Kootenai County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Ewing, center, talks with Allan Clark, of Post Falls, after his boat passed a safety check on Lake Coeur d’Alene. Ewing and Deputy Jonathan Traw, right, were on patrol on Friday.

In a little more than a week, thousands of people will descend on Lake Coeur d’Alene to watch the first hydroplane races held there since the last summer of Lyndon Johnson’s presidency.

There to greet this generation of race fans will be a heavy presence of law enforcement and private security, intent on keeping the Diamond Cup over Labor Day weekend safe, sober and orderly for everyone.

Organizers emphasize this is a family-oriented sport, and they’ve taken steps to prevent any chance of a repeat of the unruly crowds and clashes with police that marred the event for several consecutive years in the early 1960s. Through crowd controls on land and patrols on the lake, officials aim for three days of trouble-free cheering for the thunderous spectacle. More. Scott Maben, SR

Do you think the hydroplane races will offer a boost to the Cda economy?

---

---