Running 100 Miles
DJSA Massive Enduro at the Pittsburg Seafood Festival
Text by Rick Ignacio
Photography by Young Huynh

Watercraft endurance racing has many variations. There are races that run in lakes, rivers, and especially on the ocean. On September 12, 2009, Diablo Jet Ski Action'S (DJSA) enduro took place on the waters off Pittsburg, California. There were 14 racers in all including the finest offshore racers from Nevada and Northern and Southern California. In preparation for the race, I checked the weather conditions. The weather report stated it would be cloudy, with eight-mph winds from the west. I thought it was going to be another cakewalk in the Northern California waterways. Little did I know...

The morning was ominous. Thunder and lightning dotted the horizon as we all drove into the marina. The winds were gusting to 35 mph with visible white caps. The venue for this event was incredible. Thousands of people were enjoying a day of seafood and entertainment at the annual Pittsburg Seafood Festival. The course was five miles around Brown Island directly in front of the marina and the many spectators. The total course length would be a little over 100 miles, running two 50-mile motos.

(Above: Hosting nearly 70,000 visitors and locals, the annual Pittsburg Seafood Festival not only welcomed families and seafood connoisseurs, but a couple handfuls of offshore PWC racers.)

The race started at around noon, with 14 racers in all, air temperature at about 80, and the water temperature in the high 60s. At the starting line, the water and winds were somewhat calm as promoter Jim Lambert raised the green flag. All racers pinned their throttles and thundered down the inside channel. About a mile in, a swell came out of nowhere and launched four of the racers! I was closest to the ejected Carlos Thomas, and stopped to see if he was OK. The three others got assistance from fellow racers and safety staff.

As we all entered the center slough and the calmest part of the race, we pinned our throttles and hunkered down for minimal wind resistance. The easternmost part of the course was flat and fast. I saw Young Huynh in the helicopter hover over the front of the pack consisting of Jim Walker, Sean Conner, and Lee Phan.

I stayed near the middle of the pack and entered the main channel. The relatively calm waters turned nasty pretty fast. Jim Lambert and the safety crew warned us of a sunken barge at first turn in the main channel. Marker buoys were spread over 50 yards which helped identify the location of the barge. I saw them and barreled down to the first turn. As I throttled up, I took a direct hit to the face by a wake only a few yards from John Bonkowski, aboard the Safety Ski. The impact of the wake ripped my helmet off and launched it over 20 feet into the air, totally catching John off guard. Stopping, I soon fished out my helmet, bilged the water out from my ski, and proceeded on with the race.

The main channel of Pittsburg is well known for its unpredictability. Encountering two- to four-foot chop, I attempted to correct my bearings and head for the power plant smokestacks in the distance. I passed fellow racers Dean Brown and Gordon Lasiter as they struggled with the chop.

In the distance, I could see the marina and the shoreline including the checkered buoys. I quickly passed the buoys and saw Jim Lambert and crew cheering. I thought to myself, "Lap one, nineteen to go!"

As soon as I finished the first lap, I saw Jim Walker floating 100 feet from his ski. He had a bad spill and I quickly stopped to assist. He was ok, but his gear was scattered yards away. I helped as long as I could until the safety skis came and then continued on with the race.

(Above: Jim Walker on his red-and-black RXT put up a good fight, earning him first place over the two-moto, 100-mile enduro.)

At the close of the second moto, Lambert saw the helicopter emerge from behind the island three miles away. Beneath it was a bouncing dot that occasionally looked red in the sunlight: Walker's bright red Sea-Doo. About 300 feet back, the second bouncing dot appeared: Lee Phan.

Walker's ski was literally flying from wave to wave. Phan rapidly closed the distance from 300 to 200 to 100 to 50 feet. A mere 200 yards away from the final turn, Walker and Phan were both dead even with Walker on the inside and Phan on the outside.

Suddenly Phan's ski hit a wave broadside around 65 mph and launched him nearly 100 feet!

"It could have been a very ugly and serious accident, but I was lucky that things ended well," Phan admitted. "I'm grateful that Team Orange was there to offer assistance had I needed them. It was comforting to know they were out there watching out for everyone's safety."

(Above: Lee Phan before his infamous 65 mile-per-hour get off which sent the racer cartwheeling nearly 100 feet from his craft. Phan would climb back on and race to the finish, coming in only seconds behind the leader.)

Kudos goes to Robby Hall aboard the safety ski. Within seconds of Phan's launch, Hall sped over immediately. Scrambling to find his goggles and fire up his Sea-Doo, Phan sped off, finishing only 22 seconds behind Walker.

This day turned out to be the best variation of offshore endurance racing I could have ever imagined; calm waters, slight choppy conditions, small half foot swells, large two-foot swells, and a few four-foot crests. It was a good day to race over 100 miles at one of the best venues, the Pittsburg Seafood Festival, and with some of the best offshore racers in California and Nevada. I was real glad Michelle (aka Black Mamba) volunteered to pull up the trailer after the race, as my strength, stamina, and strategy had just been drained.

DJSA Pittsburg Seafood Festival Enduro
Pittsburg, California
September 12, 2009

Results

SCXP Pro/Am
Jim Walker 450 pts
Lee Phan 430 pts
Paul Pham 418 pts
Cheng Leu 410 pts
Carlos Thomas 402 pts
Dean Brown 398 pts
Gordon Lasiter 394 pts
Sean Conner 340 pts
Tom Clarke 336 pts
Tony Le 332 pts

Sprint Class
Stan Schrock 450 pts
Rick Ignacio 430 pts