Water Racers To Compete at St. Ignace
Midwest Watercross Tour Is This Weekend
By Ryan Schlehuber

For the second consecutive summer, St. Ignace will host two rounds of professional watercraft races for the Midwest Watercross Tour during the Straits Area Water Sports Weekend Saturday, August 18, and Sunday, August 19. This year, the final two rounds will be held here.

Nearly 100 professional personal watercraft racers throughout the Midwest and Canada are competing for the tour championship and qualification to the national and world watercraft tournaments. Admission to the final rounds in St. Ignace is free.

The Midwest Tour has nine rounds at five locations this year.

The first two rounds were held in Hillsdale June 9 and 10, round three was held in Algonac June 30, rounds four and five were held in Harbor Beach July 14 and 15, rounds six and seven were in Celina, Ohio, and the eighth and ninth rounds will be held in St. Ignace.

St. Ignace hosted the fifth and six rounds of the eight-round tournament last year, with the final rounds being held in Celina.

The Straits area provides racers with a good course at the scenic Straits of Mackinac, and it provides other things for the racers and their families to do, said Patrick Mell, promoter and event director of the tournament and owner of PM Sports Marketing.

"We chose St. Ignace as the site for the final rounds because we liked the downtown area," he said. "You have restaurants, stores, a casino, and other things to do close by the course."

He also said racers like to be in water with warmer temperatures and, by August, the water in the Straits is better for racing than in July or June.

"We had a really good time in St. Ignace last year," he added. "Many of the racers will be coming here not only to race, but will plan to do other things with their families while they're there."

Marianne Huskey of St. Ignace, the lead local coordinator of the Straits Area Water Sports Weekend, who attracted the tournament to St. Ignace last year, expects a bigger tournament and a bigger crowd this year.

"I think you're going to see more racers this year because this will be the final two rounds and they'll be trying to qualify for the nationals," she said.

Racers compete for cash prizes and qualification to the American Power Boat Association National Watercraft Tournament in Nashville, Tennessee, Friday, August 31, through Sunday, September 2.

Often described as "moto-cross racing on the water," these events pit up to 18 racers against each other on a race track of tight turns and straight-aways. In some classes, racers must also negotiate obstacles and log jumps on the race course. A rubber band starting system is used to control the start of each race.

Within each division are classes for beginner, novice, expert, and pro-am, including categories for men and women. The ski division features a single rider standing in the tray of the watercraft, steering the watercraft with a highly maneuverable handle. Riding in the ski division requires excellent balance and skill.

Freestyle competitors perform tricks and stunts in a two-minute time frame for a panel of judges who rate performances on a scale from 1 to 10.

Some watercraft in the open classes have more than 200 horsepower under the hood, and can reach speeds in excess of 70 miles per hour on flat water.

The 1,000-foot-long by 800- foot-wide course will be set up near the American Legion Park in downtown St. Ignace. The races will not interfere with nearby ferry boat operations, and security crews will be on hand in the water.

There will be several other entertaining events held during the professional watercraft races.

A Cardboard Classic Boat Race will offered Saturday to those watching the watercraft tournament. Two-person teams will compete in three age divisions - 19 years and younger, 20 to 39 years old, and 40 and older - and will be required to build a boat and a paddle in one hour, using only a specified amount of cardboard and duct tape.

Registration is $20 per team. The event will begin with registration at 11:30 a.m. Saturday. Boat building will begin at noon and the race is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

St. Ignace Police Chief Tim Matelski will be the featured guest for the dunk tank on site Saturday. Proceeds will go toward Walk for Warmth, a home-heating assistance program for Community Action Agency.

Younger children may play in the dinosaur bouncing house, which will be donated by David Goldthorpe of Quality Inn, the host hotel for the racers.

A Straits Area Sportsmen's Club food concession stand will raise money for the club's annual Kids Fishing Day at Castle Rock ponds.