KENNEWICK, Wash. – The Tri-City Water Follies is just around the corner. People can’t wait to see their favorite boats and drivers come into town, but what about the people behind the scenes who put the races on?
The Tri-City Water Follies Race Director, Aaron Stephens, is a jack-of-all trades. He’s not only the race director; he is a volunteer, works full-time for Lampson International, and is the regional chairman of the American Powerboat Association.
Stephens’s love of boat racing started when he was ten years old. He said he’d been involved in some capacity with Water Follies for around 25 years—a passion he shared with his late father.
“My dad, before he passed away, had been to every Water Follies, Columbia Cup, Atomic Cup, Gold Cup,” said Stephens. “He never missed a boat race here in the Tri-Cities since 1965.”
Stephens said he’s been the Tri-City Water Follies Director for seven of those 25 years involved with Water Follies. As a race director, his job never ends. Stephens said putting on the Tri-City Water Follies takes all year to plan. On race weekend, he’s just as busy.
“I’m in charge of making sure everything’s on time,” he said. “We have a schedule; we put it out. I want to make sure that we are taking care of all the teams, the air show, all the fans, and all the volunteers.”
Stephens said he is in charge of 5,000 volunteers, and the Water Follies can use more, according to Stephens.
“We can always use more help,” Stephens said. “That’s the biggest thing because it is volunteers; we accept as much help as we can get. Patrol boats, pit tours, Pasco side land side. Kennewick side land side, hospitality people.”
He said volunteers run the Tri-City Water Follies; Stephens is one himself. He said to sign up to volunteer, just go to their website or email them at info@waterfollies.com.
Stephens’ day job with Lampson International allows him to assist with coordinating the cranes for pit operations and pit layout for Lampson. According to Stephens, the cranes lift the boats and put them in the water because they are too big to back up into the water.
He’s a husband and a father of two kids. He said he keeps coming back to do this every year to give back to the community and the people he sees.
“I get to see everyone from all my family that travels back home to the Tri-Cities for this boat race, and I get to see all my friends who I travel the country with come to this boat races,” said Stephens. “For me, I just want this to be the best boat race in the world.”
Stephens said planning gets underway for next year’s race on the Monday after Water Follies.
You can catch all the action on Sunday, July 28, on SWX from 10 am to 5 pm.
