When the element of water is ingrained within you, no temperature is restrictive. As the photographer got his wet suit on to go into the water for that perfect shot that we all needed, so did Burbayea who casually said “The water is really nice!” when in fact it was freezing. It’s clear that his energy flows naturally and beautifully when he’s immersed in his element. Burbayea is no stranger to any podium he steps on when it comes to jet ski championships. His name is well-known both locally and internationally, his winning streak started from the age of 18. Now that he is 31-years-old, the journey just keeps on progressing even more than ever. Breaking his own personal record is an achievement in itself, but entering the Guinness World records two times in a row without a yearly gap in-between made him the first person in the world who did just that!
This passion was in fact developed from a young age. Mohammed’s brother, Abdullah, was a jet ski racer. As it usually is the case in Kuwait, summer weekends are well spent at the chalet, which is where Mohammed used to get on the jet ski and ride the waves as a hobby. He acknowledged the talent he had, and Abdullah encouraged him to take this sporty hobby to the next level by beginning to coach him on a few racing skills. After that, Mohammed entered his first local race in Kuwait back in 2006 for beginners, and the engine was ignited.
He scored his first win at 18, which came after Burbayea went to the UAE to compete. There wasn’t a beginner’s class there, so he mixed with professional jet skiers who aged between 25-30 years old. While he was just 18 at the time, and still a novice racer eager to take on the challenge, he raced against people of long time experience and expertise in the field, “I participated and managed to get third place over them in six rounds with a total point I took third of a row. It was something great for me, it’s what made me evolve, and progress step by step” he says. It was this win that made him decide to go pro.
Jet ski championships are mainly made up of two things, the level of the racer, which ranges from beginner, amateur, expert and pro. Plus, the level of the jet ski itself, be it modified or stock. Year after year, Mohammed reached the pro level, and once you reach that level, you can’t compete below it. Burbayea has been in the professional class for seven years, since 2014 and as he humbly says “My results are still very good, I participated in so many championships. Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Thailand, Belgium, Austria, America, and so many places. The jet ski alone flew more times than I did! [laughs] I took it everywhere”.
Today, Burbayea holds almost 150 trophies from all over the globe, 22 within 12 years, and that’s only counting gold medals. He does have awards for second and third places but Mohammed personally does not include them in his count. Not only that, but his participation in championships around the world counts up to around 50 medals alone.
After he was successfully ranked as the number one jet skier in the world within the IJSBA Union in December, 2019; a union that is specialized in Water Sports since 1981, it was the first time they introduced a championship called “World Series Triple Crown”.
This championship is made up of three rounds, and within each round, the racer collects points, plus, the point of total points for the Triple Crown. The first point Burbayea took was in Belgium, the second one he took was in Arizona, the US, and the third point came in Thailand.
“The total points [earned me] the title called ‘World Champion’, [and this is] the first time it has happened since 1981. They honored me [in Thailand], and the honor was so powerful because there was money involved in it, other championships don’t necessarily have a financial value but more of a media [opportunity]. So they gave me 30,000 USD, and I got honored with a trophy that I admired a lot. Written on it [were] all the continents, the trophy was heavy too, and it has the class that I’ve won in, which is the highest class in jet skiing for a racer,” says Burbayea.
Throughout his professional journey, Mohammed has faced obstacles. At one point, he lost a whole race over half a KD (500 fils). Burbayea does say that it is a water sport, and mechanical mistakes do occur often. “The bracket cable (worth half a KD) of the battery broke, so that cable was holding the battery and the whole thing fell out, the jet ski turned off, lost me the entire championship. Sometimes it’s not in our hands or the mechanic, no matter how much we prepare, unexpected things happen.” he says. That’s why it’s important to always have a balance between the jet ski, and the rider’s physical fitness.
Mohammed Burbayea continued breaking barriers, especially when he received first place the biggest prize in jet skiing, the Pro JB Class. “A memory I’ll never forget because I was so happy at the time that I was the first Arab to win in this class, and I was young; only 25-years-old.” he says. Due to this huge achievement, he was honored by the Amir, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah himself for the Kuwait Award in Excellence and Youth Innovation organized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs in 2016.
Being a Captain in the General Directory of Traffic at the Ministry of Interior as well as one of the biggest names in the jet ski community, Burbayea’s balance between these two professions is as impeccable as his performances in championships. As the years of retirement are drawing close, his love for this sport is still going strong, and he says that for the future he would like to form an academy to teach and train beginners on the skills of jet ski racing.
He tells us more about his dream, “The academy would be a collaboration with both the government and the private sector together so that it becomes something beautiful. Especially now that we’ve reached a certain level in jet skiing in world championships, Guinness World record, highest class. I wish for this thing to happen, where an academy is there for the next generation. Because at the end of the day, we will retire, and the next generation would lift the name of the country and participate in the upcoming championships.”
But, for now, Burbayea is personally looking to grab his 23rd world champion title for 2020, and all we can do is keep on the lookout for yet another breakthrough.
For more information, check out Burbayea’s page @m.burbayea on Instagram. Visit redbull.com, or follow @redbullkuwait on Instagram. Images taken by Abdullah AlSaleh, @iambooda_ on Instagram.
