Inaugural Jetski Championships: Seminyak, Bali

Jet skis are one machine that I have never tried out and I really should. They are extremely popular with young tourists and can be hired at most upmarket hotels.

I have seen them skimming across the waters off the Bali beaches and their riders performing almost impossible turns and seemingly their bodies still stick to the machines. Looks like fun!. Bali will play host to the inaugural International Freeride Watercraft Association/Bali Freeride Nations Cup on 2-3rd September this year. The location will be along the stretch of Seminyak beaches.

The Association has an interesting story according to the article I was reading. Established in 1999 to foster and promote the then "new sport" of freeridin, the IFWA sanctions a yearly calendar of events in which top-form athletes perform "death defying" feats on supercharged jet skis. Man and machine crash through waves, do perilous jumps and perform mid-air summersaults for appreciative and awe-struck crowds lining nearby beaches.

What will bring the crowds and competitors in will be the prize money totalling US$31,000 which is hoped to create intriguing and exciting competition. The event is free of charge to the public, so mark your calendar for two exciting days of competition on the beach September 2-3, 2006 in Bali.