THROWING caution to the wind to whiz past the finish line has earned Bailey Cunningham champion status.
The Cleveland teen was named a national champion after his win at the Yamaha New Zealand Jetski Nationals early last month, which was open to entrants from across the globe.
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Cunningham tested his skills on a high-powered Sea-Doo jetski for the first time in the expert elite (E/E) runabout stock heats, but lack of experience on the machine proved no barrier – he sped to victory against the other expert competitors.
Cunningham said he won three of the seven rounds, which helped him accumulate enough points to take out the E/E runabout stock gong, despite coming off in the first race.
“The only challenge was not having any foot holders to hold my feet,” he said.
While Cunningham will undergo shoulder surgery to fix injuries sustained at the Australian WaterCross Championships held at Redcliffe less than two weeks ago, he said the thrill of international competition still beckoned.
Cunningham said hopes were high for his selection to compete at the 2017 Jet Ski World Cup, with training set to begin after recuperation.
The competition will be held in December at Thailand’s Jomtien Beach.
Cunningham, who works at Liquid Industries as an apprentice jetski mechanic, said he thanked his employers for their ongoing help.
