Two jet boat crews with Hay River connections won world titles in their classes as the 2025 world championships concluded in Taylor, BC.
Tanner Froehlich and Ty Wheat took their boat Reverse Elevation to victory in the CX class, while Spencer King and father Russell King completed a fairytale return to the sport’s highest level, winning the A class in their boat Sunset Shaker.
The Kings won five titles in a row throughout the 1998-2002 seasons as they dominated their class and the sport. This was their comeback year, competing at international level for the first time since 2016.
Their total race time of five hours, 35 minutes and 27 seconds was well clear of second-placed Randy Tinant’s boat, which clocked 6:12:04 across the 16 legs that constituted the world championship distance.
Reverse Elevation took its class in a time of 5:55:48. New Zealand captain Justin Hill’s Aftershock wasn’t far behind in a time of 5:58:56.
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In the overall standings – where classes are merged – the Kings were third while Froehlich and Wheat were fourth. Last year’s overall champion Gord Humphrey, from Fort St John, successfully defended the title in his boat Unnatural Disaster, clocking 4:46:16.
Racing began in Peace River and Grande Prairie earlier this month before moving to Taylor.
A third Hay River boat, David Walton’s Hellfish, finished third in the FX class.
“It feels good,” Froehlich said after Sunday’s final day of racing.
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Asked for the secret behind his success, he said: “Work on the boat repeatedly, try and get some speed, and just the synergy between me, Ty and the team. We were like clockwork.”
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