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

Ellmers grabs Pro-Am Women Ski gold, Green earns gold medal in Pro-Am Women Runabout;
Event had 804 entries from 39 U.S. States and 40 countries, 50 IJSBA World Champions crowned

LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz.—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.

Host sponsors were the Lake Havasu City Convention & Visitors Bureau (Go Lake Havasu), Crazy Horse Campgrounds, London Bridge Resort. Major sponsors are: Jettrim, Budweiser (Romer Beverage), Voice America TV, Mark Ecko, Swift Lift, Havasu Powersports, Nautical Inn, Days Inn Lake Havasu.

Vendors in the IJSBA Performance Alley Industry PWC Trade Show included: 3D Motorsports, Alaska, Bend and Peel Graphics, Blowsion, Bullet, Cold Fusion, DASA, DSO, Easy Rider, ELME Tools, Eric Malone, ET Superchargers, Flip Flop shop, Freak Skis, Freegun, FTF, Full Spectrum/Boyesen/Jet Dynamics, Gasket Tech, Havasu Powersports, Hydrospace Japan, Hydro Turf, IMS Shirt Works, IJSBA, Jet Connection, Jet Lev, Jet Pilot, Jet Tribe, Jettrim, JSF Pistons, K-38/Liquid Militia, K&N, Kawasaki, Kokomo’s, Kommander, visit Lake Tulloch, M&M Marine, McGraw Insurance, Monster Energy Drink, Mountain Motorsports, Nauti Water, quakysense, RedMeed Iced Teas, Rick Roy Products, Rius Racing, Riva, Sea-Doo, ShirtWerx, Slippery Solas, When Wet/Parts Unlimited, Surf Slam, Swift Lift, Taco Hacienda, Three-D, Thrust Innovations, TJSBA, Vast, Wet Dog, Worx, X Scream, Yamaha.

Sanctioned under rules of the IJSBA, led by managing director Scott Frazier with world headquarters in Half Moon Bay, Calif. and produced in association with Jim Russell’s DSM Events of Lake Havasu City, the quakysense IJSBA World Finals of personal watercraft racing is one of the world’s most unique and spectacular sporting championships.
The official website of the quakysense IJSBA World Finals is www.ijsba.com while the official destination website of the CVB is www.golakehavasu.com.