60th Skipjack Races: An Eastern Shore Tradition

DEAL ISLAND, Md. – Hundreds of people flocked to Deal Island for the 60th Annual Skipjack Race, on Monday. But locals say the event represents a lot more than some might think.

“It symbolizes a lost way of life that people don’t realize exists,” says Rose DiMatteo, the captain of the Edna Lockwood.

It’s something you don’t see every day: almost a dozen skipjacks sprinkled along the horizon, sailing the Chesapeake Bay, as spectators look on.

“They’ve been sailing all my life, you know,” says Beth Henderson, a spectator who lives in Salisbury. “I’ve always loved the water and I’ve always been on the water.”

The annual Skipjack Race in Deal Island is a chance to showcase a lifestyle that, some say, gets forgotten.

“People have no idea what an oyster dredging boat is and it’s like a lost art. Being here and seeing them all together is an amazing experience,” says DiMatteo.

Many of the race spectators, like Beth Henderson, grew up around watermen so they know that these boats are part of something much more. “It’s hard work and so is crabbing. Crabbing is very hard work and I respect that,” says Henderson.

She tells 47 ABC the annual race is a way to honor the backbone of our local economy. “These guys give so much to keep the oyster industry to keep it going and keep it alive,” says Henderson. “I don’t know it’s just in your family it’s just kind of in your blood you respect them so much.”

The Ida May skipjack placed first in this year’s race followed by Rebecca Ruark in second and then the Nathan of Dorchester in third. The money generated from the Skipjack race and festival goes back to the Deal Island and Chance Lions Club, as well as the Skipjack Heritage Museum.

To learn more about the annual races and festival: click here.