John Dady, Founder of Blowsion Passes at 47 Years Old

The world of freeride (and the entire PWC industry, for that matter) took a serious blow this weekend when news that 47-year-old John Dady, founder of Blowsion, passed away suddenly this passed Saturday morning at his home from a previously undetected congenital heart condition. Dady was first and foremost a husband and father, and is survived by wife Kristy, and sons Colm and Liam. Dady had shown no previous signs of ailment by all public accounts, carrying about with business as usual and busily planning for this coming September’s “Blowsion Surf Slam” freeride event in Pacific City, OR.

Dady was known publicly as the founder and driving force behind Blowsion, freeriding’s biggest domestic promoter, source of custom paint work for helmets, skis and more, and possibly the industry’s largest source for aftermarket watercraft parts and upgrades, almost exclusively focusing on standup jet skis. Dady leveraged his artistic talents and creativity into a custom paint shop that was quickly cultivated into a resource for “dynamic graphic and product design” and kept the company at the sport’s cutting edge. Dady’s style was bold, aggressive and unapologetic both in his work and in life.

Beginning in 1987, a then 19-year-old Dady painted his first ski in his parents’ unfinished garage. That first job segued into several more, affording the young entrepreneur enough capital to open Blowsion’s doors in 1989. Dady continued his formal artistic training, affording his clientele increasingly superior work as he continued to hone his craft. Reaching beyond MX helmets and standup skis, Dady pushed Blowsion into the design and execution of billet components, traction mats, and handle poles, as well as numerous other products that have become commonplace among standup racers, freestyle and freeride enthusiasts.

Dady was a key figure in the preservation and cultivation of the jet skiing community and will be sorely missed by thousands who knew him, knew of him, or simply benefited from his tireless dedication to the sport and the people who occupied it. Due to the unexpected timing of his passing, no information pertaining to memorial services or places to donate in lieu of flowers have been shared. Updates will be posted on Blowsion’s official Facebook page.

[Editor’s Note: A crowdfunding campaign has been launched at “YouCaring” for John’s two sons Colm and Liam. Any donated assistance will be earmarked specifically for the two boys. You can donate by going HERE.]