Seeing that last week’s “Flashback Friday” was so popular and it’s Thanksgiving here in the States (meaning get off your computer/phone/tablet and spend some time with the family, why don’t ya?), we thought we’d toss out another Throwback Thursday post that should warm the cockles of your vintage ski-loving heart; namely this great old school footage from ESPN 2’s coverage of the 1998 IJSBA Nielsen National Finals on the shores of Lake Michigan in Zion, Illinois.
Documenting the conclusion of the 1998 Big Red IJSBA National Tour, this video picks up with the conclusion of the Pro Runabout class where Nicolas “The Fighter” Rius bested Chris “Macc” MacClugage. Next in line is the Pro Ski class, where Yamaha racers Jeff Jacobs and Chris “Fish” Fischetti are in the points running to best current pack leader and Kawasaki rider Victor Sheldon.
That’s a lot of big names right there and we’re telling ya, it’s worth watching every minute of the Pro Ski bout as both Jacobs and Sheldon rise from the back of the pack to the front with Jacobs taking the win for weekend’s racing but Sheldon leg-dragging his way to the National Championship title. Seeing these two stellar racers battle it out for Yamaha and Kawasaki respectively is enough to make you want to shake off the cold and get out and ride.
But wait, there’s more! Make sure to hang out for the very end where a very young and very peroxide blonde Dustin Farthing is interviewed chatting up the Sea-Doo prize purse. We look forward to a renewed National Tour for 2015 and hope to see venues like Lake Michigan open up again. Until then, enjoy the video below:
