A new wave: WCWA jet ski circuit brings out plenty of new riders

By Ryan McCracken on June 25, 2018.

rmccracken@medicinehatnews.com @MHNMcCracken

The Western Canadian Watercross Association returned to Rattlesnake Lake for its third consecutive year this weekend, and its presence seems to be pulling in more thrill seekers every season.

Medicine Hat product and multiple world champion Cory Rarick helped bring jet ski racing back to the area by organizing the event over the past few years and says this season’s field of 55 featured a particularly promising statistic — 12 brand new racers, including a handful who call the Gas City home.

“It’s absolutely critical. Medicine Hat has brought out some incredibly fast racers over the years and we’ve got some newcomers this year with Miller Wuitchik, and Chris Eccles has started back. We’ve got Ian Dressen from Calgary, these are all essentially new racers who are learning how to maneuver around this sort of stuff,” said Rarick, who won Saturday’s runabout event ahead of his wife, Tammy Rarick in second and Doug Christensen in third. “There are some pros here, like myself and a few other pros, but we’re here to cater to those starting riders.”

Given that the event serves as a world finals qualifier, Rarick says he designed the course to closely resemble those used at world championship events in Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

“It’s a very similar track to what we would race at world finals in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. All the racers are feeling it because it’s a very rough track on the west section because there’s a lot of switchback turns,” said Rarick, who designed the course with a split-section to reduce congestion at busier spots in the race. “The idea is, if you’re right behind a guy he’s going to give you really bumpy water.”

The WCWA features two type of jet skis, runabout and stand-up. While the runabout class features much faster racing on more traditional sit-down vehicles, Rarick says the stand-up class tends to draw in more beginners.

“The stand-up class is what you mostly see out here — it’s more like a motorcycle on the water and the handlebars move up and down,”he said. “What happens is a stand-up guy will start on a stand-up and then he’ll go to a runabout.”

Rarick went on to win Sunday’s Pro-Am Lites event ahead of Brady Fisher and Elliot Ginter, respectively. He also took third in the Pro-Am runabout event behind Tammy Rarick in first and Phil Tschritter in second.

Ryan Turner took top spot in the Pro-Am Lites class Sunday, while Ginter followed up in second and Steve Chestolowski took third.

Peyton Chestolowski won the Novice Lites class on both days — finishing ahead of Blair Hull and Dyson Fischer Saturday, then besting Daniel Turner and Nolan Campeau Sunday.

Peyton also won both Novice Open events, while Hull took second both days and Ian Stafford settled for a pair of third-place finishes.

Turner took top spot on the podium in both beginner events, while Fischer and Gerry Anton followed behind Saturday and Maverick Young and Ashley Campeau took second and third, respectively, Sunday.

Brad Hoffman took first in the Vet Open Saturday ahead of Kim Richardson and Steve Chestolowski, but Richardson rebounded to take first Sunday, with Chestolowski climbing into second and Hoffman dropping to third.

Steve Chestolowski also won the Amateur Open Sunday ahead of Hoffman and Ryan McClelland after taking third in the event Saturday behind winner Luke Bibeau and Hoffman.

Chestolowski also added third-place finishes in the Pro-Am Open. Brady Fischer won the event Saturday and took second Sunday, while Robbie Langley took second Saturday before winning Sunday’s event.

Tammy Rarick won the Women’s Lites division on both race days. Lana Bibeau took second Saturday and third Sunday, while Morgan Sieben finished third Saturday and second Sunday.

Bibeau also won an uncontested Women’s Open both Saturday and Sunday.

Doug Christensen won both Sport Spec events, while Layhan Saville took second and Jack Scrimshaw finished third Sunday.

Chad Hinkson won the freestyle event Saturday, while Ryan Turner took second and Trevor Dudeck third. Turner went on to win the event Sunday ahead of Hinkson and Dudeck.

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