COEUR d'ALENE - Every four years the race comes stateside - not to Idaho, but to the United States.

So once every four years those states with enough good water to host the World Jet Boat Marathon Championship try to land the high-speed event on their home rivers.

This year, it's in Idaho, and the inaugural weekend sprints into gear Friday at St. Maries.

And what the North Idaho town offers that nobody else can is the St. Joe River.

The snake-like, curvy slip of drink will test every professional racer's true driving acumen at each bend.

"This will be just a great place," said Gary Labrum, race director, getting ready to host the event in St. Maries for the first time. "It's so twisty and turny and narrow."

Around 35 professional jet boat racers will test their skill on that 30-mile stretch of river this weekend during the 2012 Toyota Weaver Seed World Jet Boat Marathon Championship. It will continue over nine days throughout the month on sections of the Snake, Salmon and Clearwater rivers.

But first, it's the Joe that gets the go.

"When you have a world event you try to have as divergent rivers as you can," said Labrum, a professional jet boat racer himself.

Typically, river racing boats can clock up to 130 miles per hour. But the bends on the Joe will keep racers a little off the gas to navigate turns. Don't worry, the boats will still fly, and spectators can pull up a spot anywhere along the bank for free and watch them zip by.

The St. Maries Chamber of Commerce is pulling out the welcome mat for the worldwide event that the U.S. shares with Canada, Mexico and New Zealand on a rotating basis.

And being the body of water where the race starts means the bar has to be set even higher.

"We have to pull out the stops," said Shirley Ackerman, chamber president, on being the spot where the race kicks off. "What a great way to showcase our city."

The weekend starts with a chamber-hosted opening day Friday that features a meet-and-greet with the racers at 6 p.m. at St. Maries' Lower City Park, followed by an $8 grill dinner, fireworks show and live music.

Saturday, the races start at 9 a.m., with another dinner and live music opportunity come evening. Each racer, competing for cash prizes, will race individually, that's to say against the clock. Sunday, races should wrap up by early afternoon.

After the weekend, the racing continues April 16-17 on the Snake River at Lewiston; April 18 on the Clearwater River at Orofino; and April 19-21 on the Salmon River at Riggins.

Latest racing info: facebook.com/2012usa.worldjetboatmarathon.