, clearly afraid of it too. let her run, u have the experience and guts but not demonstrated here. old school hydro racer here.
@@stevefranklin4203 Yeah, because almost any mishap will transform it into a huge pile of toothpicks slowly drifting while the powerplant rushes to the bottom.
In 1961 I was delivering newspapers on a Sunday morning. When I came to Renton Ave and Henderson street I saw Miss Bardhahl sitting in a trailer in the gas station. No one was around so I crawled up Into the cockpit and sat staring at the gauges and turning the wheel. Real excitement for a 12 year old!
That thing could really move in smooth waters. This water was choppy and she was still hauling ass. Such a cool classy boat. Love the front engine designs.
2011 Columbia Cup. Stayed at a rental house on the Pasco side, walked about 3 blocks pushing a hidey-hole beer(aehm!) snack cart down to the edge. A cold adult beverage held high as we wade in waist deep, to cheer on the Unlimited's. The Bardahl was a bit piggy/stubborn with full tanks in the turns, ,but, , I'm the same way after a big meal!. After she shed some gallons, things got better. Still choppy as F in the Bridge turn. Was waiting for it to dig in. Love that paint on the Bardahl, stood out more than the rest. Just finished a 1/10 scale Miss Thriftway. Fresh teak decking and all. I actually worked at Thriftway while in High School, for a short time.
You hit it right in the nose! The fun is standing in waist deep water with a cold beer in your hand, watching/feeling a boat go by. That's It! But now it's family fun and you can't go in the water which makes you can't see the course. I was a kid in the 70s and it was family fun. The cops didn't bother you unless you did something stupid. It seemed people would look out for each other more back then.
Ah, the Green Dragon! Sure takes me back....my Grandfather lived in the Ballard district of Seattle and we'd visit during SeaFair most years....I was standing on the lakeshore in 62 when Miss Seattle Two nosed in and disintegrated. This freshman in high school was just nuts over the unlimited. Thanks for posting this video, much appreciated! -Veteran '66-68
The Green Dragon was my favorite hydro when I was a little boy. One of my cousins lived with her family on Tiger Mountain outside of Issaquah, WA.. She says that when the hydros were running on race day, she could hear them while she stood out on the front porch of her parents house.
My favorite boat as a kid in seattle,moved to kodiak alaska at 4 years old,1967 and remember i had a electric plastic bardahl boat to play with in tub lol
this was when hydroplanes ruled the earth ! my dad was in the air force at geiger next to spokane, wa. i was a kid in the 50s' loved jets and anything fast. we saw hydroplanes on trailers at gas stations on weekends. i would watch the races on tv w/ my dad. i'm a schooled artist and am working on several hydroplane sculptures. looking at videos and old photos to help me understand these beasts. a great movie, thanks.
I used to go to the Stan Sayres Memorial Pitts every year until I was old enough to own a large enough boat to tie up to the log boom to watch the races on Lake Washington. For a motor head there is no sound as sweet as a Rolls Merlin with a supercharger firing up in a boat like that.
The overtake was insane!
Absolutely amazing footage. Whoever was riding along sure got their thrills for the rest of that year.
PS, my favorite boat was the Such Crust which had TWO Rolls Merlin engines. I watched it go by flat out with both engines running perfectly (a rarity). The finest moment if many years of attending Seattle Gold Cup racing.
Simply a great ride along, but wish I could drive the actual machine. not a beginner but these clips take it to another level !! Well done
Great to see the green dragon again!
When Hydro's were KING!
They still are
I was at Coeur d' Alane in 59 when the earlier Miss Bardhal nearly killed the driver because Ole insisted on running with the cowl on instead of off like everyone else.
That was Jack Regas. He returned to racing in 1967 only to have another bad accident. Then one more in 68, that's when he retired because they told him another one would kill him.
love this
When you think it’s a damn Airplane Engine used in a Fighter airplane even sounds like a plane going by
One of the scariest damn things this landlubber has ever seen! I've never understood how the drivers of those things can maintain even the slightest shred of control.
…the bouncie struggle followed by flat out…exstatic…!!!…
I liked the bardahl with the checker board design. But green nice too.
In the back, you only hear the prop and gearbox noise. Nothing else.
Miss Bardahl was my favorite back in the day,i was born in seattle"shit hole now" but lake washington hydro races were bad ass.I had a little plastic bardahl with 9volt battery i played in the tub with in alaska.Every year we would fly down and stay at cousins to go to the races.
It's wonderful to see these boats in action. Terrifying in actual competition. My father sold two Allison V-1710 engines to the owners of Miss Bardahl in 1965. I presume they are lying at the bottom of the Ohio River these days.
Too bad they were not salvaged, those parts don't grow on trees!
Not sure why they would want Allison's since Bardahl was running Rolls Royce Merlin engines.
I want to measure the lift built into those and the lift pattern. Had to be mostly up front I would think to fly that heavy engine
Is it cavitating as soon as it starts to turn? Or is he just leary of turning?
Hydros use a surface drive and lifting prop. They cavitation a bit only before getting on plane and the prop, half of it, hooking-up.
A-MEN Brother!
When i think about those scrape men at the end of WW2 tearing those old planes and engines for scrape value, i feel sick! Look how many of those shows that found a old plane somewhere and are rebuilding it. Its like they are worth there weight in gold! Lol
how fast are we going?
Probably topping out around 140 to 160
@@dwlopez57 I was raised in Ballard .. and we used to make hydros and race them behind our bikes
@@optimysticaluniverse between Burien and Des Moines. And we did too. I think everyone around there did.
turns get bumpy
how fast is that is that at bass lake?
Sound isn't very good not the thunderboats the way I remember!
Can you still get parts for these engines or is everything custom made now a days?
That's why they went to turbine, parts were running out
Actually the supply of Allison donor engines dried up so goes the parts to keep them running. Good Times when plentiful however.
@@gregorytimmons4777 miss Madison, a story about her, they robbed a display plane for parts
Like the outboards we raced, parts started drying up
@@independentthinker8930 that was fiction for the movie. In real life they had a few engines.
Great video, fun to watch and seems like you are there in the boat. But, technology has advanced the safety for the driver in todays covered cockpits. These old boats are still fast and can still flip upside down. IMO very unsafe for the driver to actually race these boats any more and are only good for a museum display.
They still are the kings .. This is seems to be a lack of real men to drive
no offense intended. some days youre just not where u need to be
Silly...totally limited connect/experience with that rig, clearly afraid of it too. let her run, u have the experience and guts but not demonstrated here. old school hydro racer here.
You spend a few hundred grand restoring one of these old boats, and then we will all enjoy watching you run it flat out, old timer.
@@stevefranklin4203 Yeah, because almost any mishap will transform it into a huge pile of toothpicks slowly drifting while the powerplant rushes to the bottom.