Brent Hall: Building a Legacy On and Off the Water
How ‘underdog’ Brent Hall is making a difference inspired by his brother
Hydroplane racing may seem like a niche sport, but to Brent Hall it’s a way of life.
From navigating “rooster tails”, the massive sprays of water kicked up by other boats, to going a top speed of 178 miles per hour so far, and experiencing 3-5 Gs of force, Brent loves the thrill of going fast.
He’s worked hard to become a professional driver in the sport. Starting out as a 36-year-old rookie, later than most drivers, he’s the underdog, and he fights with that mentality through all of life’s twists and turns, on and off the water.
But in 2018, Brent faced one of his hardest challenges, a cancer diagnosis.
“Hearing something like that, it’s mind-numbing,” Brent said. “I just couldn’t believe it – as healthy as I’d been, as our family had been.”
Brent’s Kidney Cancer Journey
After seeing blood in his urine, Brent immediately sought medical attention. The results were sobering – kidney cancer that had spread to his lungs. Stage 4.
“Before I talked to the doctors, what did I do? I went out on the internet to see what they were saying about kidney cancer. At the time I read I have a 9% chance of being alive in five years. That was pretty daunting.”
Brent’s medical team in Seattle came up with a plan – first, they removed his kidney, then he went through more than two years of immunotherapy where he saw the impact of game-changing cancer research, learning that a new treatment had just become officially approved and was available to him.
This immunotherapy was effective and gentler, not carrying significant side effects for Brent. The tumors were shrinking, making good progress.
“Again, I think that’s where it goes back to that research,” Brent said. “How do we create cancer tools that are less invasive and don’t damage the body as much but really attack those cancer cells? I was told that this combination would go teach my immune system how to find those cancer cells and kill them. And that’s what was happening.”
Even after his surgery, Brent wasn’t going to sit still. The night of his surgery he was up walking around. His doctors discharged him the next day.
“Sure, there was some pain, but I just had this determination that I wanted to get through this and get out of the hospital,” Brent said. “That was the start of, ‘Hey, this is tough stuff, but I’m going to rally and make it successful’. I really had this goal of wanting to get back in a hydroplane again. I am proud to share, I was back racing a hydroplane at top speeds three months after having my kidney removed.”
Today, Brent still has regular scans but has been deemed ‘no evidence of disease’, a testament to the power of cancer research.
Motivated to Make a Difference by his Brother
Years after Brent’s battle with cancer, his brother Hayden was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive form of lymphoma that spread rapidly. Hayden was a lifelong math teacher, going through life with a positive, caring attitude. Even in the midst of his cancer journey, he kept that same personality.
Hayden went through chemotherapy and radiation to try to rid his body of the disease so that he could have an immune system transplant. Unfortunately, there were complications from the transplant, and Hayden unexpectedly passed away on July 4, 2025.
After Hayden passed, Brent was able to go to the school where he’d worked and speak to the students, continuing to share a message of positivity and gratitude for his brother.
“He lives in me still,” Brent said. “A big part of why I wanted to connect with the V Foundation is to honor my brother’s story and to advocate for more cancer research so that we can see even more success stories. Unfortunately, his didn’t end up the way we wanted, but I’m sure proud of the years that I had with him.”
“Survive and Advance”
Brent is a big fan of sports documentaries, and one of his favorites is ESPN’s “30 for 30: Survive and Advance”. While watching it, he was enamored and inspired by the life of Jim Valvano, and he learned about Jim’s legacy in the creation of the V Foundation for Cancer Research.
“I am all about the underdog, and in boat racing, I’ll be the underdog,” Brent said. “Hearing Jimmy’s story, watching the behind the scenes of his speech, knowing all that he went through to even get up there to address the large live audience and millions around the world… He said, ‘My time is limited here, but the V Foundation is something I want to create to help others long after I’m gone.’ If I can be any part of that, that would be amazing.”
Underdog on the Water: Hydroplane Racing
As a kid, Brent would collect race programs, learn all about his favorite drivers, and watch the boats glide across the water each summer at Seafair in Seattle. He never thought he would want to drive one until much later in life.
He was given a chance to work in the sport in 2005 as a crew member for legendary driver Harold Mills, the only Black driver in the sport racing in the Unlimited Lights class at the time. After Harold retired, Brent’s thought was to do a fundraiser for kids, and also see if he could drive a boat successfully around the course. That was 2008. He caught the bug and has been part of the racing community ever since.
“Being a rookie at 36 when many drivers started when they were 9,” Brent said. “I still have the opportunity to go and make my dream a reality.”
Going into the 2026 season, Brent is on the path to become the first Black driver to ever qualify for the Unlimited class of hydroplane racing, the top echelon of the sport. He’s excited to compete against the best of the best and make history at the same time.
That is not solely what motivates him – he wants to grow the sport and impact people. He aims to inspire and impact the next generation to go after their goals doing something they love, whether it’s hydroplane racing or any part of life.
“Amazing stories draw people to sports. My hope is that my story helps Unlimited Hydroplane racing become mainstream again. I believe my life and the things that have happened in it can inspire people to be great regardless of the adversity they face. I am also a dreamer, just like Jimmy V. There was a quote Jimmy shared in one of his speeches that really stuck with me: ‘Every single day, in every walk of life, ordinary people do extraordinary things!’ I strive to be one of those people doing extraordinary things!”
