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Pro Finals Sunday on Lake Havasu
Reiterer in Pro Ski, Harvey in Pro Runabout, Lenzi in Pro Freestyle,
Capture final crowns at 28th quakysense IJSBA World Finals
Presented by Monster Energy, R. MacClugage wins Pro-Am Women Ski,
Ellmers wins third straight in Pro-Am Women Runabout
LAKE HAVASU CITY, Ariz.—Austria’s Kevin Reiterer in Pro Ski, New Zealand’s Sam Harvey in Pro Runabout and Brazil’s Alessander Lenzi in Pro Freestyle were the Pro champions crowned during Sunday’s finale of the 28th Annual quakysense International Jet Sports Boating Association (IJSBA) World Finals, presented by Monster Energy.
Held on Lake Havasu and featured nearly 650 entries from 31 States and 36 nations, the quakysense IJSBA World Finals, presented by Monster Energy, IJSBA World Championship titles were presented in a total of 41 closed-course racing classes, four slalom classes as well as Pro Freestyle and Amateur Freestyle during the week-long event.
The race site for the 11th consecutive year was at the purpose-built Aqua Stadium on the grounds of the Crazy Horse RV Resort and Campgrounds in the Arizona resort of Lake Havasu City.
Reiterer, of Wiener Leustadt, was in just his third world finals and captured his first IJSBA Pro Ski World Championship by finishing second and first in a Hydrospace watercraft in the two 12-lap motos that featured a total of 20 riders.
In winning his third world championship of this event (Pro-Am Ski Limited and Pro-Am Grand Prix), Reiterer grabbed the hole shot in the day’s final moto ahead of first moto winner Steven Dauliach of France and held on to capture his first Pro Ski gold medal. Dauliach, who currently resides in Dubai and was a two-time IJSBA Pro Ski World Champion, claimed the silver medal in another Hydrospace with his 1-2 moto finishes. Earning the bronze medal in Pro Ski was France’s Jean Baptiste Botti with 5-3 finishes on a Kawasaki.
“I can’t realize it now,” said Reiterer. “This is my third time here. I was a junior my first time here and this time it was pretty good. I want to thank my dad because without him, I wouldn’t even be riding jet skis. I hope I can come back here again every year of my life and race because it is my life.”
Harvey, of Auckland NZ, captured his first IJSBA Pro World Championship in Pro Runabout, came from behind on a Sea-Doo to finish second and then first in the 14-lap motos in the 16-boat field. In the final moto Harvey got the hole shot, but was passed at the start by two-time defending race champion and first moto winner Craig Warner, who held the lead until engine problems slowed him down on the ninth lap, giving up the lead to Harvey for good.
While Harvey won the gold medal in Pro Runabout Open, the silver went to Australia’s Anthony Antees with a pair of third-place moto finishes on a Sea-Doo and the bronze was claimed by Chris MacClugage, Lake Havasu City, Ariz., with 5-2 moto finishes on a Yamaha.
“Awesome,” shouted Harvey after he brought his boat to the shore. “Finally -- finally we’ve done it after 10 years of coming to the IJSBA World Finals. We were fortunate in the end but this team has been great all weekend and it feels good. Without my father, I wouldn’t be here and this is for him more than anyone.”
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