It’s a little known fact but Bodden Town has produced some of the best Jet Ski racers in the Cayman Islands.
Bodden Town riders dominate the sport, in fact, but is wasn’t until last month that they got a chance to showcase their talents in their home district.
That opportunity came with the inaugural staging of the White Tip Run at Coe Wood Beach. It also coincided with the launch of a much needed ramp there, something locals, especially fishermen have desired for decades.
It was an afternoon of racing mixed with beach football and general beach activity by Bodden Town residents, who also welcomed people from around Grand Cayman.
The White Tip Run, organised by 2Frenzied race team and the Cayman Endurance Racing Group, will attract more local youngsters to get involved.
Shane “Nobee” Edwards is the managing director of 2Frenzied. He saw Gary “GJ” Whittaker win the first prize of $800 at the White Tip Run and was impressed with the young racer’s skills.
“Whittaker can be great if he continues to train hard and keep motivated to race,” Edwards said. He would like to see Whittaker reach the heights of the likes of Jordan “JJ” McLean and Roshad Goff, who have won world titles in recent years.
Edwards is the founder and chief organiser of the annual East End Surf Challenge. He has many friends and family in Bodden Town and wants to promote the Jet Ski scene there, too.
The 2Frenzied team remains busy.
There is a GOL beach football tournament in May or June, when the regular football season ends, and also the Big Boys Jet Ski Challenge during the July public holiday.
The Bull Run is planned for late summer and then Edwards is immersed in preparing for the East End Surf Challenge 2014 scheduled for January.
A former top racer himself, Edwards said he wants to pass on his passion for the sport to the next generation.
“Jet Ski racing is already popular, it’s just that the older stars like myself and Kenny Rankine are not racing anymore and bringing the added excitement these days,” he said. “The younger kids coming up in the sport need to make it exciting and become more than just a racer that shows up to races, but promote the events to get more people to come out.
“Growth in a sport comes from interest and you can’t get people interested if you don’t race or promote the sport and yourself,” he added. “I can put on 100 great races a year, but if people don’t know who is racing and they don’t strike an interest the spectators will not come out nor will sponsors see the value in sponsoring riders or events. It’s all one big interconnected circle that requires everyone’s input in order to see the sport grow.
“‘JJ’, ‘GJ’, Nathan Mclean, Corey Miller and Daron McLean are all talented and established riders from Bodden town,” Edwards said. “And I’m sure there are many other riders who see them as role models and will get involved in the sport. It’s way too early to see results like that. The most important thing is that we were able to do the first Jet Ski race ever in Bodden Town, which will be an annual event. That in itself is a positive thing for the district and the sport as a whole.”
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