After reading last week’s editorial and article about the hydro races, here are my two bits:

It was stated that some racers believe those who complain “may be new to the Island and don’t understand the tradition behind the event” (“Sheriff’s office threatens to end holiday hydro race”). Maybe I am not a longtime Islander (I’ve only been here 40-plus years), but I am not exactly one of the new faces on Vashon. For as long as I can remember, my neighbors have quietly registered their dislike of the irritating pre-dawn, July 4th wake-up call. These people haven’t been heard from because they are kind, gentle, live-and-let-live types who, perhaps unlike the racers, would never dream of disturbing others or raining on anyone’s parade. It was on behalf of some of these sweet, elderly neighbors that I finally wrote a letter to the editor to the newspaper a couple of years ago.

Some people excuse the noise because it’s only for one day. What if the “tradition” was for teenagers to race their cars around the Island at 5:45 a.m., with horns blaring and heavy metal blasting? Would that be tolerable one day a year? For those of us who are noise sensitive, it would be about the same thing.

If I could, I would like to ask a race participant: What is going on in your mind, dear friend, as you are roaring around waking up hundreds (thousands?) of people? Do you get a kick out of waking people, or do you assume that everyone is sharing your enthusiasm?

To me, a much more exciting competition would be racing canoes, kayaks or rowboats. That would be a tradition anybody could take part in.

— Lin Noa