New Stand Up Rider Interview: Chris Whitsitt

Welcome Chris! Could you please fill us in on what made you want to try riding a stand up, and how difficult was it to stand at first? 

Its kind of random. I ride dirt bikes and my neighbor was selling is old 550 for $250. I knew nothing about the sport at the time. I was told it was a good deal and I would enjoy it. He was right!

People rave about how hard it is. Standing wasn’t too bad. Turning is the challenging part. Snowboarding or longboarding helped a lot. Getting fast and staying in control is the hard part.

Once you learned to ride, why did you choose racing stand ups, and when? 

Racing is a recent thing. Honestly we had no clue there was anything at the time. My friend sent me a link for Jet Jam. I literally just raced this last weekend for the first time. I just wanted to try it and see what it’s about. I’m more hooked than ever. Racing is one of the best feelings ever!

Welcome to the fray! What are your accomplishments in racing stand ups?

Well right now, just getting out there and meeting people. 

Nice, the jet ski racing community is second to none, and I’ve made a ton of friends because of stand ups. Pretty neat. Ok, now for one of my favorite questions: what is your favorite ski? 

My old bone stock 550 vintage jet ski was my favorite. It never let me down and always got me on the water. Even found it sunk once, and it ran the rest of the weekend. Tons of fun for putting around.

A reliable 550? Cherish that rare beast! Now that you’ve been around for a race, what is your favorite thing about the racing community? 

I’ve done a lot of sports and other things. Nothing compares to the racing community. I was so nervous at first but seriously met some of the coolest people so far. Everyone is super welcoming and are super cool at the same time. It feels like a really cool small family.

What ski do you currently ride and what classes?

I have a 92 Kawasaki 750sx with a 650 motor. It’s been a weird mystery ski I bought of Craigslist. I ride the 750/650 vintage jet ski class.

What are your goals for your future riding? 

My goal is to stick to it and have a cool group of peeps to rip with and hang with. Maybe some podiums. 

Its a cool feeling to be on the podium no doubt, even better when your buddies are up there with you. How do you practice to work toward your goals?

My cousin and I ride a lot at this place with a hidden local Tullie road. It’s basically 3-5 miles of tight fire roads. It’s a lot of fun to race through there. We hit those on repeat like it’s a radio station. Never gets old. I watch the chixwithtrix video to get the stand up basics down. She has awesome instructional videos!

Is there anything you would like to see done differently in the ski racing world? 

I’m way too new to tell. The only thing I could say is to get the word out there to get more people involved in racing. I’d love to see this sport get bigger. This is easily the coolest racing sport that doesn’t break the bank real bad (in comparison to other types of racing).

Who is your greatest role model? 

I have role models for different things. For this, it’s my cousin that has worked with me a lot. He rode back in the 90s. Never raced but has a lot of knowledge to get me dialed. 

Nice! Other riders’ experience is truly invaluable when learning. Outside of skis, what other things do you like to do?

I ride a Harley a lot and also I want to gain more mechanical knowledge. I work in the medical field so I have a lot to learn mechanic-wise. Working on the ski is something I really enjoy, and has been a challenge as well. Currently I’ve finished school, and work as an EMT for the fire department at night and ski during the day. 

Anything else about yourself that you would like to share? 

This is a tough question, just that I am always looking for more people to ride with during the week. I typically work weekends and have weekdays off. I Also want to thank Chris at HBC Powersports in Livermore. He is a great mechanic and will teach you a lot about getting your ski dialed in. 

Thank you so much for your thoughts and experiences Chris! Looks like you have the right idea about having fun and progressing in this great sport. Ok, last question. Any advice to fellow racers and people interested in learning how to ride stand ups?

Yes, for people learning, introduce yourself and get in the forums and Facebook pages. Literally my last race was everyone from the same Facebook group I get advice from. I’ve only met great people in this community. For fellow racers, I would rather absorb your advice. I’m still a beginner.