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Gallery: Introducing The 2019 Sea-Doo Lineup

By
Kevin Shaw
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If you haven’t already heard, Sea-Doo‘s gone fishing. And we mean that literally. Yes, personal watercraft fishing has a massive worldwide audience – outside of the United States, that is. It’s a topic we at The Watercraft Journal have been belaboring for quite some time to any and everyone who will listen; we even managed to catch the ear of BRP’s own Corporate Director, Communications and Investor Relations, Pascal Bosse over a greasy cheeseburger at a Tennessee lakeside grill back in August of 2015. A few followup emails later and a bit of a nudge in the form of an April Fool’s Joke, and here we are. So with Sunday night’s reveal of the all-new 2019 Fish Pro, all we have to say is: You’re welcome.

OK, OK; all kidding aside, the revelation of the new ST3-based Fish Pro raises some questions regarding Sea-Doo’s intended trajectory for both the industry as a whole and the brand itself. A brief portion of last night’s presentation was focused on Canada’s “BRP Marine Division,” which recently was birthed from the acquisition of Manitou Pontoon as well as Alumacraft (both meant to emphasize Evinrude engines); and while a separate division unto itself, it was paralleled by the expansion of Sea-Doo’s line of personal watercraft. The 2019 Fish Pro looks to single-handedly segue the PWC maker into the multi-billion dollar world of recreational fishing, and features all of the right tools, features and equipment to successfully do so. And with an entry price of $14,799, it’s almost a sure thing.

Hailed as the “first and only true personal watercraft (PWC) built specifically from the factory for fishing,” the Fish Pro begins with the aforementioned ST3 hull and deck made from BRP’s proprietary CM-Tech material. Prior to listing the new features, the craft’s wide and mile-deep footwells provide the fisherman plenty of room to maneuver around, and extended side strakes give the craft phenomenal balance and stability while at a standstill already. Add to that the addition of a 13.5 gallon LinQ Fishing Cooler (with a lid-mounted cutting board and 4 rod holders), a massive 6-inch Garmin EchoMap Plus 62cv Navigation and Fish Finder, and an extended rear platform adding 11.5-inches of length and a second LinQ mounting system.

But wait! There’s more! The Fish Pro is equipped with a larger 18.5-gallon fuel cell (the only ST3-based Sea-Doo equipped with this larger tank for 2019, FYI), a flat-based stiffly-padded bench seat, new angled gunwale footrests for leverage and comfort, and an all-new “Trolling Mode” available through the “Slow Mode” setting on the platform’s new 7.6-inch digital display. The new screen features an automatically dimming backlight that ensures high visibility in any light. Painted in a very Brass Pro Shop-esque White and Night Green, the craft is very subdued in its livery, almost militaristic.

“Recreational fishing is one of the top practiced activities in the world,” said Bernard Guy, BRP Senior Vice-President, Global Product Strategy. “And while it grows in popularity, more and more people are discovering the benefits of fishing from a PWC. The Fish Pro is a perfect choice, combining the capability they need with the versatility to be used as a recreational watercraft.” Powered by Sea-Doo’s naturally-aspirated 1,494cc 3-cylinder Rotax 1503 plant, the Fish Pro produces a fuel-friendly 155-horsepower. And yes, the Garmin transponder is mounted deed inside of the hull, not mounted outside.

While we’re talking about new lifestyle accessories, it bears noting that Sea-Doo also announced a new Bluetooth-compatible audio system for the Spark. The completely portable, 50-watt audio system is “fully-submersible and removable, and can be used on and off the watercraft. Speakers are front-mounted and positioned toward driver for maximum sound clarity, and there is a convenient control pad on the speaker for volume and song adjustment.” Powered by a rechargeable lithium battery offing up to 24 hours of use, the new sound system will work on all Sparks – regardless of model or year – with the use of a quick attachment support base.

Moreover, Sea-Doo upped the ante with it’s accessory line with the availability of larger, more padded “Comfort Seats,” Wind Deflectors for the hand grips (more on those in a second), and side mirrors all for the Sparks. Color choices for the Spark include Licorice and Mango; Vanilla and Blueberry; and Pineapple and Candy Blue. For Trixx, Chili Pepper and Orange Crush return with Jalapeño and Pear being added.

The aforementioned Fishing Cooler features a drain plug and handles, a heavy-duty storage pocket, lid with recessed work/cutting surface, quick attach rod holders (sold separately), trolling slots, and an easy latch lid. Further additions to the accessory Linq lineup include the new LinQ Sport Bag; a 4.2-gallon capacity bag featuring a rigid bottom and a semi-rigid top. According to Sea-Doo, “a Marinized LinQ Hardware Kit protect the LinQ Bag from the erosive and corrosive effects of the harsh marine environment. It can be installed on top of the LinQ Fuel Caddy”; and the huge LinQ Box; a 5-gallon rigid-sided box built for durability that’s weather-resistant and has a sealed and lockable cover.

So how about the rest of the lineup? Well, we’re glad you asked: First and foremost, that gorgeous and super-innovative digital dashboard is now found on all ST3-based runabouts (RXT 230, RXT-X 300, GTX 155/230, GTX Limited 230/300, Wake Pro), as well as the RXP-X 300 and GTR-X 230. But don’t think that the GTI lineup is left out in the cold, either. For 2019, Sea-Doo has managed to retain its fiberglass hulls for the GTI 130/155 models as well as include the Linq accessory mounts. The base GTI 90 and 130 models are available in White and Krypton Green, while the SE-equipped 130 and 155 GTIs are available in Black and Krypton Green or Beach Blue Metallic and Lava Grey. Fuel capacity, storage and other features remain the same as last year’s lineup. Oh yeah, and the GTI Limited 155 is kaput.

For the GTX lineup, the color options are direct carryovers, the non-Limited GTXs return in Beach Blue Metallic and Lava Grey; while the Limited-equipped models remain in Equestrian Brown and Liquid Grey Metallic. Several images have shown the previously mentioned Wind Guards on the Limited models, but we haven’t seen whether these are standard equipment or added accessories. Equally, the two Wake models (155 and Pro) return in the same Teal Blue Metallic and Lava Red colorizations with no changes save for the addition of the LCD digital screen (to the Wake Pro only). The final Sea-Doos to not receive a new color option for 2019 are the 230-horsepower GTR and RXT, which return in Octane Blue and Black.

The remaining units yet to be mentioned are the GTR-X 230, RXP-X 300, and RXT-X 300. Both the GTR-X 230 and RXP-X 300 receive the new digital dash, Linq mounts, and an exciting Liquid Metal and Neon Yellow coating for the GTR-X. Changes for the RXT-X 300 are minimal: the 7.6-inch digital gauge display and (in addition to last year’s Neon Yellow and Lava Grey) a premium Eclipse Black and Lava Red with bronze highlights. The same second color option is also available for the RXP-X (whose standard coloring is Neon Yellow and Black). Interestingly, this new second colorization will set you back an extra $300. So if you’re dead set on your 2019 Sea-Doo looking like Ming The Merciless from Planet Mongo, you’re gonna be ponying up a few hundred bucks.

In all, the 2019 Sea-Doo reveal demonstrated where the company is pointing its bow on the horizon. In the same fashion that Sea-Doo blazed a trail for personal watercraft tow sports with its Wake models and all the innovations that came about through that, the Fish Pro has all of the trappings of a similar pioneer. For the rest of the lineup, it’s clear that Sea-Doo isn’t interested in upending the table when so many of their machines are either still completely new or, for the most part, working great as-is. While this article is being penned The Watercraft Journal has been alerted that whole new batch of images will be coming in shortly, so expect to see more pictures being added to the gallery below as well as future content personally handling the new Fish Pro coming soon.

Score Big With Yamaha’s End of Summer Sales Event

By
Ocean Priselac
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Yamaha‘s big End of Summer Sales Event is happening right now! You can get your hands on one of The Best in Every Class WaveRunners at a sweet price.

There are many options to choose from, such as financing as low as 2.99% on 2019 and prior year models plus up to $1,000 off or up to three years Genuine Yamaha Coverage on select 2018 and prior years models.

A stipulation of this particular offer is that the buyer must finance $6,500 or more on a new 2013-2019 WaveRunners. The 2018 model deal allows the customer to choose cash incentives or warranty offer at the time of purchase.

If you aren’t interested the above bargain, check out this one. Buy any two select 2018 and prior years’ models of WaveRunners and receive up to $1,000 off or up to 3 years Genuine Yamaha Coverage. Financing is as low as 6.49% for 96 months on two WaveRunners. This offer excludes the Yamaha EX and V1 machines.

A third enticing offer is to grab a PWC from Yamaha’s EX Series lineup for as low as $99 a month on 2019 and prior years models. Receive up to $350 off or choose up to 3 years Genuine Yamaha Coverage. Decide on the cash incentive or warranty at time of purchase. The EX Series is Yamaha’s Rec-Lite category and makes for a nice affordable entry level machine.

Yamaha’s final offer for the End of Summer Sales Event is financing as low as 5.99% for 72 months on 2019 and prior years models. The offer includes up to $1000 off or up to 3 years Genuine Yamaha Coverage. $6,500 or more must be financed to qualify for this offer.

All of the End of Summer Sales offers include quite a bit of fine print and subject to credit approval. If you wanna go fast and be included in the Best of Class, take advantage of this sales event! Yamaha is proud to offer the industry’s largest range of financing and purchasing options. This is why we mentioned the amount fine print. There are so many options to choose from, we could write a book!

Gallery: Soaking In The Southern Charm of Chattanooga, TN

By
Kevin Shaw
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Long before there was such a thing as an interstate highway system or even the transcontinental railroad, there was the Tennessee River. And there, nestled between between the Appalachian Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau sits Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Once a home to the Muscogee and Cherokee Indians, Chattanooga was born from the 1816 settlement of Ross’ Landing that is, before becoming the central transportation hub for the Southern United States. It’s centralized location on the Tennessee River places it nearly equidistant from its neighboring cities, Knoxville (some 134 miles northeast) and Nashville (slightly over 100 miles to the northwest), as well as being 118 miles north of Atlanta, and 147 miles northeast of Birmingham, Alabama.

That made it a logical candidate to become the adjoining hub for several key Southern railroad lines, earning it the name of “the city where cotton meets corn.” A decade later, Chattanooga would become a hotly contested prize to keep during the American Civil War, as the Union Army battled Southern Confederates over the industrial artery. Chattanooga and the surrounding territory was the location of some half dozen major battles, with ownership of the city trading hands several times.

Today, Chattanooga still retains its place as a major hub of industry and commerce, as well as a welcome spot for site-seers, tourists, and vacationers. It’s fixture along the shores of the Tennessee River also makes it an ideal stop for boaters and jet skiers journeying along the historic waterway.

For our little “vacay,” we were joined with Tim McKercher of Sea-Doo to stop and soak in some of the hidden beauty of this American treasure; to check out the local flavor, put on our “tourist hat” and rack up a few hundred miles on a pair of supercharged 2018 Sea-Doos – we aboard our long-term test RXT-X 300 and Tim riding a 230-horsepower GTX.

Our first of three days in the River City began with a jaunt north to the Tennessee Riverpark to launch our Sea-Doos early that morning. The beautifully manicured park stretches along the waterfront, dotted with jogging trails and well-kept gardens. With absolutely zero boat traffic to share the water with, the river was astonishingly smooth – clear enough to make out the lettering on the sides of buildings in the reflections as we passed.

It took mere minutes before approaching Chattanooga’s towering waterfront. The downtown area is a blend of historic and futuristic, with the tall angular peaks of the glass-topped Aquarium looming high above while ancient smoke-stacked paddle boats sat parked nearby. The Hunter Museum of American Art is a smooth-sided contemporary edifice of glass and stone perched high on a cliff face overlooking the river. Facing the downtown promenade from across the historic Walnut Street Bridge is the North Shore district filled with locally-owned boutique stores and restaurants.

We continued our journey west, passing our shorefront hotel, Marriot’s Springhill Suites. Featuring its own dock and mooring services, as well as the fantastic Scottie’s On The River restaurant, it happily served as our home away from home for the few days we were here. Passing below the shadow of Chattanooga’s historic Martin Luther King District and around Moccasin Bend, we peeled right around Williams Island and entered into Cash Canyon – a lush green gulch blanketed with maple, sycamore and oak trees.

We eyed over a half dozen white-tailed deer sipping the river before spiriting away, frightened by the fast-moving Sea-Doos. These craft are nearly perfect for rides like these. Sea-Doo is absolutely unmatched in its attention to rider comfort and its ergonomic cockpit is unlike any watercraft on the market. The saddle is low, with pinched coves at the knees, allowing the rider to cruise casually, without the strain on ones hips like other brands.

We consistently employed the BRP Premium Sound System, listening to our favorite tunes communicated via Bluetooth to my phone locked away in the RXT-X’s waterproof glovebox. We took our ride into Nickajack Lake, to the Hales Bar Marina, for fuel and refreshments. The site is the former location of nation’s first hydroelectric dam (now long since dismantled and abandoned). Today, the spot serves as a riverfront resort, welcoming visitors to rent a floating cabin and enjoy a worry-free weekend on the lake.

Properly fueled and recharged, we continued towards Nickajack Dam, past where Highway 24 arcs high above on a trestled bridge. Turning back towards Chattanooga, we took our time passing through the unbroken scenery of the Prentice Cooper State Park encompassing the Tennessee River Gorge, dwarfed by Raccoon Mountain, Signal Mountain and Lookout Mountain high above. With a day like today it would be easy to conclude our stay in Chattanooga, satisfied that we had made enough memories, but our trip wasn’t over.

The next morning, we hailed a taxi and ventured off to explore a portion of Chattanooga’s storied history – beginning with the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum. The largest historic operating railroad in the South, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum continues to offer railroad service for the Chattooga and Chickamauga Railways, transporting tourists throughout the Southern states as well as back in time, across rail lines once used and fought over by warring campaigns in America’s bloodiest war.

We hopped a ride aboard the Missionary Ridge Local for an hour’s ride over 6 bridges and through a pre-Civil War tunnel, dead-ending at a turn-of-the-century turntable before sending us back. The massive 4-8-4 steam-powered locomotive erupted smoke and embers, jolting and jerking passenger cars over the same stretch of narrow-gauge Western and Atlantic rail as The Great Locomotive Chase of 1862 (a great piece of American history that we strongly recommend you look up).

On the morning of our final day in Chattanooga, we opted to check out the famous Tennessee Aquarium. Recognized as one of the country’s top public aquariums, the Tennessee Aquarium is broken up into two major buildings: The Ocean Journey and River Journey.

The Ocean Journey exhibit contains a huge 618,000 gallon tank recreating the environment of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary in the Gulf of Mexico – stocked full of sand tiger sharks, and green sea turtles as well as other notable fish. The tank also features a undersea cavern which you can walk-through as fish swim overhead. At the top level, there’s a touch tank of small sharks and rays, as well as a butterfly atrium housing several South American species.

Across the courtyard is the River Journey exhibit, containing a 400,000-gallon tank, which what was the world’s largest freshwater aquarium in the world when it was built. Home to North American river otters, song birds, native fish species; an Alligator Bayou recreating the Mississippi Delta, populated with American alligators and a pair of alligator snapping turtles; and a River Giants exhibit, featuring giant freshwater fish from around the world, like alligator gar, redtail catfish and giant freshwater stingray.

During our visit we were entreated by the newly added turtle exhibit displaying a vast variety of species from across the world – with turtles of every shape, size and color. In many cases, they were as curious of us as we were of them. While we certainly could’ve stayed another 3 days, our time in Chattanooga drew to a close. We are incredibly grateful for Tim and the team at Sea-Doo, and to the Chattanooga Area Convention & Visitors Bureau who welcomed The Watercraft Journal so openly.

If you’re looking for some absolutely unspoiled scenery, a trip back through America’s history, or a perfect spot to take the family, we cannot recommend Chattanooga enough. In fact, we’ve been back twice since this trip – and there’s still lots left to see.

Gallery: RIVA Sea-Doo 2018 RXT-X 300 Pro-Series Sponsons Install & Tune (Video)

By
Kevin Shaw
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In a perfect instance of putting the cart before the horse, The Watercraft Journal managed to publish its full-length review of RIVA Racing’s Pro-Series Sponsons for the 2018 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300 long before getting around to publishing our installation guide (which is what you’re reading right now). We begin with a conundrum; that Sea-Doo engineers weirdly decided to make the sponsons for the RXT-X 300 entirely unique to the rest of the ST3 lineup.

That’s right, the RXT 230, GTX 230, GTX Limited 230 and 300, and even the Wake Pro 230 all share the same one-piece plastic molded sponsons, while the RXT-X is entirely unique. Of course, the sponsons on the RXT-X are just as much a one-piece, plastic-molded sponson as the others, but has an entirely different bolt pattern and unique design all to itself.

Above: The RIVA Pro-Series Sponsons are made out of a proprietary DuPont Delrin resin that makes them both incredibly strong and lightweight. The backing plates are marked “Left” and “Right” as they are not interchangeable. Both the backing plates and sponson blades include CNC’ed machine aluminum inserts to keep the sponsons attached firmly and corrosion-free. The kit also includes the hardware necessary to make the installation.

Above left: The factory mounting shoulder bolts require a six-point Torx bit, but we found a US standard 7/32-inch bit has enough contact to bite and loosen these. Above center: The factory sponson features a very mild blade both in angle and depth. Above right: Prior to any installation, we cleaned off our mounting surface of any residual silicone and grime.

That in and of itself, was a source of frustration for RIVA Racing who was looking to solve the handling woes of the entire ST3 in one fail swoop, but alas, life likes to throw curveballs. The result was a two-piece, 5-way adjustable sponson design with a forward-stepped blade that aggressively tracks even while sluicing through chop or making neck-snapping hairpin turns.

Our opinion is that the 2018 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300 is incomplete without RIVA’s Pro-Series Sponsons. Nearly all of the previous handling quibbles we’ve encountered with the new ST3 hull are resolved with the addition of these. Priced at $499.95, they aren’t what you’d call cheap, but they will make a significant improvement to how your 2018 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300 maneuvers when the water gets rough. And that alone is worth the purchase.

Above left: Because of the CNC machined surface, the backing plate doesn’t require gobs of silicone like sponson installations of the past. Rather, we used small beads of Permatex’s black, waterproof “Right Stuff” sealant around each of the bolt holes. Above right: Next, just align your bolt holes before threading in the bolts. Right Stuff cures in just over a minute, so don’t dillydally this step.

Above left: The only two sockets needed are a 5MM and 6MM Torx drive; the 5MM for the 10 8×25 MM button head screws for the sponson blades, and the 8 8×50 MM button head screws for the backing plates. Above center: Once you’ve done enough work under a car, applying blue Loc-Tite to threads one-handed becomes pretty easy. Plus, it’s a neat trick to show off at parties. (The ladies love it.) Above right: While these need to be tight, do not “gorilla” them down or use an electric socket wrench – you can crack the hull or worse. We recommend one half-turn past “snug.”

This article documents an incredibly easy-to-follow guide to installing your new RIVA Pro-Series Sponsons. These steps follow the instructions published by RIVA Racing itself, but includes a few “pro tips” and suggestions for how to set and tune your ski. Obviously, what works for us might not work for you, but we’ve found certain settings work better than others. You can adjust according to your riding style, environment and preference.

Above left: RIVA’s Pro-Series Sponson features 5-levels of adjustment, from an almost non-existent blade with minimal bite to a super-aggressive full-length blade. Above center: The 10 screws for the blades do not require Loc-Tite, and should be installed in an alternating pattern: 3, 1, 5, 2, 4, tightening incrementally for a flush, even surface. Above right: Having ridden a RXT-X 300 previously with the same Pro-Series Sponsons, we went with the middle-of-the-road #3 setting to begin with.

Above left: While our initial testing at RIVA’s test lake left us speechless, we found that the #3 position wasn’t enough to keep the tail of our Sea-Doo planted in our local lake’s chop – so we bumped it one down to #4. The stepped design of the blades provide the ST3 hull significantly more “lead” into a turn, rather than suddenly biting hard and snapping into a corner, unexpectantly. The RIVA sponsons offer far more predictability, which was something this ski lacked from the outset. Above right: Our ideal setting for our 2018 RXT-X 300 is 3-notches above zero on the VTS with the Pro-Series Sponsons on the #4 position. This places enough trim attitude forward on the ST3’s nose, where it likes to be, while keeping a long enough blade in back to keep the tail from breaking loose while cornering hard or turning in chop. These literally transform the overall handling of the RXT-X in nearly every aspect, and dramatically increase our total enjoyment of this machine. Seriously, if you’ve got a 2018 RXT-X 300, buy these. Do it now.

https://youtu.be/6OuT-Q9RB8Q

Slippery Wetsuits 2019 US Athlete Support Season Now Open

By
Kevin Shaw
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0

Racing ain’t cheap, and it really pays to have a few sponsors to help levee the costs of being a properly equipped personal watercraft racers. If you’re looking at stepping up your portfolio? Wanting to break into the world of the sponsored and fabulous? Then now is your opportunity to become a supported athlete by Slippery Wetsuits! Beginning September 1st and running through November 30th, Slippery will be accepting resumes for rider support. Make sure to check out what you need to apply below.

Here’s the original announcement made by Slippery Wetsuits:
For the 2019 racing season, Slippery Wetsuits’ athlete support program is proud to continue our decades-long tradition of supporting athletes across all levels of the sport. We are now accepting resumes from dedicated watercraft riders to represent the Slippery brand proudly and to be true ambassadors for racing and/or freestyle disciplines.

Space is limited and not every rider will qualify for support. Make sure that your resume is up to date, include recent photos/videos and apply now for the Slippery Wetsuits support program. To get started, simply email your resume and supporting media to [email protected]. We will respond within 48 hours during normal business weekdays. This program is only open to athletes residing in the continental United States.

About Slippery Wetsuits
Launched in San Diego, CA back in the heyday of watercraft racing and the explosion of the freestyle scene; Slippery has always focused on dedicated, purpose-built products for athletes with an aversion to staying dry. For 2019, Slippery is proud to celebrate our 30th anniversary and looking forward to another 30 years of evolution for the jet-driven masses.

R&D Performance Products Closes Its Doors After 30 Years

By
Kevin Shaw
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0

“Sometimes, you just need to move on.” That seems to be the message coming out of today’s news. In a report first broken by Vasilis Moraitis’ JetSkiWorld blog, R&D Performance Products will be closing its doors this September 27th. For many insiders who asked to remain anonymous, the news was a not-so-shocking revelation given several factors, the primary being the surmounting cost of doing business – particularly in the way of foundries and aluminum casting – in California.

In the report, a statement was issued thanking all of those loyal customers and racers for continuing to put R&D’s products atop podiums for over 30 years. Interestingly, rather than naming the change a “closure,” R&D’s President Glenn Dickinson called it a “semi-retirement,” hinting at possible future endeavors for the team. R&D came from a partnership between Dickinson and former Performance Jet Ski (PJS) technician Bill Chapin.

With Chapin mainly overseeing the testing and development of new products out of his home in Lake Havasu City, AZ, and Dickinson tackling the manufacturing, machining and handling of the products out of their Santa Fe Springs, CA location, R&D Performance (or “R&D Racing Products” as Glenn writes in his letter) built a reputation for being a pioneer in handling and top end PWC performance. R&D’s sponsorship was also instrumental getting the Mark Hahn Memorial Havasu 300 launched.

In the press release issued earlier today, R&D Performance wrote:
It is with sincere regret we inform you that, as of September 27, 2018, R&D Racing Products has decided to close its doors. All available products on order will ship until the final day. It is our upmost priority to inform you about this decision as you are one of our most regarded customers. R&D Racing Products has been a front runner in the watercraft industry for over 30 years, and we are extremely proud of what we have accomplished during that time. We could not be more thankful to those of you who have believed in us and contributed to our success over the years. As our industry has evolved, we look forward to a semi-retirement and the possibility of exciting new endeavors. It has been a great pleasure doing business with you and we thank you for your patronage.

Our sincerest regards,
Glenn Dickinson

Video: Hochstrasser Sweeps Monster Energy Freeride Series 2018

By
Kevin Shaw
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Freeride is finally beginning to earn the respect it so rightly deserves. Easily the greatest blend of athleticism, mechanical mastery and surf riding skill, freeride is the apex of jet skiing in the surf. Both man and machine must be honed to its utmost limit, and it shows. For 2018, the Monster Energy Freeride Series was an opportunity for a far wider audience to bask in the glory that is professional freeride, and it paid off kingly. This year, Mexican athlete Abraham “Ho” Hochstrasser took the championship held in El Palmar Beach in Ixtapa Zihuatanejo.

The original news release from Monster Energy is below:
Mexican athlete Abraham Hochstrasser took first place at the Monster Energy Freeride Series.  This was  the third stop of the Jet Ski Freeride World Championship where twenty of the world’s best Jet Ski Freeriders gathered at El Palmar beach in Ixtapa Zihuatanejo, Guerrero. During the three days of competition, judges weighed 50% of the score on surfing and the remaining 50% on aerial tricks and their variations.

Hochstrasser faced current world champion Mark Gomez in the semifinals where he stunned the fans and the judges after nailing a double back flip in the final three seconds of the heat.  This was the first double back flip landed in a Freeride competition, securing his spot in the final round with a trick that had never been seen before in an International Freeride Waterfront Association competition.

“It was tough. I got in the bracket with two very good athletes that are competing at the best level right now. I knew that in order to beat Mark I had to do something different and, for the first time ever, I landed a double backflip, something that no one has ever landed in competition”, said Hochstrasser happily, “It was all or nothing.”

Hochstrasser faced French rider Hugo Goirre in the final.  These guys left it all out there during the final heat that displayed monstrous tricks such as 360 Off Axis, extended Flex Flip and huge airs.  

Hochstrasser knew he had locked in first place after the historical show he put on.  Hugo Goirre, from France, and Mark Gomez from the United States got second and third place respectively. With this victory, Hochstrasser is now ranked second in the World Championship rankings, just four points behind first place Gomez. The next stage of the competition will take place in Oregon, US and Japan will follow with the last stop of the Freeride Championship. 

Regarding this year’s Monster Energy Freeride Series, Abraham said: “All riders had a great time. I want to thank Monster Energy and the State Secretary of Tourism for their trust and sponsorship of the event, one of the best in the world.”

Hydro-Turf Closeouts and Specials

By
Ocean Priselac
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0

Hydro-Turf have several styles and colors of their grippy “B” sheet mats on sale. These are closeout specials and Hydro-Turf is letting them go at great prices. Though, the “B” sheets may have imperfections, they still have the same hold and grip as other Hydro-Turf mats.

The Molded Diamond “B” Stock are considered Hydro-Turf’s most aggressive and durable material. The sheets have naturally occurring air bubbles and holes due to the fact that they are made up of molded EVA. The sheets are available in gray, white, dark gray, royal blue, red, and lime green. Add 3M self-adhesive for $30. It adheres well to fiberglass, paint, and metal surfaces and provides a strong bond. The Molded Diamond “B” stock comes in two sizes; 45” x 84” and 40” x 62”.

The 2-Tone Wide Groove “B” Stock with PSA is also available. It comes in sheets of 47”x 86” in Brown on Black. These sheets are great for coating fiberglass, paint, and metal. The 2-Tone Wide Groove sheets cost $99, which is a markdown of $40.

In search of sheets Hydro-Turf sheets for your duck hunting boat? Grab some “B” sheets of Swamp Camo or Gator Skin. Both are on marked down to $59 for 47” x 86”.

The last closeout mat is the Black 3mm Grooved style. It’s a thinner sheet of Hydro-Turf with standard brushing. The sheets are 45” x 84”, making them perfect for SUP and surf applications. Add 3m self-adhesive for an additional $40 to provide a strong, fast and clean application to fiberglass and painted surfaces. Let the crew at Hydro-Turf know if your board is plastic so they can provide you with the proper adhesive.

One last item of note is that if the color of mat you choose has an asterisk next to it, this denotes that the color will fade and the Hydro-Turf warranty doesn’t cover fading. If you have questions about Hydro-Turf products, give the staff a call at 714.635.6350.

IJBSA to Host First Junior Freestyle at 2018 Blowsion World Finals

By
Kevin Shaw
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0

Everybody in every class of jet ski racing and performance has been howling at the top of their lungs, “We need to get the youth back into the sport!” but more often than not, the industry itself has gravitated away from getting kids stoked on PWC. Thankfully, with Rick Roy’s junior sized hulls, and recent demonstrations by Taylor Curtis’ son masterfully executing tricks for all the world to see, the idea of a junior class of freestyle riders has just become a reality.

Recently, the IJSBA announced that a first-time ever Junior Freestyle class will be added to the 2018 Blowsion World Finals. Riders aged 9-12 will be invited to test their mettle on the water during the Saturday, Saturday night and Sunday freestyle sessions. Each competitor will be given 60 seconds to strut their stuff; all of us can’t wait to welcome these little groms to the World Finals.

Here’s the original press release from the IJSBA:
IJSBA is announcing that there are plans to add a first ever Junior Freestyle Class to the 2018 Blowsion World Finals. Present[ed] by Rick Roy Products, the class will bring 6 Junior competitors from ages 9-13 to open up for Pro Freestyle on Junior sized hulls. Competitors will need to be World Finals eligible and to be available on Saturday, Saturday Night, and Sunday. Competition times will be 60 seconds for each competitor. Please watch IJSBA.com this week for full details. If you have a Junior aged competitor interested in Freestyle, please email [email protected].

Gallery: Pro Watercross National Championships – Charleston, WV

By
Ryan Doberstein
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0

This year marked the 9th year that Charleston, WV hosted the Pro Watercross National Championship race. The locals call the event “SportsFEST,” which includes the PWC racing, Pro EVP Volleyball and Grappling, all on Magic Island. With a long history like that, there needs to be a local person to spearhead such a task. Enter, Trey Frame of Hidden Trails Motorsports, who has been involved since the very beginning.

Frame told us, “As a racer for many years, I wanted to set this event apart from all other races in the US. The way to do that is to make sure it’s the highest payout race in the US. So, for the last 9 years, we’ve raised local sponsorship and put it all in a ‘pot’ and added it to the Pro Watercross Tour payout like a bonus purse for this particular event. I believe this year had a $15,000 purse just for this one event. This has worked out really well over the years and I think the racers appreciate the effort.”

This year, a broken retaining pond plus abundant rain ended racing abruptly on Saturday, right after Moto 1 of the Pro Show. The plan was to get all 3 motos of Pro and Junior classes finished on Saturday, plus one moto of Amateur racing. Unfortunately, AJ Handler (CEO of Pro Watercross) received a call early afternoon from the Fire Department alerting him that a retaining pond had given way. He was told to brace for a 6-8 foot increase in the water level!

Handler told us safety was his number one concern, so they called a riders meeting around 4pm telling the riders we were done for the day. It was obvious to everyone that this was the right call. There was loads of debris going down the river, water was rising so fast it was moving the buoys on the course all over the place, and the starting line and towers were starting to disappear under water.

Hats off to the staff of Pro Watercross for getting in all the remaining forty-seven motos completed on Sunday. The race director, Scott Hyke, was on site at 5am Sunday morning assessing the situation to get racing started as soon as possible. Luckily, this wasn’t Handler’s first rodeo, either. He’s been putting on events like this for many years and told us that he’s fit in 53 motos in one day before, so he knew it’d be possible to fit all the races in on Sunday. Handler told us they finished all racing by 3pm and is very thankful to his staff for making everything happen swiftly.

In Pro-Am Ski Stock, Jimmy Wilson battled back Callaway Turner and Justin Treder to take the weekend’s win as well as earn enough points throughout the culmination of the National Tour to make him the National Champion. While racing the three motos resulted in Dustin Motzouris claiming the weekend in Pro-Am Ski GP over Jimmy Wilson and Mike Klippenstein, the points total for the year resulted in Wilson grabbing a second championship for the GP class. A similar shakeup occurred in the Pro-Am Runabout Box Stock class, and Troy Snyder earned top billing for the weekend but resulted in Brian Baldwin fetching the National Championship.

Equally, Baldwin tallied enough points to grab the championship in Pro-Am Runabout GP over the year, while Jeff Dyckowski bested Baldwin and Dylan Osborn in Charleston. For the pros in Sport GP, it was Christian Daly who bested Michael Osborne and Sam Nehme for the podium win, but Nehme who had earned the necessary points to push him above the rest for the National Championship. Yet, it was none other than Ryan Doberstein who swept both the weekend’s podium and the National Championship in Pro Freestyle.

The Watercraft Journal asked Trey Frame about the challenges they face at an event like this. He explained, “Obviously this is a unique event, being on a river, and a lot of work goes in to making this happen. Everything from working with Bill Barr with Amherst (the local barge industry) rescheduling their operations around this event and river closures, to working with local sponsors like Rumble Ready Mix for gravel for the launch area and Rodney Loftis who donate labor and equipment to dress up the race launch area. This year we brought in 100 tons of gravel and I was told by several racers it was the best launching they’ve had. Although there are always potential issues with racing on a river, like weather and this year we had several days of rain which causes the river to have a lot of debris sometimes, but I was glad to see all the racing finished out.”

We asked Frame who else needs a special mention for making our Pro Watercross National Championship event happen. He told us, “Obviously we need to thank the City of Charleston for hosting and believing in this event and all the local sponsors who donate either time, equipment or prize money. Samantha Carney has helped me from the beginning and is always there for me to get things done to help showcase this event. As far as recognizing the local sponsors, this event couldn’t work without the support of Amherst, Rodney Loftis, Rumble Ready Mix, Sunbelt Rentals, Hidden Trails, Daniels Electric, Inc., J-Class Collision, Bossie Electric, Marty’s Tire, The Paint Store, M&L Electric, Retina Consultants, Summit Bank, AOMC.mx and Elco Mechanical.

“We’d also like to thank US Senator Joe Manchin III for stopping by and checking out the action on Sunday. When this event first started 9 years ago, we called it the Governors’ Cup. It was named after Joe Manchin III, who has since become a US Senator. Senator Manchin is a huge watersports enthusiast and it was really cool for him to take time out of his busy schedule to stop by and support the event,” Frame continued. Next stop, we’ll see everyone at Naples, FL to celebrate the Pro Watercross World Championship which starts with Hydroflight and SUPcross on October 26 and finishes with Watercross from Nov 1-4th.

All imagery provided by Waters Edge Photography. Original, unedited versions can be purchased HERE.

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