(2025 photo by David Hutchinson)
By Macey Wurm
Reporting for West Seattle Blog
The Seattle Seafair Pirates will be sailing in, and storming Alki beach’s shore this Saturday, June 27th. Marking the commencement of Seattle’s Seafair festivities, the pirates at Alki will land ashore in search of the “key to the city”, playing into Seafair’s decades-long mythology.
The pirates expect to hit the beach between 1:00 and 1:30 p.m. on Saturday afternoon, amid cannon fire and sword-wielding, and led by Captain Kidd, a role filled this year by Chris Lange. Another notable pirate, Davy Jones (Kyle Walderhaug), will be accompanying him. The two pirates provided us with bios in anticipation of taking on these prominent roles this year.
Chris Lange (Captain Kidd):
I was born and raised in North Seattle, and now live on a hill in Broadview where I can keep an eye on the Salish Sea for enemy ships and other pirates. My mum was kidnapped at the Torchlight Parade when I was three years old, but no worries, that story ended well. Later I took my own boys to the parades to make sure they had the experience of seeing the pirates and hearing the cannons. Then I joined the Seattle Seafair Pirates and climbed aboard the Mighty Moby Duck way back in 2015, and I’ve served as the Liaison, Public Relations Officer, Secretary, and now the 77th Captain Kidd.
Kyle Walderhaug (Davy Jones):
Kyle was born and raised in Washington. He’s spent his entire life living around Seattle and never straying too far from the salt water. He roots for all the hometown teams, especially the Washington Huskies “WOOF!”
He’s grown up with Seafair and is always looking forward to kicking off summer with the Seafair Pirates Landing at Alki Beach. Now he’s honored to join the crew, share some mischief, and help keep this uniquely Northwest tradition alive for the next generation of Seafair fans.
Once the pirates and their crew have landed ashore, the festivities will have only just begun. They will be greeted on Alki by Seafair Royalty — Queen Alcyone (Bookda Gheisar) and King Neptune (Sidney Rice) who were each chosen based on their “philanthropic contributions to the Puget Sound region and ability to inspire the communities in which they live,” according to Seafair’s website. Also present will be Seafair Community Hero Abubakr Abdulkadir and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson.
A ceremony knighting the pirates will be performed by Seafair Royalty, accompanied with a brief ceremony involving Mayor Wilson planned to take place at 2:00 p.m. The Pirates Landing is expected to take place near the Alki Beach Bathhouse (2701 Alki Ave SW).
According to this year’s Captain Kidd, the pirates will move down to Christo’s and El Chupacabra on Alki after the main festivities conclude to enjoy some food and beverages. That evening at 6:30, they will be appearing in the Greenwood Seafair Parade. It will be a long day of fun and laughs, says the captain.
(Speaking of parades, the Pirates will sail Moby Duck in the July 18 West Seattle Grand Parade, too.)