Remember how sick personal watercraft racing (PWC) was in the '90s? Me neither because I was a child, but I've seen the videos, and they looked absolutely sick. Ever since testing the ludicrous Sea-Doo RXP-X 325, which is about as close as you'll come to a racing PWC right out of the crate, I wondered what it was like in the heyday of PWC racing.
As it turns out, personal watercraft racing mightn't have had its heyday just yet.
The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) recently announced the launch of the IHRA Pro Watercraft Racing Series, which is a championship dedicated to both stand-up and runabout PWC racing set to debut in 2026. The series is meant to bring in a new era of PWC racing, increase the sport's visibility, and give racers real opportunities to be professional PWC racers instead of the reality today, which is that the majority of the professional series is made up of semi-professional riders, supported by sponsors and their day jobs.
