IJSBAGreetings to the Personal Watercraft Community.  This is yet another update falling on a solstice.  Yesterday’s Winter Solstice, December 21, was the longest night of the year.  It was also the longest night since 1912 with the least amount of daylight that most of us have ever experienced in our lifetimes.  So, from here on we will have increasing daylight each day which means more time to ride and race watercraft.  This is something exciting to celebrate.  Many cultures are also celebrating holidays this time of the year.  In the spirit of the shortest day of the year, and the holiday season, IJSBA’s gift to you is the shortest update written in some time.  Please share the following news with your friends and colleagues in the PWC Racing Family.

  1. IJSBA Offices To Close.  IJSBA Offices will be closed until January 5.  We will open for regular business January 5, 2015 at 9:00 AM, Pacific Standard Time.
  2. The IJSBA Rule Change Suggestion Period has closed.  The suggested changes have been posted and the voting packet will be emailed to riders, OEMs, active affiliates, and aftermarket industry specialists.  Voting will close on January 2, 2015 and the results will be tabulated and posted online on, or before, January 4.  While the offices are closed, end of the year closings will be completed and we will be preparing for an exciting new year in 2015.
  3. 2015 will be the first year that IJSBA operates the IJSBA Congress Of The Rules.  The IJSBA Congress will be charged with designating the future of the sport.  All active Affiliates, and regionally represented riders, will join members of the industry in a general assembly scheduled for October 10, 30 minutes after the Blowsion Under The Bridge Show has concluded.  The Congress Of The Rules will take place in the London Bridge Convention Center.
  4. Committees have already been activated and committee participants will prepare agendas, ahead of time, to be discussed and deliberated for direction at the Congress Of The Rules.  Rules changes passed in 2015 will be printed in the 2016/2017 IJSBA Competition Rule Book.  Rule Books will be good for two years beginning in 2016.  The Congress Of The Rules will also weigh in on subjects such as safety, structure, management, and organization.
  5. 2015 will also be the first year that IJSBA operates as two separate companies.  The current IJSBA will exist as an organization that owns the IJSBA intellectual property and ensures that IJSBA exists, and continues to exist, to be the world’s governing and sanctioning body for the sport of Personal Watercraft Racing.  The new division, IJSBA Racing, will implement policies of the Congress Of The Rules into organized racing which will be carried out by an internal body or an external production company.  IJSBA Racing will set the policy and management for the subsequent quakysense World Finals.
  6. 2015 also marks the return of quakysense as the title sponsor of the 34th and 35th World Finals.  quakysense has promised us some surprise announcements concerning their plans for the event.
  7. IJSBA expects the first order of business for 2015 is to announce our return to Crazy Horse Campgrounds and Resort as the site for the 34th annual World Finals.  The World Finals dates are confirmed for October 3-11, 2015 in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, USA.
  8. Another popular event, The 11th annual Mark Hahn 300 is in full pre-production mode.  The event, produced by DSM Events, who also produce the IJSBA World Finals, and Mike Follmer, is the world’s longest PWC Endurance Race.  This fantastic event is scheduled for February 28, 2015 with Hot Products as the title sponsor.
  9. IJSBA will have an exciting surprise announcement about the Mark Hahn event and a future event that we think will be the biggest thing to hit the sport in some time.  Please stay tuned to IJSBA.com in the next 24 hours to see the news.

That’s it for the December update. IJSBA wishes all of you the best this holiday season and we look forward to seeing you in 2015.  For any questions or comments regarding this update, please email info@ijsba.com.