Champions crowned at IJSBA

Wind, wind and more wind greeted racers during the final day of the International Jet Sports Boating Association Word Finals at Crazy Horse Beach Sunday.

The result of the wind and colder than normal temperatures was the cancellation of the ramp jump and junior freestyle competition. But not racing.

It was an all Lake Havasu City battle in the Junior Runabout 800 Slalom finals Sunday, courtesy of the McMillan siblings. Brandon took first with a best time of 21.32, just ahead of sister Lauren who finished with a best time of 23.39.

“The World Finals were great,” Brandon said. “It went by too fast.”

Brandon has a second shot at a world title in Junior 13-15 Stock by crashed his boat. By the time he got on and got it running again, he had lost a lap to the rest of the pack.

“That’s OK,” he said. “Next year I’ll be moving up in class. So I’ll be training this winter and hopefully do better next year.”

In other Sunday action, Tyler Smith, of Mulberry, Fla., took the title in Junior Ski 10-12, and Craig Warner, of Corona, Calif., finished on top in Pro Runabout racing.

Havasu’s Krissy Hale finished out of the top three in Pro-Am Women Ski after suffering injury in Saturday’s qualifying heat. Instead the title went to Emi Kanamori, of Rowland Heights, Calif. Eric Lagpoulos, of Lakeland, Fla., won the world title in Runabout Open Slalom with a time of 18.91 while Dalibor Turkovic of Croatia won the Ski Open Slalom with a time of 21.4.

Nacho Arwillas Giardiola, of Spain, won two world championships Sunday, the first in Junior Ski 13-15 and the other in Junior Ski 10-15 Slalom.

Australia’s Kylie Ellmers won the title in Women’s Runabout and Alberto Monti, of Italy, was the day’s final world champion, winning the second moto in Pro Ski.

“I feel very good, very good,” Monti said after crossing the finish line. “My first heat was tough but in my second heat I was very lucky to get the hole shot. And I never gave up.”

Officials with Desert Steel Motorsports, the promoter of the world finals, said unofficial attendance counts — based on the amount of paid parking — was double that of 2007.

“And a lot of credit to the success of the World Finals has to go to Crazy Horse. They stepped up and helped us with the things we needed,” said Desert Steel’s Jim Russell.

Joe Lababera, Crazy Horse owner, said it’s incumbent to “do whatever it takes to bring people into the city. In this economy, we have to do what we can to help attract people to come here.”

You may contact the reporter at dbell@havasunews.com.