In the harbor’s fast lane

Elia Powers

There’s something about a terrifying moment from childhood that tends

to stick with you. Just ask Corona del Mar resident Kent Moore.

His came courtesy of Leading Lady, a speedboat that took tourists

and residents out on Newport Harbor for rides in the late 1940s and

early 1950s.

The harbor was filled with locally owned and operated speedboats

that took passengers for joy rides, but few vessels had Leading

Lady’s capacity for speed, Moore said.

It went as fast as 60 mph. Often at night. With only a dim light

on its bow that illuminated a space a few feet in front of the boat.

“My mother was a daring individual,” Moore said. “She talked us

into going for a ride one night. Other than riding on a

rollercoaster, this was absolutely one of the most unnerving

experiences I’ve ever had.”

The boat accelerated, even when it came across choppy water.

Leading Lady moved through the harbor with ease and power, making it

a sight to be seen, Moore said. Passengers in the back would be just

inches from the water as the front of the boat lifted into the air.

After pulling out from its spot near the Balboa Fun Zone, Leading

Lady would build speed as it passed the jetty and circled around the

harbor. The whole ride took about an hour, according to longtime

Newport Beach resident Al Gronsky.

Gronsky, whose family bought the Balboa Pavilion in the late 1940s

and sold tickets for the speedboat, said the white vessel held more

than 15 passengers.

The boat was longer than most speedboats and faster than them all,

Gronsky said.

“It was the thrill of going fast that made it so popular,” he

said. “When we got outside the crowded area of the harbor and the

driver cranked the big engine, it was quite a show.”

He said the Leading Lady went on about 10 rides per day and was

one of the main attractions at the Pavilion.

Frank Kiech, owner and operator the boat, installed a powerful

Allison Aircraft engine, Gronsky remembers.

Whenever something went wrong with the engine, he would put in a

new one instead of trying to repair the existing one. It was all part

of the spectacle, Gronsky said.

Kiech, who operated Leading Lady for almost 10 years in the

harbor, was called “Little Red” because of his height. But Gronsky

said no one would dare question his ability to manage the speedboat.

“He was one hell of a mechanic and boat driver,” Gronsky said.

And he was a showman, as well. One time, Kiech took a world

champion water skier out on the water as a stunt. Gronsky said the

woman had never gone on a faster ride in her life.

The memories seemed to last with everyone.

“After that time, I never went out on Leading Lady again,” Moore

said. “I will never forget the ride.”

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