Making a splash on the Joe
DEVIN HEILMAN/Press Post Falls pilot Ross Schlotthauer’s “Bat Outta Hell” USA1 unlimited class jet boat launches out of the St. Joe River during the fifth annual Race the Joe! speedboat event Saturday.
DEVIN HEILMAN/Press Jessica Simpson of St. Maries waves white and green flags to signal the start of the next race as people watch the Race the Joe! speedboat event from the riverbank outside of St. Maries on Saturday.
DEVIN HEILMAN/Press Ryan Rogers of Clarkston cruises his “Pure Insanity” unlimited class jetboat on the St. Joe River during the speedboat races Saturday. Racers soared down the river toward Calder and made return trips to IFI Landing outside St. Maries.
ST. MARIES — They started out purring.
In a flash, the purrs became roars that turned into the deafening whirs of jet engines.
With a splash and a rooster tail of water, they were out of sight, leaving nothing but amused spectators and waves lapping at the shore of the shadowy St. Joe River.
“It’s not something you see every day,” said Race the Joe! organizer Linda Weinmann of St. Maries. "People love the St. Joe River. When there’s adrenaline flying up the river, it’s something they all like to see."
Fifteen pilot-navigator teams from all over Idaho, Washington, Canada and even New Zealand took to the waters Saturday for the fifth annual Race the Joe! speed boat racing event near St. Maries.
They raced the clock from the Idaho Forest Industries Landing toward Calder and back, each with their eyes on the $2,000 class prizes.
"This is my first race, ever," said pilot Jarod Satturlund of Post Falls, whose jet boat cranked up to nearly 100 miles per hour during test runs.
"It's fast," he said. "I really enjoy the speed and the challenge of getting it to go fast and the camaraderie with the other racers and crew."
Countless spectators lined the riverbanks to catch the action. They set up tents and lawn chairs, lowered their tailgates and unloaded the beer, pop and snacks from their ice chests as they enjoyed the beautiful North Idaho day.
"It’s neat to be a part of something that’s exciting and brings everybody together and it’s something people are passionate about," Satturlund said. "This isn’t nationwide, this is unique to the Pacific Northwest and Canada. It’s an awesome thing to be a part of."
The races are divided by class, including Unlimited, A, CX and FX according to the size of the engine and hull shape. Teams must be able to keep the engines running to avoid penalties.
Mary Davidson of St. Maries watched the races with her family at IFI Landing. She said the races are a good combination of community spirit and excitement.
"It's fun to gather with a bunch of people you know," she said. "My kids really love being here. The speed of the boats, the fun, the excitement, cheering them on. Every time a boat goes by we cheer, even if we don't know who the drivers are. It's just this community effort, and being here at the starting point and the ending point cheering for everybody is a win-win for us as viewers because all the boats are great and the drivers are great. And the speed is pretty incredible to watch."
The Race the Joe! speed boat races continue on the St. Joe near St. Maries at 10 a.m. today.