Jet Around Cayman is here and with it comes fresh excitement.
Much of that enthusiasm comes from a lot of new twists. On Monday 13 June at the Public Beach on West Bay Road a new crew of Guadeloupe riders will be here to defend the country’s 2010 victory. They will battle aspiring local talents, both new and established, in a personal watercraft race around Grand Cayman.
American pro Rob Greenwald is also slated to pass by during the 10am-4pm time frame of the event. Away from the water, new activities are on offer for all ages from a wowballs expo to a beach flag football tournament. Monster Media Events Coordinator Christina Hefner spoke about the new sights to expect this year.
“I’m excited about this year’s offerings,” Hefner said. “One of the new things is the presence of dance groups, which will consist of three to five people. There will be two different acts at two different times of the day. There will also be a lot more local models on display. Usually we have 6-10 Jet Around models. This year we will have 25 girls.
“The beach volleyball tournament should have great participation this year. The Cayman Islands Volleyball Federation were involved for the first time last year and we got good feedback from that. Their consistent support can only add to our event.
“Lime will also have a fun tent with a lot going on for the kids. This year, like every year, it grows. Last year Guadeloupe was here for the first time. This year they should be more exciting with new riders, namely: Cedric Ramassamy, Patrick Gounouman, Pascal Gounouman, Davy Vaitilingon and Fabrice Limon. In total we have seven confirmed international riders, the most ever for our event.”
Last year the headlines were dominated by Guadeloupe’s Christopher Lycoan, Vincent Thomas and Vincent Karam. They claimed the top three spots in the race with the first Cayman rider home being George ‘Lulu’ Smith. With Smith possibly out of the running this year, the field is open for fresh faces like Corey Miller to come to the fore.
Jet Around head marshall and Cayman Islands Watercraft Association trainee race director Tony Coe, who will liaise with the likes of the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service marine unit for safety purposes, states many young men can shine on Monday.
“I think the field has really improved,” Coe said. “There’s a lot of young talent coming up and they’re gun-ho about it. The new international riders add a twist because they don’t know our waters like the locals do. The local jet ski scene has improved a lot in one year. With the association races going on the marshals seem ready to tackle this Jet Around. They are fit and have trained for circuit racing. The riders are in good shape too after training for the local season. Last year they did not have that kind of training as there was no season. The crafts now are well put together with a lot of modifications and power on hand.
“I feel the local riders will do exceptionally well. It all depends on their stamina and their weather. The guys have to be physically and mentally prepared and fit for it. But I think it will be good for the local guys and the young talent will shine. Young ones like Andres Webb, Jordan McLean, Gary Whittaker and Brandon Thompson can rival anyone.”
For the record the race officially starts at 1pm and is slated to end at 3pm. An awards ceremony is slated to follow at 4pm once all riders complete the course.
Among the sponsors this year are LIME, Monster Media, Caymanian Compass, Paramount Media, Vibe 98.9FM, Spin 94.9FM, WestStar TV Ltd, Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, Cayman Airways Ltd, Butterfield, Red Bull, Crighton Properties, Laughter Lounge Comedy Show, Reflections, Fast Signs, Intec Research Sound and Lighting, The Snack Shack Mobile Concession, Titan Security Heineken, Paramount Carpets, West-Tec performance and the Cayman Islands Watercraft Association.
For more information log on to www.jac.com.ky
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