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Wilkeson Cup is the trophy awarded annually to the “Most Creative Homemade Seaworthy Vessel” of the Rigidized River Fest Regatta at the Buffalo River Fest. Often referred to as The Cup, or The Holy Grail of competitive homemade watercrafts, the Regatta winner traditionally receives the Wilkeson Cup on a grand stage during the final day of River Fest with great ceremony. The Cup winner keeps the trophy until the following year when a new champion is crowned. Upon this chalice, engravings exist of all previous winners. The stainless steel trophy in the 5WL Rigidized pattern measures 2 feet tall, has base dimensions of 10” x 10” and weighs 12 lbs.

History
Buffalo judge Samuel Wilkeson, as much as anyone, can be considered the reason why we don't sing _Shuffle Off to Black Rock_. Before we leave 1822 New York for other climes and times we should pay a second visit to the judge. We first met him in 1820, when he was instrumental in having a pier built at Buffalo that resisted two storm-tossed vessels that slammed into it. But Judge Wilkeson, good booster that he was, wanted more than just a pier for his adopted town. He wanted a canal. Born in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in 1781, he spent his first 25 years working on a farm. But a vast body of water far to the northwest captured his imagination. Around the year 1806 he resettled on Lake Erie and began building boats, successfully engaging in trade. During the war of 1812 his vessels transported the troops of William Henry Harrison when the general invaded Canada. As the war ran down he settled in Buffalo, concentrating on his mercantile efforts. A man with many irons in the fire!

But it was his efforts to bring the Erie Canal to Buffalo that really set him apart. Once it was determined the final route would push west to connect up with the Niagara River or Lake Erie (advisers to gubernatorial candidate Daniel Tompkins advised him to end it at Tonawanda), Wilkeson stepped up the pace of harbor improvements. Then, the early western Lakes steamboat _Walk-in-the-Water_, ran aground after setting out from Buffalo then quickly returning in the teeth of a lake storm that had blown up out of the west. Soon afterwards a representative from the company that built the steamboat came out to assess the damage. He made some rash remarks about the Buffalo harbor within earshot of the judge; even used the "h" word. "Humbug" that is, not the one you're thinking of. He'd pushed the right button.

The company wanted to build the _Superior_, a replacement boat and Judge Wilkeson told him he could get the grounded boat out of the company's way by May 1, 1822, a little less than seven months away. But Buffalo would have to cough up $150 for every day past that date the boat was trapped. Not to keep you in suspense, the judge put crews on the job, paid overtime and got the vessel refloated and back over the sand bar on April 13th. No mention of a rebate from the company for the extra 17 days, of course. But Wilkeson had built his harbor and made it work. The shape of the Wilkeson Cup itself honors the man by replicating the shape of Wilkeson’s tombstone at Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Wilkeson Cup Era
Rigidized Metals Corporation, a longtime sponsor of the Regatta, first had the idea in 2006 to create a trophy to honor those who created the “Most Creative Homemade Seaworthy Vessel” and forged it in their fabrication shop on Ohio Street in Buffalo, NY. Welders fused stainless steel pieces with a 5WL pattern together to create both an aesthetically pleasing and durable trophy. The signature plate bearing the trophy’s name uses polished stainless so fine that an observer can see his or her reflection when looking at the cup. A removable plate graces the front of the base, so the winner’s name can be easily added after the Regatta.

The Regatta fits into the larger event of Buffalo River Fest run by the Valley Community Association, an organization dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of the residents of the Buffalo River Community by meeting individual and family needs and promoting environmental beautification.

At River Fest, a representative from Rigidized Metals Corporation presents the Wilkeson Cup to the winner of the most creative vessel in front of a crowd of hundreds. A panel of independent judges, persons chosen from around Buffalo for their character and integrity, cruise around the Buffalo River evaluating the vessels and use a variety of criteria to determine the most creative one. Equally important, the winning boat must sail the entire 3 mile race from the foot of Smith Street to the end of Dead Man’s Creek; the judges may not consider sunken or derelict vessels as cup contenders.

Traditions and Anecdotes
The first cup was handed out after the 2006 Regatta to the winner John Needam, a very serious contender each year with his name engraved on the cup multiple times. After winning, he held the Wilkeson Cup up high with his arms and displayed it to the crowd. Future winners have replicated his actions that day.

Tragedy nearly struck in 2008 when during a celebratory outing, an overenthusiastic winner dropped the Cup from a moving pick-up truck. The trophy broke in two with the base cracking at the weld, but an emergency welding job salvaged it. No visible scars remain on the outside of the trophy as the cup is rigidized stainless steel, a tough material resistant to scratches and dents.

Followers of the competition, past winners, and aspiring winners eagerly await each June to see who next attains immortality with an engraving onto the Wilkeson Cup.

Wilkeson Cup Winners
2006: John Needham, Matt McCarthy

2007: John Needham, Cook's Bar & Grill

2008: John Needham, Don Heske

2009: Cook's Bar & Grill

2010: Margaritaville

2011: Cook’s Bar & Grill

2012: John Needham, Matt McCarthy

2013: John Needham, Matt McCarthy

2014: John & Samantha Needham

2015: John Needham

2016: Cook's Bar & Grill