The 2026 World Jet River Race Championship begins this weekend on the Payette River between Emmett and Horseshoe Bend as boats from around the world will race at speeds of more than 100 miles per hour.
"Yeah, they are pretty quick on the water," said Trapper Wolsey, who came down from British Columbia. "It’s an adrenaline rush, and that’s why we do it."
WATCH|Check out the video to see racers warming up for the world championship this weekend
Doug Stowers grew up in Riggins, and he's the president of the USA Jet River Racing Association. Stowers said he is looking forward to having a race that goes from the Payette River through Black Canyon Reservoir up to the Highway 55 bridge at Horseshoe Bend. It's the first race on the Payette River in more than 30 years.
"We are really excited, we used to race the Payette River," said Stowers. "It’s going to be a lot of people showing up to see what jet boat racing is all about and how much it has changed since 1993."
Doug and his wife Jenny will also be competing as they just bought a new jet boat called the Flyin' Dutchess from New Zealand. Every year the world championship venue rotates from the USA, to Mexico, to Canada and to New Zealand. This year, the American Power Boat Association asked the Stowers if they wanted to organize this in Idaho.
"It’s a very prestigious event; it is a lot like the boat racing Olympics," said Stowers. "It is going to be a huge economic shot in the arm to these communities.
The opening ceremonies kick off at 5:00 p.m. at the Roadhouse in Emmett. After this weekend, the races will move to the Salmon River, the Snake River, and the St. Joe, providing rural communities with multiple events with the closing ceremonies scheduled for Sunday, May 17.
It all kicks off this Saturday and Sunday on the Payette River, where racers will navigate both flat water in the reservoir and moving water in the river by Horseshoe Bend. Each team gets four legs on Saturday and two on Sunday.
"You get a little bit of everything on this course," said Wolsey. "You get the big water down below with some good cornering and short cuts down below, and then you get some fast water up top."
Black Canyon Park and Veterans Park in Horseshoe Bend will be hubs to watch the action. The public also needs to know that this stretch of water will be closed most of the day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Monday, the competition will move to the Salmon River near Whitebird.
