Extreme Blue Thunder’s in-depth water policy

A lot of people reacted on Thursday to the Extreme Blue Thunder air show water policy.

Aside from some backlash, the air show committee says there will be plenty of water to sell — unlike the last air show seven years ago. In addition, guests are allowed to bring in one bottle per person.

“In 2010, we recognized afterwards that we had a challenge with water and that was one of the first issues we addressed as a board in 2017. So seven years later, we took that issue and said, “That’s one of the first things we want to tackle,'” Ethan Huffman, the spokesperson for the Idaho Falls Air Show, said.

The committee is tackling the water issues in three ways:

1. “Every person can bring in 24 ounces of water. So that’s man, woman, child. Everybody can come through the gates with a bottle of water from a store, purchased and sealed, just like this,” Huffman said.

2. After people go through security and are inside, they will find more than a dozen vendors selling water. “We’re working with a different vendor this year than we did in 2010. It’s a national vendor. They do over 100 air shows a year. They’re very good about knowing how much water to bring so we’re not going to have problems with running out of water,” Huffman said.

This concessionaire is contractually obligated to cap the price of water at $3 a bottle.

3. “Should somebody decide that they don’t want to pay for water inside the park, they’re allowed to leave the air show and come back. So, you can exit the air show, get your hand stamped, go to town, go to a convenience store and then come back to the air show at any point,” Huffman said.

People are reacting and are concerned about access to water on what will likely be a hot day. KIFI/KIDK received a lot of comments on its Facebook pages. Many people disagree with the policy, while others are asking questions, and some do understand why those limitations are placed.

“So, we felt like that’s a really friendly water policy, especially when you consider that if you go to a baseball game, you can’t bring outside food or beverage. If you go to the movie theaters, you can’t bring your food or beverages in,” Huffman said.

The air show is a nonprofit and all of the proceeds go toward local charities. During the show, there will be shade and misting tents set up throughout the grounds. And in case any problem occurs, the air show has emergency plans set in place.

For more information on the air show, click here.

Watch below for the full raw interview with Huffman explaining the water policy.