New kid on 
the block

DEPUE — Growing up, DePue native Matt Harmon was always a fan of the boat races on Lake DePue.

As he grew older Harmon started helping out his late uncle Robert Harmon Sr., and local racer Paul Bosnich III with their boats, and quickly became hooked on the sport.

“As you get older you start realizing, ‘Hey, this is pretty cool’,” Harmon said.

“I didn’t really get too interested until a few years ago,” said Harmon, who turned 26 on July 18. “And he (Paul) asked me to give him a hand. I helped him out, and I wanted to get into it.”

After securing a boat, a 2006 Bezoats, with Bosnich’s help this winter, Harmon was ready to get out on the water. He made his racing debut in Burlington, Wis., this summer. It was not a case of beginner’s luck.

“My first race in Burlington was terrible,” Harmon said. “I was nervous, I think I ended up last ... it was just bad.”

But Harmon proved to be a quick study, picking up a third-place finish in the OSY 400 race two weeks ago in Pell Lake, Wis.

Harmon will make his hometown debut on the waters of Lake DePue in the OSY 400 class at the 26th annual APBA Nationals.

With only two races under his belt, the rookie will be going up against the country’s best racers this weekend in DePue.

“These guys have been doing it for years and I’m just starting,” Harmon said. “I’m going to go out and do my best.”

Harmon said he would be nervous competing in front of the hometown fans at Lake DePue.

“I’ll be little bit nervous. I’ll be drinking a lot of Monster (energy drink),” Harmon said. But while he will have some nerves, Harmon is not putting too much pressure on himself. “Even if I don’t do well, as long as I don’t get hurt it will be alright,” he said.

Harmon was out testing at the lake on Wednesday, trying out some new propellers in advance of Friday’s races.

“The boat’s running good,” Harmon said. “We tried out three different props, they didn’t work too good, so we just stuck with the prop I have, it seems to be the best.”