Today Jimmy Shane took a little time off from his day job — building spaceships at Blue Origin — to bask in the glory surrounding his other claim to fame, as America’s champion hydroplane driver.
Shane was the center of attention at Seattle’s Westlake Center during a noontime rally that featured a performance by the Seahawks’ Blue Thunder drumline, burgers from Dick’s Drive-In, and giveaways from Seattle-based HomeStreet Bank, the corporate sponsor for Shane’s hydroplane team.
Can you get any more Seattle-centric than that?
The cause for celebration was last month’s triumph of the Miss HomeStreet (a.k.a. Miss Madison Inc.) in the H1 Unlimited National Championship. The Miss HomeStreet thunderboat and hydroplane racing’s Detroit Gold Cup were on prominent display during today’s rally.
HomeStreet Bank CEO Mark Mason, crew chief Dan Hoover, boat chief Cindy Shirley and other members of the crew got in on the festivities as well.
“The entire team worked tirelessly this season to bring the national title home to Seattle,” Shane said in a statement issued before the rally. Seattle’s deputy mayor, Hyeok Kim, reciprocated at the rally with an official declaration designating today as Miss HomeStreet Day.
Seattle has been a hydroplane hot spot for more than 60 years, but Shane’s status as an integration engineer at Blue Origin’s production facility in Kent, Wash., highlights the fact that the region is becoming known for its rockets as well.
The focus of Shane’s work is the New Shepard suborbital space program, which is due to resume flight tests at Blue Origin’s West Texas launch pad by the end of the year.
Loud rockets, plus loud boats: It’s clear that Shane has the best of both worlds.
First-Class Hydroplane Driver. First-Class Bank! Congratulations @JimmyShane1 and @HomeStreetBank on winning the National Championship! pic.twitter.com/FimOH0kN31
— Seafair Festival (@SeafairFestival) October 6, 2017
Seattle Deputy Mayor Hyeok Kim declares October 6 Miss HomeStreet Day! pic.twitter.com/VMGvhtejs2
— HomeStreet Bank (@HomeStreetBank) October 6, 2017
Today is officially HomeStreet Day in Seattle! Hang out in Westlake Park with us and enjoy free live music and food! pic.twitter.com/6Mhvf8H5xi
— Downtown Seattle (@downtownseattle) October 6, 2017
