World Championship Marathon Jet Boat Race coming in May
ST. MARIES — Jet boat racers from four countries will race stretches of four Idaho rivers during the 2016 USA World Championship Marathon Jet Boat Race in May.
Between May 20-29, competitors from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and New Zealand will race the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe rivers, as well as the Grand Ronde and Snake rivers in Lewiston.
"It's a family-friendly event and the racers have come back to Idaho because of the hospitality," said Shirley Ackerman, president of the St. Maries Chamber of Commerce. "They rave about Idaho and we're very excited to have them back here."
The world championship is only held in the U.S. once every four years. This is the second time the St. Joe River in St. Maries has been chosen as the first leg of the world championship race.
The race will be hosted by the St. Maries Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Toyota and the Clearwater River Casino and Lodge.
The festivities will officially begin May 20 with a Show-n-Shine on Main Street in St. Maries, where spectators can mingle with the racers and check out the jet boats. On May 21 and 22, teams will race the St. Joe River before moving on to the Coeur d'Alene River. Another Show-n-Shine will be held in Lewiston on May 26 and races on the Grand Ronde and Snake River will take place May 27-29.
Since registration is not yet complete, Ackerman was unsure how many teams will compete, but said she would like to see at least 30-35 teams join. She said the world championship last year in Canada brought in 52 teams.
The St. Maries Chamber of Commerce has hosted a local jet boat race each year since 2013 called "Race the Joe" after the St. Joe was chosen as the first leg of the USA World Championship venue in 2012. Ackerman said Race the Joe had 26 teams last year and about 10,000 spectators. She said she expects to see a record number of people at the St. Maries and Lewiston venues for the world championship, which will replace Race the Joe for 2016.
"It's a great economic boost to our community — and to our state," Ackerman said.
Some concerns have been raised regarding jet boat racing on the Coeur d'Alene River. The race will take place between Harrison and Cataldo, which is part of a Superfund site where mining in the Silver Valley led to the pollution of the river bed and flood plains. The concern is that the wake from the jet boats could release soil contaminated with heavy metals back into the river.
Ackerman said the boats, which can reach speeds of 150 miles per hour, mostly ride on top of the water and cause very little wake, so the disturbance to the river and its banks is minimal.
"There is far less impact to the river than with recreational boats," Ackerman said. "We are working with governing entities to make sure we are in compliance with the permits."
The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office issued a list of 15 "special conditions of performance" in addition to the 11 standard conditions in accordance with a Marine Event Permit. Some of the conditions include insurance requirements, traffic control requirements and other possible required permits.
One of those requirements, for example, states the "USA World Championship Jet Boat Race shall obtain any permits required by the City of Harrison, and if not required, consult with the City of Harrison on potential impacts of this event and methods to mitigate those impacts."
For information, call the St. Maries Chamber of Commerce at 245-3563.