Amateur personal water craft racer Jay “Chicken Man” Edworthy doesn’t mind losing to “The Outlaw.”
Edworthy, from Canada, did beat world champion Eric “The Outlaw” Lagapoulos Saturday during the first day of the inaugural Powerboat P1 AquaX Pro-Am 300 Series at Whiting Lakefront Park. But Lake Michigan is a difficult place to race even for the most experienced racers, and Lagopoulos, of Sarasota, Fla., won both heats Sunday.
The two jokingly mean-mugged each other as they changed out of their wetsuits, but anyone could see the friendship between them goes deep.
“Everyone likes beating Eric,” Edworthy said. “But he and I have known each other for 15 years, and he’s been on the podium many, many times, so I don’t feel bad losing to him. He’s truly a pro.”
Brought to the United States from the United Kingdom in 2013, AquaX started in Florida and is quickly expanding across the world, Powerboat P1 managing director Azam Rangoonwala said. This weekend was the first time the sport has been brought in its current form to the Midwest, and 60 racers from six states and five countries participated.
Outside of zipping across the water at break-neck speed for cash prizes — Lagapoulos was expected to make $1,500 for three races — the most appealing thing about AquaX is that anyone and everyone is welcome to suit up and race, Rangoonwala said. Powerboat P1 provides the training, but all one needs is their own PWC and a $100 entry fee to sign up as an amateur.
“These are all-stock PWC, so you can go buy one and be competitive,” he said.
And Whiting turned out to be just the place in the Midwest to bring AquaX — both beautiful and challenging, Rangoonwala said.
“In the ocean, we pretty much know how the water’s going to be,” he said. “But here, with the waves bouncing back against the rock, that changes things, and it’s exciting.”
During the P1 race, drivers circle a course for 30 minutes plus one extra lap, while during the Can-Am race, which ran concurrently, the race is a shorter course, Rangoonwala said. Because it’s shorter, there’s a lot more endurance involved.
Driving 30 minutes on the water is a lot harder than it looks, however, which is why Lagapoulos is on his Yamaha PWC three days a week riding the waves. He said he does cardio and upper-body workouts on his off-time.
“This was my first round on fresh water this year, and this park was amazing to race in,” Lagapoulos said.
Whiting events director Mark Harbin said the city has been looking for water-themed sports to showcase the park’s renovation, and AquaX was a great choice. He fully expects it to become a yearly event.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelancer reporter for the Post-Tribune.