A Filipino jet ski champion had made a huge splash, bidding the sport goodbye in a blaze of glorious performance in the international arena.
Paul del Rosario, arguably the best Filipino to ever ride a jet ski, formally essayed a fitting ending to his career that spanned for more than three decades and gave him a spot to the Philippine Jet Ski Hall of Fame.
The 44-year-old Del Rosario said being inducted to the Hall of Fame was truly a special achievement as it inspires the next batch of athletes to work hard and take the sport seriously.
“Being recognized as a Hall of Famer is truly an honor,” said Del Rosario, who had a triumphant performance in the 2023 Jet Sports Association of the Philippines National Championship in Sarangani and Subic early this year.
His last race, however, was in the 2023 SBT (Short Block Technologies) IJSBA Jet Ski World Finals in Lake Havasu City in Arizona earlier this month.
Del Rosario was able to secure one first place finish for the Philippines, under the amateur ski modlites class, and a runner up finish in another category the, veterans (ages 35-45yrs) ski gp class.
“It’s a fitting ending to a long jet ski racing career,” he said.
“I can now retire in peace and focus on work, family and assisting JSAP in developing more talent to represent the Philippines internationally.”
A colorful, storied career
Del Rosario’s remarkable achievements include clinching the Philippine Rider of the Year award from the JSAP nine times.
His crowning glory came in 2010 when he finally won his first world title in the expert runabout World Finals after years of trying. He nearly came very close to winning the crown multiple times, but never got the job done due to mechanical troubles.
In 2022, Del Rosario finally secured the gold medal in the Ski Modlites category of the IJSBA World Finals also in Arizona.
Bagging the title was such a big deal.
After all, the World Finals is like the Olympics of jet skiing with the national champions from all over the world slugging it out for pride and glory.
Del Rosario’s victory did not only bring pride to the Filipinos, but also elevated him to the No. 1 ranking in the world.
Aside from that, he also emerged as world champion in the 2010 Expert Open Runabout, 2022 Am Ski Modlites, 2023 Vet Ski GP, 2007 Thailand Pro Am Runabout Super Stock, and 2011 Thai World Cup champion (Pro-Am Runabout Open).
He is also the only Filipino rider to win internationally in all three major types of jet skiing — sport, ski and runabout.
“Jet Ski racing makes me feel alive. When I’m riding one, it feels like I’m in a different world,” Del Rosario said.
Bidding goodbye
But Del Rosario knows that retirement is inevitable.
This year, Del Rosario made the difficult decision of retiring from competitive sports, saying that his fruitful career dotted with numerous achievements had prepared him for this moment.
He said his achievements are not just personal victories, but are proof of the resilience and dedication of Filipino athletes.
He added that although jet skiing is a niche sport, it has the potential to grow in popularity if there will be support from the government and private sector.
Del Rosario said he will do his best to cultivate riders with the help of friends Harley David and BJ Ang, the JSAP president and director, respectively.
“The future is bright for jet ski racing. We have come a long way — from being laughed at before to being respected in the game. And I know we can go much further and achieve more,” said Del Rosario, who plans to continue riding recreationally while focusing on his personal life, work, and family in his retirement.
