County Gets Last, Fast Rush of Summertime

Summer officially ended two weeks ago, but you could hardly tell it was fall at Ventura Harbor on Sunday afternoon as thousands of suntanned tourists jammed the shoreline to watch sleek powerboats race.

A crowd of about 10,000 turned out for the Ventura Offshore Powerboat Grand Prix Festival, an annual event that has come to signal the unofficial end of summer locally and the tourist season’s finale.

Under mostly sunny skies, Ventura tourism boosters declared summer 1997 a financial success and said autumn’s arrival is no reason to leave the beach.

“We have the best weather,” said Judie Amendola, marketing director of Ventura Harbor Village, pitching the village’s shops and restaurants. “And we’re friendly.”

Even before 35 powerboats from throughout the West hit Pierpont Bay on Sunday morning, city tourism officials boasted that their efforts to lure out-of-towners--and their highly coveted tourism dollars--have been steadily gaining steam.

While final figures are still being tallied, officials say hotel occupancy taxes--a benchmark measurement for the tourism industry--were up by a few percentage points in this year’s second quarter. Another year-over-year rise is expected after summertime totals are counted.

*

Efforts to lure additional tourists by blurring the line between summer and fall were evident two weeks ago at the California Beach Festival, which drew about 35,000 people, about a quarter of them from outside the county. That annual event included a surfing contest, cookout and children’s rides.

Ventura’s early fall success comes as the city prepares to welcome numerous tourist-friendly additions to its downtown in 1998, including a 10-screen movie theater and a multistory parking garage. And just last week, the Ventura City Council voted unanimously to spend up to $50,000 to have consultants draw up a tourism master plan.

“That’s why the city is spending so much money,” Amendola said. “To make Ventura a destination.”

Sunday’s powerboat races appeared to be a big step in that direction.

*

Race-goers with binoculars and beach umbrellas lined the sand dunes near Ventura Harbor to watch boats moving at more than 100 mph. The boats cruised along a 7 1/2-mile course that passed many of the city’s shoreline landmarks, including the Ventura Pier and Seaside Park.

One race boat flipped while zipping across the bay, and was pulled out of the water by crane. No one in the boat was injured, organizers said.

“Seeing these great big boats with giant engines roaring at 1,000 to 1,500 horsepower is what people like,” said Jerry Nordskog, publisher of Ventura-based Powerboat Magazine, a sponsor of the event. “People like competition, people like power and people like the water. There’s something glamorous about powerboats.”

Spectators admired the flashy boats after they gathered in a winner’s circle of sorts among yachts docked in Harbor Village. But organizers emphasized new rules passed by the American Powerboat Assn., which have opened races to more than just the ultra-rich.

Although some of the boats racing Sunday were worth as much as $1 million, the new rules allow “production boats”--vessels without expensive, specialized rigging--to compete. Those boats can be purchased for $100,000 or less. Nine of the 35 entrants Sunday were in this less exclusive category.

Sunday’s entrants included boats from Seattle and Arizona, and a 30-foot-long Camarillo-based Scarab.

Using a raffle form for $700 worth of Harbor Village merchandise, organizers surveyed the crowd and estimated that 40% came from outside the county.

Sunday’s crowd included race enthusiasts from as far as Germany and from California cities from San Diego to Bakersfield, organizers said.

County residents at Sunday’s races said they have been encouraged by an improvement in this area’s tourist attractions, which boost entertainment options for locals too.

*

Phillip Hammond of Ventura baby-sat two nieces Sunday on a prime sand dune overlooking the bay. He said one of the highlights of his summer was seeing the Righteous Brothers at the Ventura County Fair.

But the city has a way to go if it wants to become a leading tourist destination, he said.

“They need to do something for the homeless,” Hammond said. “It’s still kind of trashy downtown, no matter what they do to try to cover it over.”

Helping his three young children out of a minivan, Jeffery Slaughter of Thousand Oaks said he heard by word-of-mouth about the powerboat races and it persuaded him to spend Sunday at the beach. He said organizers were wise to have plenty of activities for children, such as pony rides and a big trampoline.

“Everything’s kid-friendly,” Slaughter said.

Nora Wong of Van Nuys said she was surprised to see the Harbor Village so packed Sunday. She comes often to the Harbor Village for its peaceful scenery, she said, and did not know the powerful boats would attract such a crowd. But Wong had no plans to head back home.

“The people here are more friendly and less aggressive,” she said. “I think it must be the beach weather.”