Classic Boats Take the Spotlight at Whitefish Woody Weekend
The 13th annual show features 42 vintage vessels from across the West, including a newly built replica of a 1926 racing boat
By Katie Bartlett
The first time Ike Kielgass saw Comet, the 1926 racing boat wasn’t skimming across a lake but resting on a display stand in the Antique Boating Museum (ABM) in Clayton, New York. In the museum’s black-and-white photos, Comet seemed to fly, her polished hull gleaming in the sun.
Nearly a century later, Kielgass brought Comet back to life. His hand-built 2025 replica is one of 42 boats that will be shown at the upcoming Whitefish Woody Weekend.
Whitefish Woody Weekend, sponsored by the Big Sky Antique and Classic Boat Society, aims to celebrate the craftsmanship of wooden boats. The festival will be held at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake from June 27 to June 29, featuring boats from across the western United States.


The boats at Whitefish Woody represent 16 manufacturers and span more than a century, from 1922 to 2025, with most built before 1960. Show organizer Tim Salt said that 24 participants are coming from outside the Flathead Valley, traveling from across the Pacific Northwest, Nevada, and Arizona to take part in the show. Salt added that 17 boats will be new to Whitefish Woody, which is now in its 13th year.
Whitefish Woody stands apart from other boat shows because judging isn’t the focus, Salt said. Instead, it’s a chance for boat owners to get their vessels on the water and to share their hobby — the history, craftsmanship, and upkeep of their boats. Throughout the festival, many owners stand beside their boats, sharing stories with visitors.
“We look at these vessels as fine art,” Salt said. “Nobody considers that they own the boat. They consider themselves to be caretakers who will make sure it’s passed on to the next generation. We hope to instill the same feelings in the public, and maybe some of them will step up to be the caretakers of the future.”
One of the newest boats that will be featured is also among the oldest in design: the reconstructed Comet will be making its boat show debut at Whitefish Woody.
The original vessel was built by the New York-based Stanley Boat Works for Charles Parker, a boat designer and engineer known for his interest in fast boats. Parker raced Comet on the St. Lawrence River, where the boat claimed eight championship trophies.
Years after Kielgass first saw the boat displayed at ABM, Dave Lobb, a retired professional boat restorer, purchased the plans for Comet’s design. Needing a workspace, Lobb approached Kielgass about the project.
For 18 months, the two worked to reconstruct the racing boat in Kielgass’s Renton, Washington workshop. Affectionately known as the “garage-mahal,” the shop is lined with vintage posters and a large banner proclaiming a love for “old woodies.”
Comet wasn’t Kielgass’s first foray into boatbuilding. After retiring young, he devoted the next four decades to the world of wooden boats. He has repaired more than a dozen boats, and Comet is his third built from scratch. While he calls boat repair a hobby, those who know him describe it as something closer to an obsession.
Kielgass was drawn to the project because Comet was unlike anything he’d built before. The racing design was unfamiliar territory, and at 25 feet, it was the largest and most technically complex boat he’d ever taken on.

He and Lobb set out to keep the replica as close to the original as possible, though they opted to use a modern engine. They went with a triple cockpit instead of the original single and added features like fold-down windshields “to make the boat a little bit cooler,” Kielgass said, but the rest of the design stayed true to its 1926 roots. Using parts from their respective collections, the pair ensured that even the hardware was authentic to the period.
While acknowledging that building Comet was a financial sacrifice, Kielgass said that the project’s development into “something real that can be used” makes it worthwhile.
“Taking the boat from paper plans to an actual physical thing feels like a huge accomplishment,” Kielgass said. “And taking it to the show is a great opportunity to share with people what it takes to do something like this.”
Whitefish Woody Weekend kicks off on Friday night with a cruise, giving attendees a first glimpse of the boats that will be on display throughout the weekend. On Saturday, the public can take part in rides around the lake, while Sunday features a boat poker run. Participants boat around the lake, drawing cards at various stops to see who ends up with the best hand.
Kielgass sees shows like Whitefish Woody as vital to preserving the future of antique boating.
“We’re aging; most of us are in our 70s and have been doing this for 40 or 50 years,” he said. “We want to get younger people involved, and boat shows help get them excited.”
Whitefish Woody Weekend runs from June 27 to June 29 at the Lodge at Whitefish Lake. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit lodgeatwhitefishlake.com.