In typical Lake Havasu City, Arizona fashion, the weather played a role in the JetJam Racing Series Round 3 and 4 held on April 22-23, 2017. Rough waters, with rollers that seemed more like log-jumps, and 20 knot winds most of the day on Saturday, gave way to calm water with a light breeze, on Sunday. Big change in weather, all within a matter of two days!
Tim Geweke designed a course comprised of a back straight-a-way, tight turns and a split. Bill Austin, Eric Graff and Doug Wolff accepted the challenge of setting buoys in swells that would make a seasoned sailor sea sick. The swells lifted the buoy anchors off the bottom of the lake and the wind pushed them toward the beach. An onshore meeting of the minds produced a solution and the crew once again ventured out to set the buoys. The buoy crew looked tired as they set their feet on the sand; they had conquered the rough water and the buoys were stable.
Saturday morning began with the smell of race fuel, the sounds of race skis firing up, racers suiting up, the sights of people sipping coffee, shaking hands, smiling. The wind coming from California to Arizona created a challenge that the racers seemed to enjoy. Race Director Robert Sand gathered all the racers for roll call and course orientation. It’s time to have that lights flash and the band to SNAP!
Racing to the checkered flag first was the JR classes, Theo Beaumer taking the win in Jr 13-15 stock and Julien Beaumer taking the overall in 10-12 stock. Wayland Reden took the top spot in Vintage ski. The indefatigable Jackson Rod led the Vintage X2 wire to wire for the win in Vintage X2. Novice ski Stock was all Brady Courson and in the same moto, Tallon Chambers had his Novice Ski Mod limited dialed-in and took the win for the day. JB Gasperone won Amateur Ski Grand Prix with Karl Copenhaver winning Master Ski!
Carla Hunt took top honors in Master Ski Stock. Race 10, event Runabout Rec Lites and Amateur R/A 800 limited was the talk of the “JetJam Racing Community” Facebook page during the weeks leading up to the event at CrazyHorse Campgrounds. Justin Black and Jason Ward both taking wins in each class. Brock Austin and Kole Cramer battled in the Ski Grand Prix. The spectators cheered for their favorite! After racing had finished for the day, the waters had calmed, all eyes were on the crew as they set the Skat-Trak log jump for Sunday’s racing. Racers and families gathered for a tasty taco dinner provided by JetJam Racing next to the Bud Light Beer garden. Awards were given out with the renowned Havasu sunset in the back ground.
Sunday April 23 dawned clear and calm; the water was ready to be set on fire! Novice ski stock and Amateur Ski Lites led the way in racing with Tyler Shinko winning Novice ski stock and Theo Beaumer taking the top spot in Am. Ski Lites. Wyland Reden held off Mark Gomez for the overall in vintage Ski. Race 3 had three classes combined, Jim Alamillo winning Runabout N/A, Charlie Martinez took top honors in Runabout Grand Prix and Colin Richards was on the top of the podium of Novice R/A stock. Sport Spec went to Dylan Puglisi for the win. Amateur Vet Ski Grand Prix was a class of true sportsmen and Steve Fitzen taking the win for Sunday. Doug Wolff from Modesto, CA showed the Lake Havasu City, AZ Vintage X2 racers the way to the checkers for the win.
Novice Women Ski Lites had Alyssa Musselman on the top spot. Revin Harris took 10-12 limited for Sunday. Ski grand Prix was the show to watch for the day with log jump in play, and the triple cylinder snarling race skis ready to attack! This was anyone’s race until the second lap, when the log jump became the determining factor in the race to the checkered flag. A spectacle to see racers fly over the row of tires and sometimes landing with a dramatic cascade of water and a loss of position. Kole Cramer and Brock Austin were battling for first and second. Brock made a spectacular jump over the tires that resulted in a hard landing and an ankle injury, sending him to the beach for the remainder of the moto. This opened the window for Kole to lead the pack to victory and take his first PRO win and collect the cash winnings for the weekend!
Always a pleasure to see Mark Gomez come to the JetJam Racing Series on his Pro Freestyle Rickter hull to entertain the crowd with some stunning acrobatics on the water for the intermission on both Saturday and Sunday. Four rounds of racing in the books for the JetJam Racing Series, a log jump in a regional race, Bud Light back on the beach, and now the warmer weather is just around the corner for the remainder of the series. Its anyone’s game who will take top honors in each class. More challenges, altitude, and many different locations coming up! Stay tuned, the JetJam Racing Series is just getting started! For the series results click HERE.
Written by Doug Wolff. All images courtesy of Bob Metheny of Jetski Race Photos. Original, unedited versions can be purchased HERE.
Jet Jam article written by Jetski racer Doug Wolff.