Watercross: World's finest PWC racers heading to Lake Havasu for IJSBA World Finals

From Australia to Thailand, the world's finest personal watercraft racers will challenge the best USA racers Sunday (Oct. 6) through Oct. 13 at the 21st International Jet Sports Boating Association (IJSBA) World Finals. The world's largest and most prestigious personal watercraft race will be held on Lake Havasu in Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

Sanctioned under rules of the IJSBA, of Foothill Ranch, Calif. and co-produced for the first time in association with the FreeSpace Media Group of Laguna Beach, Calif., the IJSBA World Finals of personal watercraft racing is one of the world's most unique and spectacular sporting championships.

Returning to Lake Havasu for the 21st consecutive year, the massive racing extravaganza will be held in the shadow of the original London Bridge on the off-shoot waters of the Colorado River.

The race site for the fourth consecutive year will be at the purpose-built IJSBA Aqua Stadium on the grounds of the Crazy Horse Campgrounds and RV Resort in the popular water resort of Lake Havasu City.

Featuring over 1,500 entries from 40 U.S. States and nearly 30 nations, the IJSBA World Finals is the premier personal watercraft racing extravaganza in the world and boasts more than $120,000 in prizes and contingencies in the massive eight-day event. IJSBA World Championship titles will be presented in 30 closed-course racing classes and both Pro Freestyle and Amateur Freestyle.

A veritable salute to personal watercraft and the youthful lifestyle it represents, the industry's biggest week includes several distinct championship events. Starting the week will be the 2002 IJSBA Novice and Amateur World Finals, Sunday through Thursday (Oct. 6-8), followed by the 2002 IJSBA Expert World Finals, Wednesday through Friday (Oct. 9-11) and concluding with the featured 2002 IJSBA Pro World Finals Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 12-13).

Freestyle athletes will compete for the IJSBA Amateur Freestyle World Finals on Friday, Oct. 11 and the IJSBA Pro Freestyle World Finals on Sunday, Oct. 13.

The event will again spotlight the IJSBA national champions, the defending IJSBA world champions, as well as this year's European champions. Besides the USA, powerful teams include France, Brazil, Canada, Japan and Thailand. A total of 16 former IJSBA World Champions, who have combined for 42 titles, are entered.

The five returning IJSBA World Champions set to defend their respective titles are: Dustin Farthing, Port St. Lucie, Fla. (Pro Runabout 785-Yamaha and Pro-Am Sport-Yamaha); Chris MacClugage, Baldwin Park, Calif. (Pro Runabout 1200-Kawasaki); Tera Laho, Lake Havasu City, Ariz. (Pro-Am Women Ski-Yamaha); France's Karine Paturel-Schacht, Melbourne, Fla. (Pro-Am Women Runabout-Yamaha) and Brazil's Alessander Lenzi (Pro Freestyle-Yamaha).

After 20 years as an annual Lake Havasu happening, this year's IJSBA World Finals, will feature phenomenal racing as well as great food, live music, bikini contests, interactive games, industry exhibits and entertainment for the whole family.

On the water exhibitions during the final weekend of the event will include Sky Ski demos, Snowmobile performances, the Sea-Doo Bounty-Rally Roundy-Round (Friday, Oct. 11), and Wamilton's Customs' Ramp Jump Spectacular (Sunday, Oct. 13).

The Sea-Doo IJSBA World Finals Poker Run, presented by the May Agency and Personal Watercraft Illustrated, will be held on Saturday, Oct. 12.

Being held Thursday through Saturday (Oct. 10-12) from noon to 5 p.m. each day will be the Yamaha GP Challenge test rides.

The Kawasaki Jet Ski 30th Anniversary Party will be held at the event site after racing ends on Thursday (Oct. 10). The movie "Freeloaders" will premiere during this special commemorative event.

Featuring live performances by Lavish Green and Divided by Zero and a bikini contest, the Polaris Watercraft Beach Bash will be held on Saturday (Oct. 12) at the IJSBA Aqua Stadium from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Both after parties will be free to the public.

Farthing, who races for factory Yamaha through his own Farthing Racing team, has won four IJSBA Pro World Championships and three IJSBA Pro National Championships while MacClugage, originally from Naples, Fla., has earned six IJSBA Pro crowns and 10 IJSBA Pro National Championships.

Laho has won seven IJSBA Pro World Championships and eight IJSBA Pro National Championships in Pro-Am Women Ski, while Paturel-Schacht has captured five IJSBA Pro world titles and six IJSBA Pro national crowns in Pro-Am Women Runabout.

Lenzi, won his first IJSBA Pro world title last year when he won Pro Freestyle and is the current IJSBA Pro National Champion in his event.

The IJSBA and the Lake Havasu City Tourism Bureau are in the third year of a current agreement to bring the internationally-televised event to Lake Havasu through 2003.

The popular event will also showcase the 2002 IJSBA National Champions--Chris MacClugage, (Pro Runabout 1200-Kawasaki), Dustin Motzouris (Pro Ski SS-Kawasaki), Alessander Lenzi, Brazil (Pro Freestyle), Mark Queen, Thornton, Ill. (Pro-Am Runabout 1200-Polaris), Stuart Rasmussen, Lantana, Fla. (Pro-Am Runabout 800-Sea-Doo), Lake Havasu City's own Tera Laho (Pro-Am Ski-Polaris and Pro-Am Women Ski-Yamaha), France's Karine Paturel-Schacht (Pro-Am Women Runabout-Yamaha) and Darryl Robbins, Huntingtown, Md. (Pro-Am Sport-Sea-Doo).

FreeSpace Media Group (www.freespacemedia.com)is producing and promoting the massive, internationally televised event with a small army of nearly 300 staff and volunteers. Impact Sports Media will produce the television show to be broadcast on the Speed Channel Network. First airing is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 24 at Noon (PST).

Co-sponsors of this year's IJSBA World Finals are: Kawasaki, Yamaha, Polaris, Sea-Doo and Honda. Associate Sponsors are: Mountain Dew, Wahoo's Fish Taco, Kicker Sound Systems, VP Racing Fuels and Budweiser.

Special thanks from the IJSBA and FreeSpace Media Group are extended to the Lake Havasu City Tourism Bureau, Personal Watercraft Illustrated, Holiday Inn, Desert Resort Properties and Papa John's Pizza.

FreeSpace Media is an integrated event management, media production and personal management firm focused on the Action Sports Marketplace. In addition to the 2002 and 2003 IJSBA World Finals, FreeSpace promoted this year's Pro Watercraft Tour in conjunction with the Freeride Watercraft Tour and the FWA World Cup.

For more event information, check out the IJSBA web site.