Blacktip Island sports enthusiasts will cheer on the inaugural Flying Fish Derby Saturday, with racers judged on speed and length of flight. (photo illustration courtesy of Gervais et Boulart)
The Blacktip Island Athletic Society will welcome the new year this Saturday with the small Caribbean island’s inaugural Flying Fish Derby near Diddley’s Landing public pier.
“People on boats ‘ooo’ and ‘aah’ over flying fish all the time, so we figured we’d formalize that,” BIAS president Ledford Waite said. “It’s a new sport for a new year. BIAS members have been raising and training their flying fish for months to prepare for this. Trophies will be awarded for the fastest flying fish as well as the longest glide.
“We’ll line the fish up underwater against a clear sheet of Plexiglas, then drop the barrier and make a sound like a barracuda,” Waite said. “We’ll run multiple heats, in a round-robin format, to ensure each fish gets a fair shot at winning. Judges’ll be posted all around in skiffs to observe each flight.”
Pre-race favorites are already getting attention.
“Gage Hoase’s Icarus is the clear favorite, followed closely by Jessie Catahoula’s Fluffy,” Christina Goby said. “In trial flights, those two have been hands-down the dominant competitors. “Finn Kiick, Alison Diesel and Marina DeLow also have strong fish in the running. It’ll most likely come down to which fish gets the most carbs and the most sleep the night before the races.”
Trainers were secretive about their methods.
“I can’t talk about diet or training regimes, but I can say they’re driven by some pretty serious analytics,” Marina DeLow said. “It’s a new sport, so everybody’s kind of feeling their way to see what works best. There’ll be a lot of adjustments after this event, based on what methods prove most effective. My guess is there’ll a big shift toward plankton-based programs.”
Event organizers have also suggested attire for spectators.
“We’re encouraging everyone to wear white, as well as their most-fanciful sun hats,” Doris Blenny said. “There will also be beverage skiffs providing rum juleps to spectators in boats.”
Island authorities cautioned about potential wagers placed on the races.
“As ever, gambling of any sort is illegal in the Tiperon Islands,” Island Police Constable Rafe Marquette said. “I’ll be on the lookout for any bookmaking or wager-related activities during these races, and will not hesitate to make arrests if I notice anything fishy going on.”
The Blacktip Times 
I tell ya, how those beverage skiffs do will make or break the event.