The Parallel Slalom competition may have gone under the radar to an extent in the past but the crowd-entertaining aquabiking discipline is here to stay. Two rounds in 2024 saw the crowning of three World Champions in Runabout GP1, Ski Division GP1 and Ski Ladies GP1.
Included in the racing itineraries at the Grand Prix of Bình Định-Vietnam in Quy Nhơn and the Grand Prix of Lake Toba, Indonesia, the Parallel Slalom competition was an option for bikers focusing mainly on the UIM-ABP Aquabike Circuit Pro World Championship.
Eleven of the 20 entrants in Runabout GP1 carried out qualifying for parallel slalom in Vietnam and the fastest four went through to the final. Frenchman Jérémy Perez held off Marcus Jorgensen to claim the win with Samuel Johansson and Gyorgy Kasza picking up points for third and fourth.
Seventeen of the 21 Runabout GP1 racers took part in the pole position stint and Mads Koch Hansen topped the qualifying times with a run of 33.252 seconds. The Dane was not able to use his favourable starting position to maximum effect, however, and he finished fourth in the heat behind Morgan Poret, Alec Enderli and Mickael Poret.
Only two of the 11 Ski Ladies GP1 failed to take part in qualifying and Jasmiin Ypraus topped the times with a run of 33.257 seconds. The Estonian then fended off challenges from Sofie Borgström, Estelle Poret and Benedicte Drange to claim 25 points for the heat win.
Fast forward seven months and the Parallel Slalom competition concluded on spectacular Lake Toba in Sumatra. Perez claimed pole for the Runabout GP1 finale but could only manage third in the heat, with victory going to Johansson from Kasza and Rasmus Koch Hansen. Victory in that second heat gave Johansson the title on a tie-break from Perez with Kasza finishing third.
Dag Martin Drange was the quickest of the Ski Division GP1 qualifiers but the final heat win went to Mickael Poret from his younger brother Morgan, Drange and Japan’s Soshi Sato. The runner-up spot was sufficient for Morgan Poret to pip his brother to the championship with Enderli finishing third.
Ypraus was again the quickest of the Ski Ladies GP1 qualifiers, although she was narrowly beaten to the heat win by Drange. Borgström and Janina Johansson finished third and fourth. Ypraus had amassed 47 points, however, and claimed the title by two points from Drange with Borgström finishing in the bronze medal position.
