Reese Giese got her PWC racing career off to a quick start. In 2020 she grabbed the hole shot and led her first moto start to finish. Today the 16-year-old is a rising star in the sport. In 2021 at the IJSBA World Finals in Havasu, Arizona, she rode to championships in the Pro Am Womens 1500 and the Junior 13-15 Four-Stroke Lites class, the latter first world title won on the new four-stroke Yamaha SuperJet stand-up. In 2022 she moved up from the junior classes and raced her SuperJet to second overall in the Four-Stroke Lites class, fourth overall in Women’s Lites and third in Four-Stroke Slalom, all against some of the most talented riders in the world. Also a straight-A junior at Pinnacle High School in Phoenix, we interrupted her homework for a quick interview.
How long have you been riding a stand-up PWC?
My dad has always been a stand-up rider, and when I was about 11 he asked me if I wanted to try his 650 Jet Ski. I got the hang of it right away, I think in part because I’d been in gymnastics for a few years. I have pretty good body control, which really helps on the stand-up.
How did you get interested in racing?
Our family spends a lot of time at Lake Havasu with our 36 Skater powerboat, and one day we went over to the PWC training course at Body Beach to watch the racers. I met world champion Stevie Bascom and she really encouraged me to try racing. Then, in 2016, we went to watch World Finals, and racing for a championship became my goal.
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What is the most important element of a PWC race?
Getting a good start. It’s so hard to pass once the course is chopped up. I seem to have really good reaction time, so good that I’ve been accused of jumping the start. When I see the start band twitch, I’m gone.
What’s next for you?
I’d like to pursue a career in a medical field, and keep racing. In 2023 I’ll be on my SuperJet and a GP1 Kommander in the Jet Jam Series. My ultimate goal is to race at the World Cup in Thailand.
