By Lauren Zeugner
InkFreeNews

SYRACUSE  — Mother Nature caused a slight delay to the start of this year’s Flotilla with rain from about 9-11:30 a..m. this morning. But she wasn’t able to dampen the enthusiasm expressed by participants on the water and land.

The rain did break the humidity that had been rising the last few days and blew out the smoky haze that had settled over the area this past week, providing clear blue skies with some white clouds.

This year’s Flotilla, which set off around Lake Wawasee at 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, Saturday, July 1, had 25 boat participants and 16 on-shore participants, the largest participation the Flotilla Committee has seen in a long time. “I’m not sure if its the theme or the prize,” said Holly Tuttle, a 25-member of the Flotilla committee.

This year’s theme was “Luau on the Lake,” where everyone who participated tried to bring a bit of the Hawaiian Islands to Lake Wawasee. Along with hula skirts, surf boards and palm trees, there were also quite a number of pigs roasting on spits, tiki idols and flamingos as well as references to Disney movies “Lilo and Stitch” and “Moana.” Not to mention, Elvis did make an appearance.

Boats participating in this year’s Flotilla began to gather in front of the Spink, at 1 p.m. and then took off around the lake, with wooden boats in the lead. There were two judges boats, one to judge the floats and one to judge the on-shore decorations.

This year’s Commodore was Heather Harwood, executive director of the Wawasee Area Conservancy Foundation. “I had a great time and I’m all waved out,” she said once the commodore’s boat returned to the piers at Wawasee Spink. She said judging the Flotilla was extremely hard. “I was torn (but) I kept going back to one,” she said.

Nick and Adriane Ruddell won the Commodore Cup with their entry of “Happy 4th of Ju-Luau, featuring Nick “surfing” on top of the pontoon. Due to the windy conditions and rough water, Harwood did not hand off the Commodore Cup. It will be presented to the Ruddell’s Sunday, July 2.

Tuttle said when she called the Ruddell’s to inform them they won the Commodore’s Cup, “they were screaming with enthusiasm.”

All those who won awards are to to pick up their prizes at the Channel Marker, 5793 E Pickwick Drive, Syracuse, between noon and 1 p.m. Sunday, July 2, rain or shine.

 Flotilia winners:

• Best Lake History Entry went to Bob and Sandy McNary

• DNR — Jim Kroemer

• It’s All Good — Moana- Ashley Tenney

• WPOA — Brewer/Eberhardt

Youth Awards

• First Place — Lil’ Luau — Smoker and Steele Familes

• Second Place — Wawasee Lake Luau — Ray and Janie Butler Family

• Most Original Youth — Lilo’s Luau — Amy Pate

• Most Spirited — Women Of Today

HOA

• First Place — Luau— 25 foot pontoon — Barry and Elizabeth Hudson/Anne and Patricia Carney

• Second Place — Hawaiian/Tiki— Webb and Lamle Families

Commercial

• First Place — Luau on the Lake — Walsh Brothers Pier Painting

• Most Original Business/Commercial — TL Jackson

Other Awards

• Most Enthusiastic — Kelly Jae’s Lakeside — Kelly Jae’s (Cassy Griffin)

• Most Original — Tiki Bar — John and Terry Topham

• Most Patriotic — Patriotic — Erica Cotner

• Neighborhood — McCully Family

• LuauKing Good — Blue Hawaii — Jack and Joan Hughes

• Tiki- Rific — It’s a Moana Luau — Michael and Laura Bollan

• Big Kahuna — Floating Salute to Heather — WACF/Emily Maggert

• Flamazing — Lillypad Luau — Cherri and Fred Castle

• Sun-Sational — Destination Wedding — Lindsey Traub

• Top Naut-ch — Surfing Safari — Jennifer Abrell

• Tropic of Conversation — Luau Hula Dancers — Mike and Mary Violi Family

• Island Vibes — Wendy Davis for Congress — Wendy Davis

Awards for Wooden Boats

Antique

• First Place — Jeff Wells — Lyman Al’s Boat

• Second Place — Bob Fanning — Chris Craft Eleanor

Wood

• First Place — John Feighner — Chris Craft Life of Reilly

• Second Place — Fritz Kreutziger — Chris Craft

Classic

George hardy 1961 Chris Craft

On-Shore Awards

• First Place — Wawasee Condominiums

• Second Place — Becky Arnold

• Most Original on-shore — Mike and Gale Jacob

• Most Patriotic on-shore — Jason and Jacinda Metz

• Most Spirited on-shore — Mark and Louanne Ziphel

•Neighborhood on-shore — Wawasee Spink Condominiums

•Pier Paradise on-shore — Kiley Family

• Big Kahuna on-shore — Chris O’Rourke

• PIERLY Tiki-rikfic on-shore — Price Family

• Tiki-rific for shore on-shore — The VanGorder’s

•PIERLY Sun-Santional on-shore — Patrick Bloom

• Shore are Luauking Good on-shore — Kevin and Dana Pahud

• Island Vibes for Shore on-shore — Jon and Rebecca Marler

• PIERLY Island Vibes on-shore —Harry and Jane Finch/Ryan and Sarah McBee

• Hulamfic —  Joe and Andrea Able