ASBR's on-course safety & recovery crew
Meet the Island Hoppers
Background: #145 Pour Decision's. Photo: Jeff Halstead Photography (via Pour Decision’s #145 Facebook).
On the course
Who are the Island Hoppers?
The Island Hoppers are the crew on the islands of the course. When a boat beaches, spins out or stalls, they wade out and push it back into the water. They are named for what they do: hopping from island to island to reach the boats.
Touching a boat means a DNF. As the race announcer explains on the livestreams, "once those island hoppers touch that boat, it will be considered a DNF." Under the 2026 Rules, wrecking, beaching or needing help from the safety crew counts as a Did Not Finish.
Between rounds, they also hand out giveaways to the crowd.
Sources: 2026 ASBR Rules Rev 2, §1.1 (DNF). ASBR Pro Racing Series livestreams: Race 3, Port Angeles, and Race 4, Yakima, 2026 (YouTube; announcer commentary). Lewiston Tribune, "Lewiston's Lillie, Rogers land EC Enterprises sprint boat titles". Peninsula Daily News, Sept 27, 2018 (Keith Thorpe photo caption). Fuel Curve, "American Sprint Boat Racing". No individual Island Hopper names were found in any source.
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The STIHL American Sprint Boat Racing Series
STIHL presents American Sprint Boat Racing – the name on America's jet sprint series.