Jet Ski races return to Pahrump casino this weekend
A jet ski event returns to Lakeside Casino and RV Park at 5870 Homestead Road.
The USA Super Arena Jet Ski Championship will run Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday the racing will begin at noon with the main event at 7 p.m., and then on Sunday the racing will start at 10 a.m., with the main event at 3 p.m.
Gregg Matta, the organizer of the event, said this year people will see more jet skis.
We have close to 60 jet skis this year, he said.
Matta brought this event back to Lakeside last year after a nine-year absence. Last years event was a success so its back again this year.
Matta decided last year he would add music to the event. This year is no different.
I wanted this to be a sports/music festival, so this year we will have five top DJs from the strip performing, he said.
According to Matta, he brought the first jet ski races to Lakeside in 2007, but after that year the economy kept the jet ski racers from returning to Pahrump.
The sport of jet skis took a big hit when the economy tanked, Matta said. Also, new rules came to the sport that prevented jet skis from racing at all the national parks. The new rules have kept the sport of jet ski racing down.
Matta was a top professional racer in the sport in 2007.
I was at the top in the sport for sit-down racing and now I am into stand-up racing. In my last race, I took fifth.
Contact sports editor Vern Hee at vhee@pvtimes.com
