Did you hear that? That loud clang you heard over the weekend was the sound of Pro Watercross‘ AJ Handler throwing down the gauntlet. A little over a year ago, Handler acted upon a growing rift between the National Tour promoter and the leadership at the International Jet Sports Boat Association and put the wheels in motion to create a completely autonomous racing body, complete with its own separate National Tour, rule book, liability insurance and as of late Friday evening, a World Championship week.
Scheduled only a month after the Pro Watercross National Tour’s conclusion in West Virginia, the Pro Watercross World Championship will entice top level athletes from across the US and the globe to vie for the first place Grand Prize of $5,000 for Pro Ski GP and Pro Runabout Open, respectively. The Pro Watercross crew also promise to announce purse totals for all Expert and Pro classes prior to May.
The promised payouts should be enough to lure racers, as purses at the IJSBA World Finals have continually dwindled over the years. Equally, Pro Watercross vows that the venue – Marco Island, Naples, Florida – is far more accommodating and accessible than Lake Havasu, Arizona, with a major airport in Fort Meyers, only an hour north of the site; and a 2 hour drive from Miami, and 3 hours from Tampa.
You can read the original press release below:
We are proud to announce that the Pro Watercoss World Championship will be held on September 19-27, 2015 at Sugden Park in Naples, Florida.
Over the past several months Pro Watercross has visited five different potential venues from all over the United States; two on the east coast, one in the mid-west and two on the west coast.” Naples, Florida was the final site visit and had all the amenities for the making of a world championship venue” stated Nick Handler of Pro Watercross. “The venue is very consumer friendly and we will have the ability to not only bring in world class athletes but to also encompass all types of vendors and displays enabling us to create a world class experience for everyone involved.”
Rob Wells, sports marketing manager of the Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB stated today “The Naples, Marco Island, Everglades CVB is honored to host the Pro Watercross World Championships. We think the riders will thoroughly enjoy Sugden Park as a venue. I truly believe all the competitors, crews, families, and fans will find Naples and Collier County friendly, enjoyable, and a place they will want to return to again and again.”
Pro Watercross will be reaching out to international competitors to bring the world best athletes into Naples, Florida to compete against the USA’s best.
First place finishers in both the Pro Ski GP and Pro Runabout Open classes are guaranteed $5,000 for a 1st place win, in each of the two classes. The Pro Watercross World Championship will be working over the next eight months to offer the largest purse in the history of personal watercraft racing. A purse for all expert and pro classes will be determined before the start of the Pro Watercross Tour in May.
The event also means more international exposure, image enhancement and development opportunities for the area, placing Naples, Florida on the world stage. Along with Live Streaming and a one hour TV show that will be produced for the distribution, this event will viewed worldwide. Pro Watercross TV shows reach into to over 93 million households for each airing.
Pro Watercross is looking to take the sport to the next level, working to reinforce the positive image of personal watercrafts and PWC lovers around the world. If you are interested in more information about Pro Watercross, its Tour and World Championship visit Pro Watercross at www.ProWatercross.com or on Facebook under Pro Watercross.
