Close Does Count for This Laguna Niguel Father, Son

ANAHEIM — The 12 million gallons of water to create the 1,000-foot-long lake in the Santa Ana Riverbed is impressive.

So too, is the list of entertainers lined up to perform, from Willie Nelson to Dogstar, Keanu Reeves’ band.

But the real interesting thing about the second Jet Jam is a lot more subtle. It’s in the pits, and concerns some of the relationships between fathers and sons.

El Cajon’s Jeff Jacobs, personal watercraft’s winningest rider, is tight with his dad. Lake Havasu City’s Chris Fischetti, the most popular rider on the tour, and his father also are close.

And so is Bill Pointer and his dad, Bill Sr., who find themselves traveling together every race weekend, competing in the Big Red Jet Sports Tour from Quebec to Pittsburgh to Des Moines to San Diego.

Bill Jr., 23, still lives at his parents’ home in Laguna Niguel and leans on his dad for advice. They began their racing days with Bill Sr. serving as mentor and Bill Jr. serving as protege.

“They look more like best friends than a typical father-son relationship,” said Tony Gardea, public relations manager for the sanctioning International Jet Sports Boating Assn., who often travels on the same planes with the Pointers. “I can tell there’s a respect, and I think it really helps Billy to have his father around and I think he uses him as a role model.”

Role model?

“I don’t think it’s typical for a lot of people my age to say their mother or their father is their role model,” Pointer said. “I think they’re a little more independent, maybe. I really don’t know who their role models are, sometimes--it seems like they change from week to week. They have their own ideas of how they want to look. That’s how it goes.”

The patient, easy-going nature Pointer learned from his dad served him well this season, especially in the Pro Runabout 785 class. After finishing third last season, he dropped to 11th this season while riding for a new sponsor, Greater Yamaha of West Palm Beach, Fla.

“Dad takes it harder than me when the boat breaks,” Pointer said. “[But] he’s always got good things to say. He never says anything really negative.”

Pointer, a 1991 graduate at Dana Hills High, is an only child. His parents, Bill Sr. and Stephanie, have been married 25 years.

Though Stephanie does her best to attend most racing events, she often stays behind to handle the family business of managing an industrial property in Laguna Hills. But Bill Sr. is always at his son’s side, turning a wrench, repairing a ding in the fiberglass or lifting the boat in and out of the water.

This season, there has been a lot of wrench-turning for Bill Sr., who built boats until 1979.

The Yamaha that Pointer races in Pro Runabout 785 has suffered one malady after another. One week it’s a spark plug cap that comes off, the next week it’s a piston that breaks, the next it’s a broken crankshaft.

Pointer began racing personal watercraft in 1989 and turned professional in 1994 when he competed in the Pro Runabout 785 class. He finished 11th that season, but showed steady improvement over the years while riding for Kawasaki. He took third last year and finished second at the inaugural Jet Jam.

“It started off with me being the mentor when he was 17 and it was more a family sport,” Bill Sr. said. “In the last few years, especially after he was a pro, I’ve been able to assist him in ways where he directs me rather than me directing him. He’s really the boss nowadays.”

The boss used to be a factory rider for Kawasaki, but he wanted to branch into a second class, Pro Runabout 1200. Kawasaki didn’t want Pointer to race two boats, so he jumped sponsors this year, shifting to Yamaha.

Though the season was disappointing in the 785 class, Pointer took second place in the 11-race series for the faster 1200 boats.

“This year, the 785 kept breaking every weekend; that was kind of unfortunate because it kept me out of the top 10,” Pointer Jr. said. “But the best guys are also going to be racing the 1200s. Victor Sheldon [1996 national champion from Vista] and Frank Romero [1996 world champion from Dana Point] finished third and ninth this year.”

So Pointer has proved he can do some damage when his boat works. However, only the 785s are competing at Jet Jam Friday through Sunday in Anaheim. His goal is to finish third or better because his best finish this season was fourth--though he won the seventh-round race at Des Moines in Pro Runabout 1200.

And no one could be prouder than Bill Sr.

“At this point, he’s capable of doing this racing thing entirely on his own,” said Bill Sr. “Whether he needs me, well, I think I might get more out of it because I get to hang out on race weekend with Bill and his buddies, and they’re a pretty good bunch of guys to hang out with.

“I’m sure there are parents who live vicariously through their children. I don’t see it that way, but I do get a great deal of satisfaction seeing him do well.”

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Jet Jam ’97

* What: Jet Jam, the season-ending Race of Champions for personal watercraft riders who will compete in three races, the slalom, oval and closed course; the rider with the most points from those three events is overall champion.

* When: Friday through Sunday, noon to 7 p.m.

* Who: The top personal watercraft riders in the world compete on Pro Runabout 785 machines. Nicholas Rius and Chris Fischetti, both of Lake Havasu City, Ariz., finished 1-2 on the 11-race Big Red Jet Sports Tour. Costa Mesa’s Tom Bonacci finished eighth, Laguna Niguel’s Bill Pointer was 11th and Dana Point’s Frank Romero 18th.

* Where: The Pond and adjacent river complex.

* Tickets: $13 advance and $15 at gate on Friday, $15 and $17 Saturday and Sunday. Children 6-12 are half-price, children under 6 are free. Call (714) 740-2000.