| In 1986, when Chris MacCluggage was 10-years-old, his dad took him to see his first professional watercraft race. "I want to do this as a job," MacCluggage immediately decreed. "Then my father bought me my first ski and I was hooked instantly!" Today, 29 years later, MacCluggage has claimed more podium finishes than anyone in the sports history, earning him the ambiguous acronym title G.O.A.T. - The Greatest of All Time. Already owning 15 World Championships, 15 National Championships, 3 Thailand Kings Cup, 2 Japanese and 2 European Indoor Championships, the Offshore Guadeloupe and Martinique Off Shore Championships, and being crowned the 2013 Mark Hahn Havasu 300 Champion - this season MacCluggage shifted his focus from the runabout division to Sport and Stand Up Skis, a move that took him back to his roots, as these were the race boats that he launched his career on. And the outcome - 3 more World titles in 3 days at the International Jet Sports Boating Association (ISJBA) World Finals.Competing against the best professionals from around the globe, MacCluggage convincingly added the Pro Ski GP, Pro Ski Open and Pro Sport Class titles to his indomitable resume. "Currently I have 18 World Championships," confirmed MacCluggage, "But, this World Finals was by far the best ever. It was the first time I had won these titles in front of my wife and son. A lot of my family members flew out from Florida for the races. It was great to perform so well in front of them. Also, with so many great people surrounding me, it made racing much easier." "The common thread between all these classes," MacCluggage adds, "Is that I stand up rather than sit. The Ski GP is similar to the Ski Open, but the Ski Open class is more prestigious. The Ski open title is the most sacred in sport!As a family man MacCluggage clearly keeps his priorities in order, and he in fact draws his strength his from them. Between himself and his wife, Rachel, they have a combined total of 50 years of jet skis racing experience, knowledge which they share at their MACC Racing Training school in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, where they live and train year-round. Both are multi-time National and World Champions in there respected classes.For his defining 2013 championship season, MacCluggage has been running K&N on his skis. "The K&N filters are working out really well for me. Not only do they look better, but they perform a lot better than others I used in the past," says MacCluggage. "They are also much more durable than others on the market.""For now there is one race coming in Havasu in February," he explains about his race calendar." There are other races I could attend this season, but we have our second child due in December, so family is first!" |
