06/27/08

Every year, the burley regatta provides a big boost to the Magic Valley economy. Racers and spectators alike from all over the country make the pilgrimage here with some of them renting hotel rooms as far away as Twin Falls or even further.

Mark Moyle, Chairman of the Idaho Regatta Committee says, “These guys spend a lot of money to come here, and when they are here, they frequent restaurants, they stay in hotels. And so the economic impact is tremendous on the community."

Only once in recent memory has the regatta been cancelled.

Mother Nature provided plenty of wet, soggy weather and water levels that were too high eleven years ago - and the Mini-Cassia area felt the lack of, what the College Of Southern Idaho calculates as, three million dollars by the time the money finishes circulating in the local economy.

Race Announcer Larry Ambrose said, "What makes this venue extremely special is the fans that come to this venue. And the fans here get to sit on these beautiful green lawns, they're close to the water, the action's close to the fans. The only other course that is similar to the Snake River here in Burley, Idaho is Long Beach Marine Stadium in California."

Ambrose says there will be 30 heats for nine classes of boats this weekend.

Those include two and a half liter hydro planes - flat bottom boats and 'cracker box' boats which celebrated their 60th year of competition last year.

The races start at 11 am Saturday and Sunday and will wrap up Sunday at 5pm.

Moyle says, "Most races you have spectators, here you have fans. And they really love coming here, 'cause they get treated special by the people, they town rolls out the red carpet for 'em, and they just have a really good time here in Burley."