Avon Descent 2017: Peter Barden and family love racing

He said competing in the “Bathurst of boat racing” runs in his blood.

“Both my parents race, my brother and my sister race, “ said Peter. “Ever since I can remember my parents have been doing it.” 

Peter remembers watching Avon Descent videos with his Dad and playing in his racing boats.

This year will be the 35-year-old’s nineteenth race.

“I started racing power boats at age ten at the Perth Power Dinghy Racing Club,” he said.

“I competed in my first Avon, in the junior category when I was 16.”

Peter said initially his parents would always beat the children, but now the tide has turned. 

“We’re all very competitive and want to beat each other!” he said.

“In the early years Mum and Dad would beat us all, but now we win because they just do it for fun.”

Peter’s parents Kerry and Brent Barden will be racing again this year.

“Their boat looks like a tiger, it has stripes all over it!” said Peter.  

A special year for Peter was when he won the 10 horsepower standard class category with his sister Danika Beaman.

It was her first Avon Descent. “It was very exciting,” he said. “We won by nine seconds – it was very tight.”

Peter and his sister have competed together for the past three years.

This year he has partnered up with Shaun Leavy. 

They will be starting on grid eight. 

He said the pair have looked at the route, and have noticed a few hurdles.

“There’s a few nasty patches – hopefully we will get a bit more water, or less to see the rocks,” he said.

“The water is murky too, it’s not normally like this.

“I assume it’s from the flooding.” 

The Rivervale man said everyone brings their best to the race each year. 

“You can only do it once a year – so you give it your best shot.”