HERMISTON, Ore. – The Tri-City Water Follies kicks off in a few days. A former Tri-City resident now living in Hermiston provides artistic touches for the drivers and their boats. Eric Petring the owner of Central Coast Airbrush is an airbrush artist and a die-hard hydroplane racing fan. He’s combined his love of both for a long and happy career.
Petring got his first airbrush from his former in-laws in the early 1990s. He then began taking courses to learn how to paint. After his first painting, Petring said he began traveling the country in a Chevy van, painting names and numbers on jerseys at motocross events.
“That evolved into painting helmets,” Petring said. “Then painting helmets into painting cars, and painting cars into going into painting unlimited hydroplanes.”
Petring said he met former Miss Budweiser driver Carl Joshlin at a raceway. After seeing Petring’s work, Joshlin ordered a few shirts from him. Petring said that eventually, Joshlin asked him to help him paint a display boat.
Petring worked for the Miss Budweiser team for a while. After getting involved with boat racing, other drivers noticed his work and asked him to paint for them.
“Pretty much all of the unlimited hydroplane drivers in the H1 field,” he said. “I’ve painted stuff for them at one time or another, From Chip Hanauer to Dave Villwock to J. Michael Kelly to Jimmy Shane. If there’s a guy driving a hydroplane, I’ve pretty much painted his stuff.”
Dave Villwock sent his helmet for this year’s Tri-City Water Follies for him to paint the Apollo colors. Petring said he would deliver the helmet to Villwock and other items to the drivers the Thursday before Water Follies.
According to Petring, he draws up examples of how he wants the paint job to look. He then sends the renderings to the drivers for their approval. Once approved, Petring gets to work by sanding off the old paint, starting the new paint job, and putting it in a kiln to cook overnight.
As a former Tri-City resident, Petring said there is nothing like the Tri-City Water Follies.
“Everybody is just so excited to be there,” he said. “It’s just a neat feeling. That whole electricity of everything on the beach. It’s just awesome.
