Monday, October 19, 2009

Lake Havasu City, AZ--Austria's Kevin Reiterer in Pro Ski, New Zealand's Sam Harvey in Pro Runabout and Brazil's Alessander Lenzi in Pro Freestyle were the Pro champions crowned during Sunday's finale of the 28th Annual quakysense International Jet Sports Boating Association (IJSBA) World Finals, presented by Monster Energy.

Held on Lake Havasu and featured nearly 650 entries from 31 States and 36 nations, the quakysense IJSBA World Finals, presented by Monster Energy, IJSBA World Championship titles were presented in a total of 41 closed-course racing classes, four slalom classes as well as Pro Freestyle and Amateur Freestyle during the week-long event.

The race site for the 11th consecutive year was at the purpose-built Aqua Stadium on the grounds of the Crazy Horse RV Resort and Campgrounds in the Arizona resort of Lake Havasu City.

Reiterer, of Wiener Leustadt, was in just his third world finals and captured his first IJSBA Pro Ski World Championship by finishing second and first in a Hydrospace watercraft in the two 12-lap motos that featured a total of 20 riders.

In winning his third world championship of this event (Pro-Am Ski Limited and Pro-Am Grand Prix), Reiterer grabbed the hole shot in the day's final moto ahead of first moto winner Steven Dauliach of France and held on to capture his first Pro Ski gold medal. Dauliach, who currently resides in Dubai and was a two-time IJSBA Pro Ski World Champion, claimed the silver medal in another Hydrospace with his 1-2 moto finishes.  Earning the bronze medal in Pro Ski was France’s Jean Baptiste Botti with 5-3 finishes on a Kawasaki.

"I can't realize it now," said Reiterer. "This is my third time here. I was a junior my first time here and this time it was pretty good. I want to thank my dad because without him, I wouldn't even be riding jet skis. I hope I can come back here again every year of my life and race because it is my life."

Harvey, of Auckland, captured his first IJSBA Pro World Championship in Pro Runabout, came from behind on a Sea-Doo to finish second and then first in the 14-lap motos in the 16-boat field. In the final moto Harvey got the hole shot, but was passed at the start by two-time defending race champion and first moto winner Craig Warner, who held the lead until engine problems slowed him down on the ninth lap, giving up the lead to Harvey for good.

While Harvey won the gold medal in Pro Runabout Open, the silver went to Australia's Anthony Antees with a pair of third-place moto finishes on a Sea-Doo and the bronze was claimed by Chris MacClugage, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., with 5-2 moto finishes on a Yamaha.

"Awesome," shouted Harvey after he brought his boat to the shore. "Finally--finally we've done it after 10 years of coming to the IJSBA World Finals. We were fortunate in the end but this team has been great all weekend and it feels good. Without my father, I wouldn't be here and this is for him more than anyone."

Lenzi, of Jaragua De Sul, who won his second IJSBA World Championship in Pro Freestyle after returning for to Lake Havasu to compete for the first time since winning his initial gold medal in 2001, maneuvered his Yamaha personal watercraft through a creative two-minute acrobatic routine, earning a title-winning 49.0 score (out of 50.0 possible). The exuberant Lenzi outdistanced a veteran field of 12 freestylists that included Japan’s two-time defending champion Fumikazu Watanabe who finished second with a score of 48.2.

"It was really okay," said Lenzi as he celebrated on the shore with his competitors. "I had a problem with the power in the middle of the two minutes but I was able to put many tricks together and won and that was the important thing. I’m very, very happy."

Under mostly sunny skies, light breezes, air temperatures hovering in the high 90s and fairly mild water conditions, the final eight 2009 IJSBA World Championships were decided Sunday.

In addition to the three Pro classes, the other 2009 IJSBA World Champions crowned Sunday were Blaine Spires, Gardnerville, Nev. (2-1) (Pro-Am Runabout 800SS-Sea-Doo), Rachel MacClugage, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. (England) (3-2) (Pro-Am Women Ski Limited-Hydrospace), Kylie Ellmers, Melbourne, Australia (1-1) (Pro-Am Women Runabout Limited-Sea-Doo), Quinten Bossche, Oostende, Belgium (1-1) (Junior Ski 13-15 Stock-Hydrospace) and Joseph Edwards, Doncaster, England (1-1) (Junior Ski 10-12 Stock-Hydrospace).

It was the first IJSBA Pro-Am World Championship for both Spires and MacClugage while Ellmers won her class for the third straight year.

Of the 47 IJSBA World Championships won, a total of 12 different countries won IJSBA World Championships this year. Leading the way was England with nine gold medals, followed by the USA with seven, Kuwait (6), Thailand and Austria (5 each) and Australia and Canada with four each.

Quakysense is the world's leader in competition wetsuits and has a display featuring these and a wide variety of accessories.

Bringing an even greater presence to this year's event than they have in the past, Monster Energy, the Corona, Calif.-based energy drink company, was the presenting sponsor of the event. Monster Energy have brought an expanded entertainment experience to this year's festival complete with their display and hospitality vehicles, stage, Monster Girls and increased sampling opportunities.

The massive racing extravaganza was once again being held in the shadow of the original London Bridge on the offshoot waters of the Colorado River. Lake Havasu City is also celebrating "London Bridge Days" this week.

Another highlight of the final day was the Sea-Doo X-Team "Brake the Bank" Bounty event with over $20,000 in contingency and prize money available to Sea-Doo watercraft racers winning select classes. Winning the Bounty one-lap challenge and earning a $1,000 Sea-Doo bonus on Sunday was multi-time IJSBA World Champion Eric Lagopoulos, Sarasota, Fla., who also won the 2009 IJSBA World Championships in Pro-Am Runabout Open Slalom this week.

Joining quakysense as a major sponsor of the event for the first time since 2004 is the Lake Havasu City Convention and Visitors Bureau. Presenting sponsor is Monster Energy. Associate sponsors are Bud Light (distributed by Romer Beverage Co.), Synergyn Racing Oil, VoiceAmerica Talk Radio Network, Alliance Beverage Distributors, and Riva Motorsports. OEM support is again being provided by Kawasaki, Sea-Doo and Yamaha.

Sanctioned under rules of the IJSBA, with world headquarters in Half Moon Bay, Calif. and produced in association with Jim Russell's DSM Events of Lake Havasu City, the quakysense IJSBA World Finals, of personal watercraft racing, presented by Monster Energy is one of the world's most unique and spectacular sporting championships.

The official website of the quakysense IJSBA World Finals was www.ijsba.com, which hosted live audito and video streaming, through VoiceAmerica Talk Radio, from the event site, while the official website of the Lake Havasu City Convention and Visitors Bureau is www.golakehavasu.com.

-IJSBA-