If you’re looking to find a Jet Ski event, you may be a little lost as to where to go. Lucky for you, there’s Jet Ski events going on all over the world — and we’re going to map it out for you.
Throughout the U.S. (and the world) there are Jet Ski rides and races going on all year — but they can be hard to find… To ease your pain, we’ve compiled a list of events for rec riding, racing, freestyle and more!
If you’re completely new to 2024 Jetski events, have no fear. Most racing will offer a beginner class. You are allowed to race beginner class on a PWC of any kind/engine, and are allowed to race that class 3 times before you are moved to a skill level and class that supports you and your machine.
There are several different series throughout the country that have their own championships. Most of the time, you earn points by competing in individual classes, and whoever has the most points at the end of the season is the series’ champion.
Several of these different series also have championship events. Some are simply a tour championship, but some may also have a BIG championship. These bigger championships usually include more riders, bigger tracks, and prize money. If you’re interested in attending one of the bigger championships, you may need to qualify for that event.
IMPORTANT: at this time, most events are still subject to changes due to government mandates and permits. For more information and updates we recommend following the race series on social media, or contacting the promoter.
FUN RIDE EVENTS
RUN WHATCHA BRUNG POK-R-RUN
Run Whatcha Brung is going from June 1st in Parker, AZ. The RWB event is a poker run that donates all their profits to a charity and has full built vintage skis to raffle off. It’s a fun, relaxed ride up and down the river stationed at a riverside bar. See more details on the event.
CLOSED COURSE MOTO RACING
WEST COAST
JET JAM RACING – AWSA RACING – RPM RACING ENTERPRISES
Jet Jam is a racing series primarily on the west coast. It is sanctioned by the AWSA. Their races feature compact classes and stand-up oriented tracks. They have a wide variety of classes for beginners and older model skis. These races are part of their own series, with their own series championship. They are not associated with the IJSBA, you will need an AWSA membership to compete.
For more information on the Jet Jam series, visit their website here. For more information on RPM Racing Enterprises, visit their website here.
THE GREAT LAKES
Great Lakes Watercross
Great Lakes Watercross offers a wide variety of races classes on their series tour across the Great Lakes. They are sanctioned by the IJSBA and will qualify you for the IJSBA World Finals. Beginners welcome. More info and dates to come. You will need an IJSBA membership to compete.
For more information, check out the Great Lakes Watercross Facebook page.
EAST COAST
East Coast Watercross
The east coast series is arguably the biggest series on the east coast in terms of attendance. This series is IJSBA sanctioned and will qualify you for the IJSBA World Championships. You will need an IJSBA membership to compete.
For more information on the East Coast Watercross racing series, check out their website here.
Pro Watercross
The Pro Watercross tour is primarily in the southern half of the United States, and ends with its own series championship. You will need a Pro Watercross membership to compete.
Find more info on Pro Watercross here.
“Ultimate Stand Up Ski Race” in Brazil on November 4th and 5th. Event Promoter
OFF SHORE RACING
ENDURANCE
Mark Hahn Memorial
- February 26
This is a single-day, 300 mile endurance race taking place at Crazy Horse Campground in Lake Havasu City, AZ
FREERIDE
If you’re just looking to jetski and have a good time, check out these events. These may sometimes include a one off race or freestyle event.
Wave Daze – Virginia Beach (currently TBA)
Run Whatcha Brung Poker Run (N/A)
FREESTYLE
If racing isn’t your thing, check out these freestyle events! Freestyle is an event where each rider goes out individually and performances a short routine of tricks for the crowd, and is ranked by a panel of judges.
*Most closed course events will also have freestyle exhibitions during intermission, send the series an email to see if you can show up and show off!
CHAMPIONSHIP SYSTEMS
In the U.S. there are several different series, some of which have their own championships. This is important to keep in mind when you are choosing which events you want to attend. Let us break it down for you.
All Jet Ski tours will have a “tour championship”. A tour championship is determined based on the rider who accumlates the most points in an indivusal class. The more events or wins you rack up, the more likely you are to win. Some series also have a stand alone championship at the end of the season which will feature bigger lineups, prize money, etc. This is a show up and win event and usually requires that you qualify before you can enter.
AWSA Championship
The AWSA will be having their own championship apart from the tour championship in 2020. The tour championship is determined by the overall points in individual classes throughout the series. The championship will be a separate event, held in September. In order to qualify for this event, you must race an AWSA sanctioned event.
IJSBA World Series Championship / IJSBA World Finals
The IJSBA recently introduced the World Series, which is comprised of 3 major championships. If you win the most points from the three events, you become a “World Series” champion. One of these World Series rounds is the famous World Finals in Lake Havasu City, AZ. The World Finals take place the first week of October and typically sees athletes from 40+ different countries in attendance. In order to qualify you must race two rounds of IJSBA sanctioned racing prior to the World Finals.
Pro Watercross Championship
The Pro Watercross tour also has their own championship. This event takes place in Naples, FL. In order to take part in this event, you must race a Pro Watercross tour event prior to the championship.
INTERNATIONAL RACING SERIES
There’s a lot of racing around the world, but here are some of the big international series out there.
Aquabike European Championships
It may seem a little intimidating, but with a little research you’ll be ready to go. There’s Jet Ski racing going on all over the country throughout the year, and the world! If you have any questions, or need help tracking down your local race series, don’t hesitate to call the PWC people at Pro Watercraft.
If you’re not sure what you need to have to go racing, check out our article on 5 things you NEED to go racing, here.
