SEATTLE — Chip Hanauer is arguably the most well-known name in hydroplane racing.
He won the APBA Gold Cup 11 times in his career. With that many victories, it was surprisingly easy for Hanauer to choose the win that meant the most to him.
"The first one," said Hanauer. "It was Detroit, 1982. I had just replaced the great Bill Muncey. I was racing the Atlas Van Lines against the Budweiser which hadn't been beaten for years because it had a bigger engine. We were given no chance, and we won in dramatic come from behind fashion. I don't think anything can equal that."
Hanauer won the Gold Cup the last time it was held in Seattle back in 1985. Its return Sunday marks the final race of the season on the hydroplane circuit - a season that featured just four races.
Hanauer knows the sport has a loyal fan base but is in desperate need of a revival. He has worked with different groups in the past to not only ensure the future of the sport but grow its popularity.
All of those efforts have been for naught.
He wishes every race on the circuit had the excitement and support it receives in Seattle. It is easily the most popular race on the tour, though Lake Washington is not exactly the most popular course for drivers.
"In a word, it sucks," said Hanauer. "I mean that in the best possible light. Seattle is unique because the wave action is artificial. The wakes come off the boats and there's no symmetry to them.
"Those wakes are coming in at a million different angles and as a driver you can't develop any rhythm. And as a crew, you don't know what to set the boat up for. So Seattle is a unique challenge, but I think it adds to the great competition we've had here."
Hanauer has had his share of scary moments in the sport, flipping his hydro multiple times in his career. He had a memorable one on Lake Washington in 1996.
"The thing takes off and I remember thinking ... I'm dead," explains Hanauer. "I remember thinking three things. One - so this is what it's like to die. I remember looking down at the lake. It didn't feel like I was falling, I felt like the lake was coming up toward me.
"I remember landing in the water upside down. It was a clear day and I could see Mount Rainier and I said, 'Either I'm dead and hell has a mountain just like Mount Rainier, or I survived this.' I couldn't believe it."
Hanauer looks back at his career and says he misses the comradery with his crew and fellow drivers along with the general excitement of race weekends.
But does he miss getting in the cockpit?
"No," he said. "Nowadays I wonder, 'why would I?' Something in your brain just changes over time."