Eddie Kanfoush

What are your goals for 2026?

2025 was not the season we were hoping for after the highs of 2024. Lady luck was not on our side, but I’m proud of how we managed to fight and make the most of our opportunities. We want to pick up where we left off at the end of last season, with 7 wins in the last 8 HRL races and 17 wins in our last 20 combined HRL and APBA races. Our sights are set on reclaiming first place in the Formula F points standings.

What does the name and number of your boat mean?

I started using the number 16 when I began sim racing as a kid because of my birthday (1/16), and now I get to carry it over into my real racing ventures.

‘Viper’ is the nickname for General Electric’s F-16 Fighting Falcon fighter jet.

What made you want to become a hydroplane driver?

I was born into hydroplane racing. My father is a 13-time APBA High Points Champion and a two-time winner of the Régates de Valleyfield. I’ve been obsessed with boat racing for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t have any desire to get behind the wheel until I started playing the HydroSim video game. I caught the bug after taking part in organized virtual races and even raced in the H1 Unlimited E-League while the real H1 series was unable to operate. I finally had the chance to test a real boat at the end of the 2021 season, and my rookie season was in 2022!