The Thrust Innovations crew took no time airing out their skis.
This event started three years ago when Howard Simmons (aka “Blue”) of Blue Port Worx, a freestyle engine builder with JetManiac invited some friends over to ride and celebrate his birthday. Since then, the event has grown each year, and this year’s ride had over 40 skis and riders.
The ride has evolved from a small local central Florida event to a regional event drawing riders from all over Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. Chris Anyzeski and crew from Thrust Innovations made the trip up with four skis stacked in a pickup bed after leaving their trailer roadside after an axle failure.
The event is held at the lakeside engine building compound of Blue Port Worx on Alligator Lake in St. Cloud, Florida just southeast of Orlando. Alligator Lake is over 3,400 acres and the largest lake in the Kissimmee chain of five connected lakes.
What waves were provided by a wake boat when freestylists and freeriders needed additional amplitude.
Originating as a birthday bash for Blue Port Worx’s Howard “Blue” Simmons, the Alligator Lake Ride has become an annual tradition.
This ride always has a wide variety of skis and riders with a equal array of riding styles. There were surf riders from both the east and west coasts of Florida and lake riders from all over. For some of the riders that are just accustomed to riding surf, it is a big change to ride freshwater and jump and slash boat wakes. There were riders from teenagers to a local veteran rider in his 70’s still riding his SuperJet with stroker motor.
There were many types of skis including both stock and modified SuperJets and FX1’s, carbon Superfreaks from JetManiac and Blue, Backie Chans, Rickters, Xscream KDXs, Superfreak Titans from Thrust, and Superfreak Circus from Tem of Superfreak; all running engines ranging from stock 650s to monsters from DASA, PHP, and XScream.
The flatwater highlight was a freestyle expression session showdown between Chris Anyzeski on Tem of Superfreak’s Circus with a DASA 1200 and Lucas Vasconsuelos on his KDX XS1200 powered ski. It is amazing to watch these two riders dueling on two of the most capable flatwater skis ever built.
For a “non-event” this fun ride weekend welcomed riders across Florida, Georgia and even Tennessee. Everyone had a great time at this low key backyard freeride and look forward to returning next year.
Lucas Vasconsuelos its riding a DVX1200rr not a kdx!!!