River Varner won the Ski GP Women’s class at Round 1 of the IHRA Pro Watercraft Series in St Petersburg, Florida last weekend, taking two moto victories from three and finishing 173 points clear of Emy Garcia in second. She is 24 years old, based in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, and the 249,000 people following her on Instagram already knew who she was. Her story is one of raw talent, family legacy, deliberate personal branding, and business decisions that have made her one of the most visible women in international jet ski racing.
Early Life and Racing Roots
Speed was in the family from the start. Varner’s father was a professional drag boat racer who became the first man to break 200mph in blown alcohol – a record she grew up watching on VHS tapes as the only girl among five brothers, all of them spending summers on the water near Riverside, California. Jet ski racing was not the plan. At her first competition in 2019, she was spotted mid-race by Christophe Girello of GoFast US, who saw enough in her aggressive riding style to offer her a place on the team immediately. Girello has been her mechanic, tuner, and travel partner since, the pair competing together across seven countries on the WGP#1 Waterjet World Series and the UIM Aquabike circuit. She holds four US national titles.
International Results
One of her clearest international statements came in July 2024 at the WGP#1 Poland Grand Prix in Ostrów Warcki. Competing in the Pro Women Ski Modified class on a borrowed ski after her own equipment was unavailable, she dominated the category and was crowned Champion of the Poland Grand Prix. She finished 10th overall in the 2024 UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship Ski Ladies GP1 standings, competing in rounds in Vietnam and Italy, before returning to the IHRA circuit for 2026.
The UIM Aquabike website officially lists her profession as “influencer and business owner.” The results sheets list her as winner.
Social Media: 249,000 Followers
Varner’s Instagram (@radrivsracing) stands at 249,000 followers, and most of that audience was there before the major podiums. She built it by giving followers direct access – training sessions, international travel, race preparation, the unglamorous alongside the spectacular. The content is consistent, the access is genuine, and the audience has followed her across continents and championship series.
She uses the reach deliberately. Every sponsor activation, every brand drop, every race weekend feeds back into an audience that is already invested in what she does next.
Busy Livin: The Brand That Funds the Racing
Varner launched her clothing brand, Busy Livin, through ridenvibez.com, initially as a way to express her personality through merchandise. It has become something more functional: a revenue stream that, alongside sponsorship and social media, funds her international racing calendar. The range covers tops, hoodies, accessories and prints, all American-made. The target customer is not a generic apparel buyer – it is the community of riders, boaters and fans who follow the same lifestyle she lives.
“I am making a living doing what I love most with the help of sponsors, social media, and my own brand. I never pictured it would be from jetski racing but this sport has taken me to countries all over the world.”
OnlyFans: Title Sponsor and the Athlete Programme
OnlyFans is not a secondary logo on the #23 ski. It is Varner’s title sponsor, the branding running prominently down the hull and across her race kit. She joined the platform’s Athlete Programme – a structured sponsorship initiative launched in 2022 and expanded every year since.
The programme was designed with a specific purpose. As an OnlyFans spokesperson has stated: “OnlyFans is passionate about providing opportunities for athletes in smaller, niche sports, recognising that it is often harder for them to access funding and to reach a wide audience.” The terms are described by athletes as comparable to deals with major sports brands – similar compensation and perks, but without the morality clauses and content restrictions that conventional corporate sponsors typically impose.
The roster spans multiple disciplines. In Moto2, OnlyFans has been title sponsor of the American Racing Team since 2023, now into its fourth consecutive season. Other programme athletes include motorcycle racer Josh Herrin, motocross racer David Pulley, downhill mountain biker Stefan Garlicki, cliff diver Ellie Smart and trail runner Sabrina Stanley. The model is consistent: direct funding, exclusive behind-the-scenes content on the platform, and audience access that mainstream sponsors do not offer.
The sponsorship has not been without friction elsewhere. The NHRA ended one racer’s 2025 season after banning the sponsor. MDK Motorsports withdrew from Porsche Carrera Cup North America in 2024 following a similar ruling. Both cases generated debate across motorsport about where the line sits between legitimate commercial partnership and reputational risk for a series. Varner has faced no such restrictions in IHRA or UIM competition.
Her other backers include Ethika, Jetpilot, GoFast, Fast Powersports, Bell Helmets, Ride 100%, Liquid IV and Works H2O Designs.
2026 IHRA Pro Watercraft Series: What’s Next
The IHRA Pro Watercraft Series returns on Friday, April 10, with Round 2 at the New Orleans Powerboat Grand Prix in Metairie, Louisiana. Five rounds remain in the 2026 calendar.
| Round | Event | Venue | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | New Orleans Powerboat Grand Prix | Metairie, Louisiana | April 10-12, 2026 |
| 3 | Shootout Offshore | Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri | June 12-14, 2026 |
| 4 | Mercury Racing Midwest Challenge | Sheboygan, Wisconsin | August 7-9, 2026 |
| 5 | IHRA Battle at Williamsburg | Williamsburg, Virginia | September 4-6, 2026 |
| 6 | IHRA PWC World Cup | Lake Havasu, Arizona | September 15-20, 2026 |
The season finale at Lake Havasu, Arizona is Varner’s home circuit. She will be racing on familiar water when the championship reaches its conclusion in September.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
