History of the Head of the Hooch

The Last of the Great Fall Regattas

What began as a small club regatta on a Georgia river in 1982 has grown into one of the world's largest fall regattas, welcoming more than 2,200 boats, 6,200 athletes, and an estimated 20,000 spectators to the heart of downtown Chattanooga every year.

1982 – 1996 · Chattahoochee River, Roswell, GA

The Atlanta Rowing Club launched the regatta in 1982 with just over 200 boats racing upstream on a 5,000-meter course on the Chattahoochee River just north of Atlanta. The event ran entirely on volunteer effort: docks were borrowed from generous residents along the riverbank, and more than half a mile of Azalea Drive had to be closed to accommodate trailers, boats, and spectators. By the time the regatta outgrew its home waterway, nearly 500 boats were racing each fall.

1997 – 2004 · Lake Lanier, Gainesville, GA

When Atlanta hosted the 1996 Summer Olympics, a world-class rowing venue was constructed on Lake Lanier — the perfect next home for the regatta. From 1997 through 2004, the Head of the Chattahoochee® raced on the Olympic course and grew to more than 1,300 boats.

2005 – Present · Tennessee River, Chattanooga, TN

In the early 2000s, the Atlanta Rowing Club partnered with the Lookout Rowing Club in Chattanooga to find a venue that could match the regatta's ambitions. The move to the Tennessee River brought a new home and a new identity. No longer on the Chattahoochee, the event was reborn as the Head of the Hooch.

Today the Head of the Hooch® is held in the heart of downtown Chattanooga over two days each fall, welcoming more than 2,200 entries, 6,200 athletes, and an estimated 20,000 spectators — making it one of the largest and most celebrated fall regattas in the world.

The Head of the Hooch is organized and run entirely by volunteers, continuing a tradition of community, hospitality, and passion for the sport that stretches back to 1982.