Remember back in 1991 when Kawasaki introduced the revolutionary Sport Cruiser? Sure you can; it was the ski that sat three-across on a bench seat, with a sliding steering wheel so anyone could take their turn driving. Yes, that one.
Do you also remember thinking to yourself, Wow, driving this bodacious Jet Ski with my two besties at my side would be rad and all, but I wanna race it! Yeah, probably not.
But get ready to dig out your Oakley Razor Blades and Zinka, because there is hope for the triumphant return of Kawasaki’s beloved step child in West Haven, CT, where the North East Watercraft Alliance (NEWA) recently held the IJSBA-sanctioned Savin Rock Beach Brawl PWC race.
While several dozen IJSBA Region 8 racers did compete in the event throughout the weekend of September 6th, 2014, we at The Watercraft Journal have stumbled upon the helmet cam footage of one participant’s race in the run-whatcha-brung “Super Chicken” class featuring none other than a few – you’ve guessed it – Kawasaki 650 Sport Cruisers, in all their hyper-colored and unorthodox glory.
Not only does the race look like an absolute blast, but it confirms our suspicions that there are, in fact, still seaworthy Sport Cruisers on the water to this day (in pretty good condition, to boot).
Though occasionally found on the odd “Worst PWC Ever Made” Internet list, this classically under-appreciated Jet Ski was quite sophisticated for its time. Among innovations such as storage compartments and a stable, neigh-unsinkable hull, the SC introduced the industry’s first PWC reverse system, making docking a breeze – if you could just stop fighting over the steering wheel.
