Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/561797
42 • September 17, 2015 • Powersports Business PWC www.PowersportsBusiness.com Third season shows growth among amateur PWC racers BY KATE SWANSON ASSISTANT EDITOR The Beatles weren't the only successful British Invasion. P1 AquaX USA, a personal watercraft race series that began in the U.K., is wrapping up the end of its third U.S. season and still gain- ing participants at a record pace. "Each round we've increased numbers. The first race we did in the U.S. was at Day- tona Beach in April 2013. We had seven com- petitors," said Michelle Petro, P1 AquaX USA championship manager. "At Daytona this year we had 92 racers. We've been averaging about 60-65 racers [each round]." What makes this series unique in compari- son to others? Amateurs account for more than 60 percent of the racers in the series. "We're growing in the amateur area quite a bit. This series is very new-racer friendly. A person can basically purchase a [PWC] off a showroom floor and … they can be competitive," she said. Regardless of experience, each rider must participate in a training session, which includes a swim test, self-recovery and assisted-recovery with a course marshal to ensure rider comfort and safety. "We've had pro racers that kind of make fun of that training class… but a lot of them come out saying they were glad that they went through it," Petro said. "[For experienced rid- ers,] it's like a refresher; they changed their tune after the training was over." DIVISIONS BASED ON HORSEPOWER The race series is divided into three sepa- rate classes, with each class having a spe- cific watercraft designated to it based on horsepower: 300, 250 and 200. AquaX racers endure three 30-minute races in various types of water conditions including surf, river and lake races. Petro explained that minor modifications are allowed for those riders who want to change power and handling elements, but the point is that the sport remains affordable. "It's very low-cost for the racer. You don't have to sink a lot of money into parts and modified bits to stay competitive," she added. With such a large participation increase, Petro says that the series has had to deal with minor growing pains this season. "We've had to add more staff quite quickly, and we didn't expect that big of a jump [in numbers] from last season to this one," Petro said. "Other than that it's been really good; the racers have been having a good time." P1 AquaX also found additional security team members to accommodate the growing num- ber of riders. P1 AquaX is sanctioned by the International Jet Sports Boating Association (IJSBA), which helps gather interest through IJSBA's promo- tions online. Other than online, the race series has used all types of media, including TV com- mercials, billboards and flyers, to spread aware- ness. Petro says a typical event has anywhere from 5,000-10,000 attendees. The series is televised on both local and international stations including Florida Fox SunSports, SKY TV and Fox International. Also, P1 AquaX has received support from multiple industry sponsors including Lycamo- bile, Sea-Doo, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Hydro-Turf, GoPro, Fly Racing, RIVA Racing and Austra- lian Gold. AquaX USA proving to be a hit for amateurs Stuart Rasmussen, a rider for Broward Motorsports, competes in the P1 AquaX series. See AquaX, Page 47 Paloma Noceda accepts the second place award in the 250 class of Daytona Round 1. Noceda is from Peru and rides for Yamaha RIVA Dean's Team.