--- Article Information ---
Article's URL: http://www.jetski.com/article.cfm?id=1052.
---------------------------

Dauliach-Pro Ski, Bushell-Pro Runabout, Kazuaki in Pro Freestyle Capture final crowns at 30th quakysense IJSBA World Finals

Sun, Oct/09/2011

Culminating the celebration of three decades of memorable excellence, France’s Steven Dauliach in Pro Ski, Great Britain’s James Bushell in Pro Runabout and Japan’s Sakaida Kazuaki in Pro Freestyle were crowned Pro champions during Sunday’s finale of the 30th Annual quakysense International Jet Sports Boating Association (IJSBA) World Finals, presented by Monster Energy Drink, McGraw Insurance, Blowsion and Riva. The personal watercraft racing extravaganza was held at the purpose-built stadium at the Crazy Horse RV Resort and Campgrounds in Lake Havasu City, the only home the most prestigious global championship of PWC racing has ever known.
     Featuring 804 entries from 40 nations and 39 U.S. States, IJSBA World Championship titles were presented in a total of 48 closed-course racing classes as well as Pro Freestyle and Amateur Freestyle.
     Under brilliant sunshine, light winds, air temperatures hovering in the low 80s and nearly smooth-as-glass water conditions, the final eight 2011 IJSBA World Championships were decided Sunday in front of a standing room only crowd of over 7,000 enthusiastic fans.
     Of the 50 IJSBA World Championships decided, a total of 17 different countries won IJSBA World Championships. Leading the way was the United States with 14, followed by Kuwait with eight, Estonia, Great Britain, Portugal, Serbia and Sweden (three each) along with France, Thailand and United Arab Emirates (two each).
     In an extremely close manufacturer’s battle, Yamaha edged the group with 14 IJSBA World Championships followed closely by Hydrospace with 13, Kawasaki 12, and Sea-Doo with 11 titles.
     France’s Dauliach, who won the 2003 and 2004 IJSBA Pro Ski World Championships, rode a Hydrospace watercraft Pro Ski with finishes of second, first and second in the three eight-lap motos to earn his third crown, this one over a total field of 32 riders on Lake Havasu.
     With combined moto finishes of fourth, second and first, claiming the Pro Ski silver medal was Portugal’s Tiaso Sousa on a Kawasaki while third place after third, third and fourth place moto finishes went to Rick Sherker, Doyleston, Md. on a Kawasaki.
     With friends, crew members and family surrounding him on the beach following his championship run, Dauliach commented, “I've been running for another IJSBA Pro Ski World Championship the last six years and I always come in second. After the ride I had today, I had a good moto 2 -- I got the holeshot and kept the lead. I knew my teammate was in front of me so I pushed my hardest to get back. I passed the (second-place watercraft) on the last lap and now it's done. I just kept pushing because when you relax, that's when you make mistakes so I wanted to charge all the way through.”
     “My team is very superb; they've been working so much earlier. I'm just so happy for all the work they did for me and the trust they put into me. We have the world title and it's my 30th birthday so this is just a perfect weekend.”
     In Pro Runabout, Great Britain’s Bushell was the fastest qualifier in the class with 29 riders, was second in the first 12-lap moto and won the second 12-lapper to edge runner-up Dustin Farthing of Port Lucie, Fla., who was the champion in 2010 and won the first moto and was second in the final one on a Kawasaki on Sunday. For Bushell, who rode a Sea-Doo to his first IJSBA Pro World Championship, he now has four titles total with three others in Pro-Am classes. Bushell won last year’s IJSBA Pro-Am Runabout Stock World Championship.
     Following his victory, Bushell reflected, “It was pretty special having my dad to be there on the beach to greet me at the finish line. He's very happy -- I'm very happy. It felt very good, obviously. I knew I had a pretty good lead (on Dustin Farthing) so I was just cruising the last few laps.”
     Japan’s Kazuaki earned a score of 45.0 out of 50 maximum in a crowd-pleasing two-minute routine to capture the gold medal on a Yamaha watercraft in a field of 16 Pro Freestyle athletes. Kazuaki was also was the top performer in his class in Saturday’s qualifying with a 46.6 score
     Winning the silver medal in Pro Freestyle was Japan’s Masaki Wake on another Yamaha and earning the bronze for his third-place score was Russia’s Ivan Potanin on a Force custom watercraft.
     Following his victory, Kazuaki said “I am very happy to win this IJSBA World Championship. I did all of my tricks. It was not windy today and that made it very good and helped get the best score.”
     In addition to the three Pro classes, the other 2011 IJSBA World Champions crowned Sunday were New Zealand’s Kylie Elmers (3-1) on a Hydrospace watercraft (Pro-Am Women Ski Limited), Amy Green, Chino Hills, Calif. (1-1) on a Yamaha (Pro-Am Women Runabout Limited), Charles Sims, Lake Elsinore, Calif. on a Kawasaki (Pro-Am Vintage X2), Estonia’s Markus Lutsokert (1-1) on a Hydrospace (Junior Ski 13-15 Limited) and Jaber Alfalasi, United Arab Emirates (1-1) on a Hydrospace (Junior Ski 10-12 Stock).
     It was the first IJSBA Pro-Am Women Ski Limited World Championship for Ellmers and fifth straight championship after winning the title each of the last four years in Pro-Am Women Runabout. It was fourth title in Pro-Am Women Runabout Limited for Green and first since 2006 as Ellmers won the next four years.
      Helping to honor the three decades of this massive special event in Lake Havasu was a special military fly-by Sunday.  Passing over the course in front of the packed grandstands during the national anthem to honor America and salute the event were four United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornets based out of the Marine Corp Air Station in Miramar, Calif. Captain John Vaquerano was the flight lead of the four planes who are part of the Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314.
     The water sports and lifestyle festival included the largest ever IJSBA Performance Alley Trade Show with over 60 exhibitors and vendors.
     The industry’s biggest week has been held for three decades in the shadow of the original London Bridge on the offshoot waters of the Colorado River. It was the 13th consecutive year the event has been staged at the Crazy Horse RV Resort and Campgrounds. Lake Havasu City will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the installation of the London Bridge on Lake Havasu next week.
     Sunday’s schedule also included the finals of the special Sea-Doo Bounty Challenge, won by Brian Baldwin of Denver, N.C., on a Sea-Doo RXPX260. Baldwin also was the fast qualifier on Saturday in the one-lap, timed-event with seven invited racers riding the same Sea-Doo watercraft.
     VoiceAmericaTV.com provided live video streaming with the Public Address announcer’s race broadcast of the Pro and Pro-Am races.
     The IJSBA Performance Alley, the world’s largest PWC Industry Trade Show, featured over 60 individual vendors of the leading performance companies for watercraft, side by side and other power sports. Original Equipment Manufacturers unveiled their 2012 models. Monster Energy Drink was also on-site once again with product sampling and the latest apparel and accessories will be displayed from major manufacturers and aftermarket companies.
     Official event sponsors were title sponsor quakysense, presenting sponsors McGraw Insurance, Monster Energy Drink, Riva and Blowsion. The event is supported by K&S Kuwait, Jet Lev, Jet Ski Magazine, Sea-Doo, Yamaha and Kawasaki.
    
2011 IJSBA World Champions
(FINAL – CLOSED COURSE)
 
PRO
Pro Ski Open – Steven Dauliach, France, Hydrospace
Pro Runabout Open – James Bushell, England, Sea-Doo
Pro Freestyle Open – Sakaida Kazuaki, Japan, Yamaha
PRO-AM
Pro-Am Ski Limited – Omar Al Rashid, United Arab Emirates, Hydrospace
Pro-Am Runabout Stock – Chris MacClugage, Lake Havasu City, Arizona, Yamaha
Pro-Am Runabout Limited – Jordan McLean, Cayman Islands, Yamaha
Pro-Am Sport Modified – Supak Settura, Thailand, Sea-Doo
Pro-Am Sport Spec – Mike Moraczewski, Omaha, Nebraska, Sea-Doo
Pro-Am Ski Stock – Kevin Reiterer, Austria, Hyrdrospace
Pro-Am GP Runabout – James Bushell, England, Sea-Doo
Pro-Am GP Ski – Valentin Dardillat, France, Kawasaki
Pro-Am Runabout 800 SS – Brian Baldwin, Denver, North Carolina, Sea-Doo
Pro-Am Women Runabout Limited – Amy Green, Chino Hills, California, Yamaha
Pro-Am Women Ski Limited – Kylie Ellmers, New Zealand, Hydrospace
Pro-Am Ski Classic 2-Stroke Limited – Markus Lutsokert, Estonia, Kawasaki
Pro-Am Ski 2-Stroke Lites – Ronny Mangerud, Norway, Yamaha
Pro-Am Runabout Normally Aspirated – Khaled Burabee, Kuwait, Yamaha
Pro-Am Vintage Ski – Michael Prodanovich, Serbia, Kawasaki
Pro-Am Vintage X2 – Charles Sims, Lake Elsinore, Calif., Yamaha
EXPERT
Expert Ski Limited – Markus Lutsokert, Estonia, Kawasaki
Expert Runabout Limited – Abdullah Alfadhel, Kuwait, Yamaha
Expert Runabout Open – Abdullah Alfadhel, Kuwait, Yamaha
Expert Veteran Runabout Open – Giuseppe Greco, Serbia, Kawasaki
AMATEUR
Amateur Freestyle – Derrick Kemnitz Jr., Oakley, California, Yamaha
Amateur Veteran Ski Limited – Jeremy Poper, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Hydrospace
Amateur Veteran Ski Open – Jeremy Poper, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Hydrospace
Amateur Runabout 800 SS – Teeca Settura, Thailand, Hydrospace
Amateur Classic Runabout Open – Mohammed Al Baz, Kuwait, Sea-Doo
Amateur Runabout Stock – Mohammed Al Baz, Kuwait, Sea-Doo
Amateur Classic Runabout Stock – Mohammad Burabee, Kuwait, Sea-Doo
Amateur Classic Runabout Limited – Mohammad Burabee, Kuwait, Yamaha
Amateur Runabout 800 Limited – Craig Ingram, Norman, Oklahoma, Sea-Doo
Amateur Ski Lites – Mark Gomez, Fullerton, California, Kawasaki
Amateur Ski Open – Joshua Block, West Harrison, Indiana, Yamaha
Amateur Ski Stock – Anthony Beernaut, Belgium, Hydrospace
MASTERS
Masters Ski Stock – Daniel Martinelli, Argentina, Hydrospace
Masters Ski Open – Bill Haig, Apex, North Carolina, Kawasaki
NOVICE
Novice Ski Limited – Rui Manuel Oliveira de Sousa, Portugal, Hydrospace
Novice Women Ski Limited – Jessica Borgstrom, Sweden, Kawasaki
Novice Ski Stock – Yaqob Al Howaidi, Kuwait, Hydrospace
Novice Runabout Limited – Giuseppe Greco, Serbia, Kawasaki
Novice Runabout Stock – Brad Rickaby, England, Sea-Doo
JUNIOR
Junior Ski 10-12 Lites – Emma-Nellie Ortendahl, Sweden, Kawasaki
Junior Ski 13-15 Lites – Henrique Rosa Gomes, Portugal, Yamaha
Junior Ski 13-15 Limited – Markus Lutsokert, Estonia, Kawasaki
Junior Ski 13-15 Stock – Alec Hohnadell, Destin, Florida, Hydrospace
Junior Ski 10-12 Stock – Jaber Alfalasi, United Arab Emirates, Hydrospace
(FINAL – SLALOM)
Pro-Am Runabout Open – Eric Lagopoulos, Sarasota, Florida, Sea-Doo
Pro-Am Ski Open – Mats Ortendahl, Sweden, Kawasaki
Junior Ski 10-15 Stock – Henrique Rosa Gomes, Portugal, Yamaha
Chino Hills, Calif. (1-1) on a Yamaha (Pro-Am Women Runabout Limited), Charles Sims, Lake Elsinore, Calif. on a Kawasaki (Pro-Am Vintage X2), Estonia’s Markus Lutsokert (1-1) on a Hydrospace (Junior Ski 13-15 Limited) and Jaber Alfalasi, United Arab Emirates (1-1) on a Hydrospace (Junior Ski 10-12 Stock).
 - end -