Greetings from Stan Sayers pits, on the shores of beautiful Lake Washington in South Seattle! It's time for the annual Seafair festivities, a two-week long party that cumulates on the first Sunday in August with unlimited hydroplane racing. Each year, up to 500,000 rain-weary, Rainier beer drench people line the grassy shores and floating log booms to watch the boats go round and round, at speeds upwards of 200 MPH.

In case you're wondering who the heck Stan Sayers is, well he's the nice gentleman who brought the hydros to Seattle. Way back in 1950, Stan won the APBA Gold Cup race in his boat, the Slo-Mo-Shun IV. In his honor, he gets to have the docks named after him year round.

But Seafair is more than just hydros and beer - you'll also find other fun activities. Why, there's a huge night time Torchlight parade (often referred to as the "Flashlight" parade by the drunks...), a milk-carton boat derby, and the official landing of the Seafair Pirates (who always seem to proudly believe in the buccaneer phrase "...and a bottle of rum!") on the shores of Alki Beach. About the only buzz you'll find that (hopefully) doesn't include booze is when the U.S. Navy Blue Angels do their fly-by over the race course.

If you're in Seattle, be sure to drop by the Unlimited Hydroplane and Raceboat Museum for a closer look at these babies. Tell them that the beans sent you.

But since today is about the unlimited hydroplanes, let's show what they're working for. This is the APBA Gold Cup, the oldest motorsports trophy that there is. Drivers compare winning this baby to winning the Indy 500. The race for the cup is held each year in Detroit; this year's winner was Jones Racing and driver Mike Hansen. As the boat names tend to change from city to city, in Seattle it was known as the "Skyway Boat and Casino", but in Detroit it was called "Tubby's Grilled Submarines". Go figure. Until the beans can convince someone to name a boat "Miss Black Bean", they'll be good sports about it, and keep on cheering for them all to win.

Speaking of "winners", this is the Miss Budweiser, owned by legendary hydro-king Bernie Little, and driven this year by Dave Villwock. The Miss Bud has been THE boat to beat every year, and very rarely comes in second. Fans either love or hate the Miss Bud for this very reason. The beans like Miss Bud, however, because beer goes so well with chili.

The green boat with the beans is the U-100, Znetix II, which is driven by Terry Troxell, and is owned by Fred and Jackie Leland. Poor Fred spent most of the 80's with some bottom-feeder boats, such as "Miss Crab Legs" (sponsored by a now-defunct seafood chain), and the "Miss Rock" (sponsored by KISW radio, which had honorary celebrity "drivers" every year, such as rocker Joe Walsh and Stimpy the Cat.) But in the last few years Fred has turned his racing team into a winner, and the beans couldn't be happier.

The next boat is the Oh Boy! Oberto/Miss Madison. The boat's sponsors are Seattle-based Oh, Boy! Oberto meat snacks, makers of some dang-fine beef jerky, and the city of Madison, Indiana. The city of Madison actually owns this boat - see where your tax dollars could be going??? - There's a movie about the Miss Madison coming to theaters early in 2002, so get your tickets now.

Of course, now that you have your boat, someone has to drive the thing. Among the many daring souls who have risked life, limb, and other body parts at 200 MPH are some true legends of the sport - Bill Muncey, Stan Sayers, Chip Hanauer... But by far, our absolute favorite driver of all time has got to be, the one and only Mr. Mark Evans! Bonus points and extra sucking up comes from posing with the beans - hint, hint, other drivers!!!

Yep, Mark was kind enough to pose with the beans, and we can't thank him enough for it. Mark was a hydro driver for many years, piloting such legendary hydros such as Miss Exide, Miss Rock, Miss Budweiser, the Pico American Dream, and the Miss ELAM Plus. Mark now spends his summer as a color commentator for ESPN2's coverage of the unlimited hydroplane race circuit.

Mark, thanks a million. You'll always be #1 in the bean's book.

Finally, here's driver Terry Troxell of the Znetix II accepting his award for winning heat 2B of the race. The eventual winner of the Seafair GM Cup this year was the ELAM Plus.

The beans had fun reminiscing about their youth as young legumes, laying on the beach watching the boats go around in circles, collecting as many giveaway freebies as humanly possible. Ah, those were the days...