2006 Event Report
2006 Yamaha Slalom Grand Prix Final in Japan
Welcome WaveRunner fans from around the world. Are you enjoying the fun and excitement of WaveRunner riding?
We want to show you some of the exciting scenes from the 2006 Yamaha Slalom Grand Prix Final held on November 19 at the Gamagori boat race arena in Aichi Pref. near Yamaha Motor Company’s headquarters in Japan.
This event is popular as the season-ending competition that decides the fastest slalomer in the Japanese version of the “S-1 Worldwide” competition you see here on our waverunner-fan website.
The 118 participants in this event are riders who have qualified on the basis of their performance in regional S-1 Slalom Grand Prix competitions held around the country from April to September each year. This year’s participants were selected from among 655 riders participating in the 17 regional competitions held around the country.
The Gamagori boat race arena that served as the venue for this event is usually used as a motorboat race arena. Being fully equipped as a boat racing environment with the necessary wave-inhibiting devices and ramps for launching the PWCs and the “fan-pleasing environment” such as large-scale monitors to show the action in real time and a sound system, it made the perfect venue for this big end-of-the-season event to decide the No. 1 slalomer in Japan.
Despite the drizzly weather on race day, the 118 participants gathered at the Gamagori boat race arena in the early morning with their families and friends to cheer them on. When the competition started the arena was full of excitement as the participants raced to turn in the fastest times.
From the very beginning, high-level times were recorded one after another. Meanwhile, the images of the competitors on the big screen drew cheers from the gallery of spectators.
At the same arena, the Gamagori city government organized a flea market that attracted many people and brought the total attendance to about 10,000 people. Many of these people who normally have no contact with PWCs took time out from their shopping to enjoy watching the action out on the water.
It would have been great to be able to offer test rides for some of these people, including children, showing a first interest in the PWCs, but with all the time trials to be run, there was no time for that. We want to find other opportunities to hold that kind of test ride event.
Although the competition classes for this event are different in some ways from the S-1 Worldwide, we list the winning results here anyway just for your reference in hopes that WaveRunner fans around the world will try their riding skills some time in the S-1Worldwide.
SKI Class: 23.19 sec. - SPORT Class: 18.86 sec. - RUNABOUT 1 Class: 21.99 sec. - RUNABOUT 2 Class: 21.49 sec.
FX Class: 22.32 sec. - VX Class: 24.63 sec.
In closing we would like to express our special thanks to Mr. Thanachai of Thai Yamaha Motor who brought some Thai souvenirs and helped out at the awards ceremony. The participants and staffed were all touched by his kindness and assistance.
Reported by Hiroaki Takayama, S-1 Worldwide Event Executive Office.
