You may have noticed that under Norway National results there is an entry for a class called "Jansensprint".  Jansensprint has become popular in Nordic countries and it tends to be the largest class when it comes to big events like the Nordic Championship.

The name is derived from a Norwegian last name Jansen, and the word "sprint". Jansen was last name of racer Stian Andre Schjetlein's grandfather.

Before Stian got interested in jetskis, grandpa Jansen had never seen a jetski before. Being always into sports, grandfather immediately backed young Stian both in practice and competition. And not just by his presence, but also helping financially. He loved the sport of jetski racing, however he had one quibble that it was hard for him to see who was in the lead, with racers often being spread out throughout the field and being lapped. With this as an inspiration, some of the race organizers created a set of rules for a new class which would promote the sport and be easy for the audience to understand and enjoy.

Jansensprint could be called a "great equalizer" class because it gives everybody a shot at winning, regardless of the power of their jetski. The idea is that a default motor should be for a Ski Lite class, but a racer is allowed to enter with any motor size. The twist is that those who enter with anything more than a Lite engine have to start with the lanyard over their head to compensate for extra power.

The "sprint" part of the name comes from the fact that after the starting lap (usually about half a lap) the race lasts for just one full lap and then you get the checkered flag. So, time is of the essence and if you bring a more powerful machine you will have to pass all the racers on Lite motors who without a doubt will be ahead of you by starting without a key-over-head penalty.

Additionally Jansensprint always starts with a "silent start". There are no holders and no engines running. Jetskis with Lite motors have the keys already plugged in, while the other racers have to hold them over their heads. When the rubber band snaps racers start their engines and go. The silent start helps easily detect false starts because all the engines are off and you can hear if someone fires up too early.

A penalty for a false start is that you have to go around the black buoy once.

If you miss a buoy during the race, you are penalized a full lap.

With its popularity growing, could we one day crown the first World Champion of Jansensprint?

Sadly, before the first race was ever held, grandfather Jansen passed away, so in his honor the class was named after him.