Don’t be misled by the just-for-fun headline. There is nothing routine about the traditional late-Sunday afternoon parade down Duval Street to open the annual Race World Offshore Key West World Championships, which begins with the first of three races on Wednesday. Even the most seasoned competitors such as throttleman Grant Bruggemann, who is running in the Pro Class 1 and Factory Stock categories with team owner/driver Willy Cabeza, still gets a charge out of it.
“It was awesome—huge crowd with lots of families and kids,” Bruggemann said. “We love to see all the little ones come out. There were more boats than I’ve ever seen.
“I think we threw out about 50 pounds of candy and even more beads,” he added.
Like Bruggemann, Tyler Miller of the Monster Energy/M CON team has ridden down the Duval Street on the deck of a few raceboats during his career. The experience never gets old for the M CON Offshore Racing team family, he said.
“The Sunday Parade in Key West always amazes me,” Miller explained. “The amount of fans that come out and show support for offshore is incredible. It’s an awesome kickoff to an exciting and adrenaline-packed week.
Added fellow offshore racing veteran of the Super Stock-class Team Allen Lawncare and Landscaping team, “There were lots and lots of families and kids having a great time, as always.”
The chairman of the American Power Boat Association Offshore Racing Commission, Ryan Beckley described the parade as “really, really big,” among the largest in recent memory.
“The turnout was great,” he said. “And thanks to Bronx Phantom team’s foam machine, there was foam from one end of Duval Street to the other.”
Veteran offshore racer Nick Imprescia has enjoyed a few Key West parades during the years. But this was his first as a Super Stock-class throttleman, as he will handle those duties this week for Team Bermuda this week.
“It was an honor to represent the country of Bermuda,” said the ever-gracious racer. “And the town did what they always do—welcome us with open arms.”
If the parade experience is rewarding for veteran competitors, it’s even more so first-timers. Just ask Tim Linden, who will drive the new Super V-class DSK raceboat with throttleman Michael Howe.
Linden put it simply, “It was something else.”