Islander Karl Olsen won the traditional early morning hydro race around the island on July 4, edging out two fellow competitors to retain the perpetual trophy, passed from winner to winner.

Olsen, who has won the event the last two years, had a time of 41 minutes 12 seconds, according to Brian Brenno, the official event timer. Evan Mattingly came in at 44 minutes 2 seconds, while Ty Christopherson broke down at Point Robinson.

Island historian Bruce Haulman said that the race dates back to 1955, when Roger Stanley made his first trip around the island in his Ted Jones-designed hydroplane with a 25 horse power motor.

“Once somebody does it, someone says I can beat that,” Haulman said, laughing about how the race was begun.

The event had its heyday in the 1950s and 1960s, Haulman added, noting that various kinds of boats participated, including ski boats, and in 1958, 29 outboard boats raced around the island.

While Olsen won the race this year in a time similar to his two previous times, records show that in 1978, Bruce Fraley from Lynwood would have left him far behind, with his winning time of 30 minutes and 10 seconds, besting Stanley’s record, set in 1977, of 35 minutes and 10 seconds.The next year, however, 13-year-old Rick Oliver won a close race in 56 minutes.