THE ANNUAL BEAUFORT WATER FESTIVAL BED RACES

Participation and Fun for Everyone

story by JENNIFER BROWN-CARPENTER

There is nothing that Beaufortonians look forward to more than the Annual Beaufort Water Festival. It is a time where the community gathers to celebrate the beautiful seaside town we live in and all that it has to offer, both to those of us that live our lives here and to those who come to visit. It is ten days packed to the brim with festivities ranging from different events, to dancing, music, crafts, and so much more. There truly is something for everyone at the Water Festival, regardless of age or interest.

Locally born and raised, William Rivers “Skeet” Von Harten was introduced to the Water Festival by his good friend, Sammy Gray, who served as the Commodore for the third Water Festival in 1958. When Skeet would come home in the summer on leave from the Marine Corps, Sammy would invite him to various Water Festival events. Skeet ended up volunteering, and in 1983 he was awarded the title of the Water Festival Commodore.

The Annual Beaufort Water Festival began in the summer of 1956. The event has grown from a minimal affair and organization into the incredible, technological-advanced ten days we all enjoy today. “The Festival has changed in scope and size, but not in mission nor attitude,” Skeet says. “The people who volunteer, with incredible personal, physical, financial, family sacrifice… that is the glory of the Festival. It is all for the betterment of the community.” The Waterfront Park has added to the beauty, efficiency, and production of the Water Festival. It provides a great backdrop, a great stage, and the perfect places for vendors and refreshments.

One of the events that so many community members have come to love is the Beaufort Bed Race. Bed racing was initially adopted as a sport by Knaresborough, a town in North Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom in 1966. The first race was only open to Army, Navy, and American Marines but is now available to the public. The race in Knaresborough faces the unique challenge of crossing a river towards the end of the race. The sport has spread worldwide, taking place in Germany, New Zealand, the UK, and here in the United States.

In 1983, when Skeet was the Commodore, Mr. Don Fisher was the City Manager, a retired Marine pilot who flew with Pappy Boyington and the Black Sheep Squadron. Don came to Skeet and told him that he had seen Bed Races during his time in Hawaii and thought it would be a perfect addition to the Water Festival. He didn’t have many details about how the races worked or what type of beds they used, but he thought it would be a fun idea.

Skeet put the word out, and people ran with it, coming up with their own ideas. They created the rules as they went along. Finally, the day of the very first Bed Races came. Bunk beds, single and double beds, cribs were all pushed downtown. “It was more work than it was a race because most only had those small wheels that came with the frame or they added their own,” Skeet laughs. “There was a lot of pushing and huffing and shoving.”

A corpsman from the Naval Hospital came up with the idea of using a gurney, and they won hands-down, no sweat. So now gurneys are the bed of choice for all teams trying to win the race. The races start at the corner of Bay and Harrington Street and end at the intersection of Bay and Charles.

The races have evolved over the years, with people continuing to use gurneys, but now they decorate them. One of the main ways the races have developed is that when a team is racing down the street on their gurney, onlookers line the side of the road and use this opportunity to drench the racers. Water out of buckets and water guns are used to soak the teams as they fly down the street. It is a fun way for the community to get involved in one way or another in the Bed Race event.

The races have been a considerable part of the Water Festival every year since 1983, growing in competitiveness and fun each year. “The biggest change happened very quickly when we learned we need real wheels on the bed,” Skeet jokes.

If you are interested in participating in this year’s Bed Race, you can find more information at https://www.bftwaterfestival.com/bed-race1.html

The teams consist of four runners and one rider, and the cost is $25 per team. You can register online. We hope to see you at the Water Festival, either racing in the Bed Race or soaking the teams from the side of the street.