THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 15, 1994 TAG: 9407140163
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Cover Story
SOURCE: BY GARY EDWARDS, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Long : 143 lines
WHEN JOHN Francavilla and Dave Mallard are having fun, they sound like a swarm of angry bees.
Multiply that buzz by 450 and you have the two-day Bud Jet Sports Tour for jet skiers last weekend at the oceanfront.
Francavilla, 24, and Mallard, 31, were among the 200 amateurs and 250 professionals who buzzed through the competition at 2nd Street July 9 and 10. Virginia Beach was the fifth stop on the 10-city tour, and the only ocean race. Sanctioned by the International Jet Sports Boating Association, the tour is in its 13th season, and professionals compete for $350,000 in prizes. Virginia Beach is in region 8 that extends from Virginia to Maine.
Hundreds of spectators lined the beach and sat on bleachers to watch the racers who blasted by at speeds of 55 to 60 mph last weekend. Noise, a heat wave and choppy water conditions didn't dull enthusiasm among competitors or spectators.
The first day's competition featured the amateurs, a division divided into expert and novice classes. Mallard and Francavilla are both experts.
``About six or seven of us (Virginia Beach residents) race as amateurs,'' said Mallard. ``We try to get to nearby events - regionals, for instance.''
Mallard, a native of England who took up jet skiing recreationally four years ago and began tour events in 1992, watched from the shore as his wife, Karen, competed Saturday in the women's amateur competition.
``My boat's broken today. No racing for me,'' he said with a rueful grin.
The Mallards own twin SeaDoo runabouts, sit-down models.
``It takes quite a bit of work to maintain the boats for racing,'' said Mallard, a mechanic at Thalia Exxon who finished sixth among amateurs in the Skat-Trak World Finals at Lake Havasu City, Ariz., last year. Known as the Super Bowl of jet skiing, the event attracted racers from 22 countries.
Francavilla, who hopped on his first jet ski six years ago and has been racing competitively as an amateur for four years, rides a Kawasaki 750, a popular model with the pros.
``I race in the expert ski-modified stand-up,'' said Francavilla. He attended the world finals in Arizona with Mallard and the Beach contingent last year.
The two friends and fellow amateurs compared the feeling of jet skiing with motocross.
``Steering is like a motorcycle, more than a boat or a car,'' said Francavilla.
``Many (jet skiers) come from motocross riding,'' Mallard said.
Jet skis come in three styles: the traditional stand-up, the sit-down or sports model and runabouts, also known as blasters. On the latter, riders can stand or sit.
``I didn't place (at the world finals). Technical problems. With the rider, not the bike,'' joked Francavilla. ``It was a nice vacation.''
Jet skiers compete in three categories: on a closed-course, slalom or in the freestyle. Racers can participate in all, but most specialize in one or two.
``Most freestylers just do freestyle,'' said Victor Sheldon of Vista, Calif., who doesn't. Sheldon is second in overall points standing among the pros this year.
The closed-course is a half-mile to three-quarter-mile circular run marked with red and green buoys. Racers complete a designated number of laps around the course. The fastest time wins. The first-place finisher receives 20 points; second place, 17; third, 15. Each succeeding finisher is awarded points on a descending scale - 14, 13, and so on.
Last weekend the slalom event, where skiers zigzag along a line of buoys, was canceled because of choppy water.
The freestyle event probably was the most fun for the spectators. As the crowd oohed and ahhed, the ``hot-doggers'' performed a two-minute routine of handstands, 360-degree spins, barrel rolls and airborne flips.
Dustin Farthing, 15, of Hobe Sound, Fla., travels the tour as an amateur. He won't be amateur for long, according to those who know him. The pint-sized blond is ``awesome'' in the words of long-time pro Dave Gordon.
Farthing started skiing three years ago in his hometown.
This is his second season on the tour. Last year he finished first at the world finals, the overall point leader in the closed-course class.
``Next year, I'll turn pro,'' said Farthing, who has five jet skis, courtesy of his sponsor, Yamaha.
Gordon, 29, started jet skiing in Wayland, Mass., at 12.
``It's about 30 miles west of Boston. I skied on a lake there,'' said Gordon. ``Didn't do surf-riding at all back then. It's still a challenge.''
Gordon was equal to the challenge Sunday. He posted second- and third-place finishes in two of the races, finishing behind current pro overall points leader Chris MacClugage of Naples, Fla.
Gordon now lives in Las Vegas, where he works with the police department. His white baseball cap bore the Students Against Drunk Driving insignia.
``Wayland is the town where SADD began after some students were killed by a drunk driver,'' Gordon said. ``Some of us on the tour try to get the anti-drug, anti-alcohol message out to kids.''
Las Vegas is also home to women's amateur skier Carollynn Garvey. ``Lake Mead's close. And it's great for practicing,'' said Garvey, 26.
She has been an expert for four years and hopes to turn pro soon. Amateurs must compile a certain number of points on the tour as experts to qualify for the pro tour.
Before she began jet skiing, Garvey played soccer for 12 years.
``I went to the United States Olympic Training Center. Took it as far as I could go. I wanted to find a sport I could turn pro in,'' she said.
Ranked fourth in the point standings coming into the competition, Garvey finished 10th in the closed-course event last weekend.
Turning pro means finding a sponsor, too. Sunday afternoon, the pros loaded their jet skis into huge tractor trailers ablaze with the colors of corporate sponsors. The pros travel with a team composed of mechanics, helpers called holders, and sometimes, spouses, boyfriends, girlfriends and families. With promotional appearances, exhibitions, practice and performing, it is a year-round job for the 250 professional jet skiers.
Corporate sponsors, cash-rich companies like Nissan, Yamaha, Kawasaki and Budweiser pick up the tab for the pros. The costs
are prohibitive for the casual skier, as much as $25,000 to spend the season on the tour.
Francavilla and Mallard have pondered the situation.
They're trying to organize an event for locals in October, said Mallard. ``It would be nice to have an event in our own back yard. No travel.''
Francavilla smiled and agreed.
``It's my ultimate goal to turn pro, but the out-of-pocket expense, I can't afford,'' he said. ``Amateurs do without luxuries. We do all the work ourselves. When we do travel, we help each other getting the skis in and out of the water and other things.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Cover]
[Color] Photos by PETER D. SUNDBERG
Photos by PETER D. SUNDBERG
Larry Rippenkroeger shows his stuff, riding the nose of his jet ski
in the freestyle portion of the two-day Bud Jet Sports Tour
competition.
With an interesting mixture of results, judges score the freestyle
event - the crowd favorite.
ABOVE LEFT: Christy Carlson of South Africa takes in the jet ski
action before her upcoming event.
ABOVE RIGHT: Victor Sheldon of Vista, Calif., dresses for his next
event. He is second in overall points among the pros this year.
Lloyd Burlew of Indialantic, Fla., seems to be attempting to turn
his jet ski into a sub as he nose-dives into the surf. Don't try
this at home, kids.
by CNB