WOMEN’s SPORT SPEC at the 2026 WORLD FINALS! We need ten women to preregister. I will post when the registration window opens. Tag your friends if I missed anyone in the post. Looking forward to racing with all you ladies. 🏁🏁🏁🏁
Here’s this week’s WCJ Weekly Racing Roundup, where we check in with the organizations, racers, and championship battles shaping the 2026 personal watercraft racing season. This week, IJSBA opens the door for a potential new World Finals class, several regional tours prepare for another busy race weekend from New York to Washington, and championship battles continue to tighten as the summer schedule heads toward its final stretch.
IJSBA Opens Entries for Potential Women’s Sport Spec World Finals Class
The International Jet Sports Boating Association (IJSBA) has opened a registration drive for a proposed Women’s Sport Spec class at the 2026 Short Block Technology World Finals.
The announcement reflects the continued growth of women’s personal watercraft racing, with organizations across the country reporting larger Women’s Sport Spec fields throughout the 2026 season. Most recently, Wild West Watercross drew a 13-rider Women’s Sport Spec lineup at Topaz Lake, while other regional series have also seen increased participation in women’s competition.
According to IJSBA, the proposed class will become part of the 2026 World Finals if at least 10 racers submit prepaid entries. Competition would be held between Oct. 6 and Oct. 8 during race week, utilizing a three-moto format with the field capped at 18 competitors.
Racers interested in competing are encouraged to contact IJSBA and indicate their intent to enter. The 2026 SBT World Finals, the 45th consecutive running of the championship, will take place Oct. 3-11 at Crazy Horse Campgrounds & Resort in Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
East Coast Watercross
The SBT East Coast Watercross Tour returns to action this weekend as racers head to Plattsburgh City Beach in Plattsburgh, New York, for Round 4 of the 2026 championship. Online registration remains open through midweek, with racers able to save on entry fees by registering in advance before checking in on site.
Series owner and Race Director Shawn Dudek also provided fans with a candid update following injuries sustained during the previous round in Pennsylvania. While continuing his recovery, Dudek said preparations for the remainder of the season are moving full speed ahead, with Plattsburgh kicking off an ambitious stretch of events that includes Avon Park, Florida, Norman, Oklahoma, the Sylvan Beach finale alongside Pro Watercross, and ultimately the World Finals in Lake Havasu.
The Plattsburgh course will feature the same popular layout used in 2025, including its split finish-line approach that produced several dramatic last-lap passes. Dudek noted that Lake Champlain’s conditions can vary from calm water to five-foot surf, making the venue one of the most unpredictable stops on the calendar.
Looking ahead, East Coast Watercross is already building excitement for its season finale at Sylvan Beach on Aug. 28-30. Sunday’s “Vintage Day” will encourage racers to dust off retro race gear from the 1980s and ’90s, while competitors who complete all five East Coast rounds this season will be entered to win a “Golden Ticket” providing free entry for one class throughout the entire 2027 season.
American Jet Sport Association Southern Summer Series
The American Jet Sport Association returns to action this weekend as the Southern Summer Series heads to Claytor Lake State Park in Pulaski County, Virginia, for Round 4 of the 2026 championship. Racing will take place July 31 through August 2, with organizers once again pairing high-level competition with a full weekend of activities designed to draw spectators and introduce new fans to the sport.
Saturday’s schedule features opening ceremonies beginning at 10 a.m., followed by closed-course racing, freestyle exhibitions, live music, food trucks, a vendor village, and even a virtual jet ski experience for families. Racing continues Sunday morning before the weekend concludes with an awards presentation and additional freestyle competition.
In the days leading up to the event, AJSA has also partnered with the Pulaski River Turtles baseball team for a community kickoff at Calfee Park, helping promote the race weekend while connecting racers with local fans. It’s another example of the organization’s continued emphasis on building relationships with host communities beyond race day itself.
That outreach will continue later this summer when AJSA brings an invitational watercross exhibition and freestyle demonstration to Chattanooga’s River Games and ChattaWake festival on August 14. Rather than serving as a championship round, the event will showcase personal watercraft racing to a broader audience along the Tennessee River.
The organization has also demonstrated its willingness to listen to competitors. Following racer feedback, AJSA recently reversed an earlier decision to make the Pulaski event a double-points round, returning instead to the standard championship format after determining the midseason change could unfairly impact racers who had planned their seasons around the original schedule.
PNW WaterX Monster Watercraft Series
The PNW WaterX Monster Watercraft Series is already turning its attention to Round 4 after a successful Apple Pie Jamboree in Pateros, Washington. Following two days of racing on July 18-19, series officials thanked racers, crews and fans for another strong turnout, with complete results now available on the PNW WaterX website.
Now the focus shifts north to Deep Bay Park in Oroville, Washington, where Round 4 will take place August 1-2. Registration recently opened, and, as was the case in Pateros, starting positions will once again be determined by the order racers register online, rewarding those who sign up early.
Beyond preparations for the next round, the organization is also highlighting one of the season’s more unique fan-driven traditions by asking followers to vote for the 2026 PNW WaterX “Most Improved Racer.” The eight-rider ballot recognizes competitors who have made significant strides throughout the season, giving fellow racers and fans an opportunity to celebrate progress alongside podium finishes. Nominees include Cassie Kennedy, Taylor Meliza, Rodolfo Mendoza, Hannah Mac, Lincoln Schulyer, Gabby Small. Kyle McLean and Levi Wheeler.
With championship battles beginning to tighten and another weekend of racing just days away, the Pacific Northwest series continues to blend competitive racing with community involvement as it heads into the second half of its 2026 schedule.
Wild West Watercross
Wild West Watercross completed Round 4 of its 2026 season last weekend at Topaz Lake on the California-Nevada border, where racers battled rough water, big air, and another strong turnout as the series continues its Road to Sparks championship campaign.
While organizers celebrated winners across a wide range of classes—including Harley Ritchie in Ski GP, Cesar Olivares in Runabout Open, Cody Mackie in Runabout 1100 Stock, and Ashley Deman in Women’s Sport Spec—the weekend also highlighted one of the series’ biggest success stories: continued growth in racer participation. Wild West noted that 13 riders took the line in Women’s Sport Spec alone, another encouraging sign for one of the fastest-growing divisions in regional watercraft racing.
Throughout the weekend, organizers also took time to recognize the people working behind the scenes, thanking longtime photographer Cliff Cassel for documenting the event while acknowledging the sponsors who continue to support the series. It’s a small gesture, but one that reflects the community-first atmosphere Wild West Watercross has become known for throughout the western racing scene.
With Topaz Lake now in the rearview mirror, attention turns to the season finale at Sparks Marina in Sparks, Nevada, August 21-23, where the remaining championship battles will be decided.
Hydro-Turf Best of the West Series
With the dust finally settling from Round 5 at BlueWater Resort & Casino in Parker, Arizona, the Hydro-Turf Best of the West Series has released its updated championship standings, giving racers their clearest look yet at the title battles heading into the final two weekends of the 2026 season.
Several divisions remain wide open. Cooper Schenyder has established a solid lead in Ski Expert GP, while Brice Chambers continues to pace the Pro Am Ski Lites field ahead of Ryan Poper. Poper, however, has responded by taking over the Pro Am Ski GP standings, where only a handful of points separate the top contenders. Other championship leaders include Cesar Olivares in Runabout GP/Open, Tanner Haig in Ski Mod 1100, Tony Parker in Sport Spec, Andrew Cecere in Ski 2-Stroke Limited, and Tate Cleverly in Runabout 1100 Stock.
The women’s divisions have also begun to separate, with Sophia Benson opening a commanding advantage in Ski Women’s Lites and Shainie Seidenberg leading Ski Women’s Stock 1500. Meanwhile, one of the season’s strongest junior performances continues to come from Travis Billings, who remains out front in Junior Ski 10-12 Lites.
Although competitors battled extreme desert temperatures throughout the Parker weekend, racers praised both the event and its organization. Nixon “Dog Father” Cole described Round 5 as “a scorcher,” crediting the staff for delivering a successful weekend despite the heat while noting his own championship hopes remain firmly on track.
With only two race weekends remaining, every moto now carries championship implications. The series returns September 18-20 at Mission Bay in San Diego before crowning its 2026 champions the following weekend, September 26-27, at Lake Havasu State Park in Arizona.
From world championship opportunities to grassroots regional battles, the 2026 PWC racing season continues to show the depth and diversity of the sport. While every series and organization faces its own challenges, the growing number of events, classes and opportunities available to racers is a positive sign for the future.
As summer racing reaches its peak, WCJ will continue tracking the stories, competitors and organizations helping move personal watercraft racing forward — both on the racecourse and throughout the communities that make these events possible.
