Ollie Hatchby carving through the water as he continues his rise on the international circuit.
Ollie Hatchby is making waves on the international jet sport circuit, with his sights now set on the world finals in the United States.
The fulltime Mainfreight 2IC storeman began racing at 15, shortly after moving from Invercargill to the Bay of Plenty.
Since 2017, he has worked his way through novice and amateur ski lites classes before stepping up to the runabout stock class.
Runabout stock is a jetski racing class where competitors race standard sit‑down skis around high‑speed, buoy‑marked courses.
Now 23, the Te Puke rider has collected major titles across Australia and New Zealand.
Hatchby is a self-described naturally quiet and driven competitor, and said he had always set clear goals and committed himself fully to achieving them.
In March, he was selected to join Australia’s Eight1 Racing Team for the WGP#1 Oceania Championships and the Australian Jet Sports Boating Association Nationals.
“Being selected for the Eight1 racing team was a big achievement in itself for me, knowing that all my hard work was starting to shine through.”
He achieved multiple wins in the pro runabout stock class at those competitions.
Later that month, he also finished runner-up on home turf at the New Zealand National Championship.
Hatchby will return to Australia for the Queensland State Championship with the same team, but the world finals are his ultimate goal.
The world finals have no formal qualification system. However, the high cost of the trip limits participation to top athletes.
The International Jet Sports Boating Association World Final, to be held in October at Lake Havasu in Arizona, represented the highest level of competition in the sport, Hatchby said.
“Racing at the IJSBA World Finals would mean everything to me.
“It’s also an opportunity to represent where I come from on an international stage, which is something I take a lot of pride in.”
Hatchby said he was driven by a pursuit of improvement, continually pushing his limits.
”That challenge keeps things exciting and gives me something to work toward every day.”
He said representing his team, supporters and those who believed in him gave his racing purpose.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to passion. I genuinely enjoy the sport, the process, and the journey. That’s what keeps me showing up and putting in the work, even when it’s tough.”
Racing had long been a family operation, with his grandfather, mother and uncles all competing in powerboat marathons and waterski racing.
His brother, Brook, also races but has not competed internationally due to work commitments.
It was watching his uncle compete at the 2017 world finals in the States that got Hatchby hooked on the sport.
“The support from my family has been great, coming and supporting me with every race, helping in the pits if something goes wrong, and the rivalry between my older brother and me makes racing so much fun.”
At the start line, his father serves as a holder, along with his brother – when he is not competing against him.
Meanwhile, his sister Georja also competed in pole ski classes, and his two younger siblings always followed his races on livestream.
His mother, Megan Stewart, served as president of the NZ Jet Sports Boating Association, while also supporting her children on race weekends.
She said watching his progression from teenage racer to an international winner has been “extraordinary”.
“Ollie set his sights on racing internationally, and his determination and hours of training have paid off.
“He is a true testament to how, if you set your mind to it, you can achieve it.”
Stewart spoke of the logistics behind race weekends as a “full family effort”.
The weekends involve extensive planning, travel, time off work, accommodation, organising start‑line holders, and lining up mechanical support.
Her own roles within the association meant she often worked through events rather than watching her children race.
But when she is on the sidelines, she admitted she was the stereotypical nervous mum, jumping up and cheering each time he comes by.
She said his smooth, mistake‑free riding earned praise in Australia, with one observer noting it almost made him boring to watch.
“Ollie’s confidence has grown so much; we’ve gone from this shy, quiet guy to a guy being spoken to and congratulated by everyone.
“He remains humble all the time.”
Looking ahead to the world finals in the United States, she said lining up there would mean everything to their family.
Zoe Blake is a multimedia journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post.