The 2013 Diamond Cup was an awesome family event. The 2014 event promises to be equally so. As evidence of the family nature of the event, I observed three generations of a Spokane family watching the races return to the Lake City after a 44-year break. The grandfather witnessed the races in the late '60s when they were watched from Tubbs Hill. This time, he took his son and his grandson. The grandson was beside himself as he watched the thunder boats at speeds approaching 180 mph on a 2-mile course that was visible for all the spectators. The father remarked that Coeur d'Alene was even better than the Tri-Cities races.

This Labor Day weekend race organizers have planned five classes of racers: Vintage limited, Vintage unlimited, APBA-5 litre, Grand Prix West, and H1 rockets that boast Chinook helicopter engines, some boats have 1,800 horsepower engines. This year, the races will be at 1/2 hour intervals, and without the delays of the past.

By aerial photographs and the H1 experts, its estimated that we drew 50,000 spectators last year. For a first-year event, things went remarkably well.

My job of supervising sections of the grand stands during the weekend was easy. The race drew families with their children. I didn't have any problems. I spent more time emptying trash cans and tending to the needs of the excellent food vendors, than dealing with crowd-related issues.

This was a truly family-friendly event. Those that wished to drink were in separate sectioned off areas; there weren't any incidents. There weren't any damage claims, and the sheriff's office reported that this was an incredibly quiet weekend. In contrast, have you ventured downtown to watch what our Fourth of July "celebration" is like lately?

Were there some problems for the organizers last year? Of course, and most were tied to the fact that there were 50,000 spectators, but only 15,000 of those actually paid. We had a variety of fence jumpers and those watching from their boats, that felt it was their right to watch for free.

Such behavior unfairly put the organizers in jeopardy. No other major sporting event would tolerate such behavior. Do you think you can duck the fence and watch the Super Bowl for free?

The boats that race here are expensive to own and to operate. They cost as much as $500,000 or more for the H1 boats, and the cost of restoring the vintage boats is astronomical. There isn't any prize money, and what is paid to the teams goes toward feeding them; they don't receive wages. They are there for the sheer joy of the race.

The people that make this race go, like Diamond Cup Committee members Doug Miller and Keith Kroetch, did not get paid one dime for their time from last year's event, though they invested hundreds of hours.

We have bills that need to be paid from last year. If we had 30,000 paying spectators, the race would have been fine. Creditors need to be paid. But the race is on, and scheduled for this Labor Day weekend, and scheduled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Once again Friday is free, and a weekend pass is a mere $55. This is less money than a one-night ticket for a Gonzaga University playoff game, and less than a big name concert ticket.

The Diamond Cup is one popular event; last year 104 countries paid to have the race viewed in their country, and the race was watched on three major stations in the U.S. Our race is coveted by the H1 people because our venue is so ideal; Seattle has major traffic issues, as does San Diego, and the Tri-Cities lacks the other activities that we have. Coeur d'Alene is so accessible, it's scenic and hospitable. The view of the race course is unparalleled by any other race course in the nation.

Nostalgia also draws me to support the Diamond Cup. I shall never forget the sound of the thunder boats roaring by when I was in high school in the '60s, when we camped out on Tubbs Hill, and journeyed from Moscow to Coeur d'Alene in my buddy's orange VW.

There was full employment back then; Bunker Hill Mine employed hundreds, and we had five sawmills in a 10-mile area. My law practice flourished. Then it all changed. I have empathy for some of our younger generation here who are trying so hard, yet can find only an $8 an hour, 20-hour a week job, and end up living with their grandparents to survive. Rent is incredibly high. It used to be the opposite; young adults took care of their grandparents.

The financial atmosphere of our community cries out for the financial benefits of having the race here again. An independent study done by a local hospitality industry leader revealed that our hydroplane races are a $20 million boom to our difficult economy.

If it weren't for our many California friends who have settled here, this community would be in trouble. There is also a spinoff that is not included in that $20 million figure, and that's the family that comes for the races and decides to move here. That happened last year; a family came, loved the area, and bought an expensive condo near the lake.

We need sponsors that are willing to step forward and invest in a race that receives national and worldwide recognition. And we need you. Join me in being part of the movement to welcome the races back for another year. You can donate or volunteer to help at (208) 691-1612, or at www.DiamondCupRace.com.

Steve Bell is a Coeur d'Alene resident.