BORGFIELD SUCCEEDS AS A PRO; JET SKIER NAMED ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

Taking the step from amateur to professional was a big step for Tim Borgfield. It was a step, though, that the Jackson resident made successfully in 2000.

After winning the 1999 national jet ski championship in the Novice Veteran division, Borgfield and his wife, Lora, made the decision to move into the professional class this year. Their goal was to place among the top 10 in their new class for the year.

Borgfield exceeded those goals. He placed third overall and was named Rookie of the Year.

"Going from the amateur ranks to the pro tour was a big step," Borgfield said. "I was scared to make the move. I didn't feel like I belonged with those guys I had no expectations whatever."

It didn't take long for Borgfield to establish himself, though.

"Our first race of the pro tour was in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., where I finished seventh overall. That was not bad for our first time out, but it was beginner's luck. We thought it was still a long season ahead."

"It was a new level of racing," Lora agreed.

The second race, in Macon, Ga., proved to be Borgfield's coming out party as a pro. It didn't start out in a promising manner, though. Borgfield went a day early, expecting to meet one of his sponsors, a carburetor manufacturer. His mechanic and race manager, Mark Pulliam, had the engine torn down and was waiting for the new carburetors.

"It kept getting later and alter," Borgfield recalled. "They finally showed up. They had missed their flight. It was getting late and I was sitting there with a torn down motor. We ended up getting it all bolted on and was tuning it in the dark on the lake."

After that close call, Borgfield would have been excused had he felt intimidated entering the race. Of course being a rookie on the tour was tough enough.

"All of our friends were basically on the other tour. It was like starting all over again," Borgfield said. "There was a lot of tension in the pits. I felt like the new kid in school, with everybody chucking us out, but not saying anything. I was the new rookie coming onto their turf and they didn't like it."

Borgfield proved himself to the veteran jet skiers at Macon, jumping out to a great start. He led over half the race and finished third.

"After that it was different," he said. "I had earned their respect and I was getting congratulated by everyone. it was a big weight off my shoulders. Lora was the proudest one of all. I will never forget that."

The rest of the tour includes Galveston, Texas, New York, St. Louis, Huntington, W.Va., and Chicago. Although Borgfield did not win a race his rookie season, he finished third twice, fourth once and fifth twice.

"I stayed consistent and finished the year in third overall position," he said. For his accomplishment, he earned the Rookie of the Year award for his class.

"Everybody just sees your ace on Sunday or knows you go racing," Borgfield reflected. "They don't know all the work and effort it takes to get there.

My neighbors probably wonder what's going on in my garage every day when they drive by and see me working on boats and trying new products. It's a full-time job after work."

Borgfield's racing is made possible by some two dozen sponsors. Local sponsors include the First General Baptist Church of Jackson, Hansen's Energy, SignArt Studio, Motorsports Unlimited, Express Cycle, FTZ Performance and Amsoil.

"I can only be thankful to the people who have believed in me from the beginning and all my sponsors who have helped me reach this level,"

Borgfield said. "They are the ones who build the boats and financially keep us out on the road."

He also expressed thanks to Mark and amy Pulliam for their support and to Lora and their daughter Macie, whom he calls his "two biggest fans."

At the professional l level, Borgfield noted that the competitors are basically on the same level. So is their equipment.

"It's all timing," he said.

"The boats are faster," Lora said. "You have to be fit and in shape and have the ability to ride."

"I'm so fortunate," Borgfield said. "Eight years ago I wasn't even the third best jet skier on my own block."