With Labor Day weekend fast approaching, this is signaling a wonderful 2018 summer coming to a close. Naturally many of us are looking forward to a nice, relaxing weekend prior to returning to school or simply to enjoy a long weekend away from work.
If you are planning a weekend on the water, check out the Bopenski Kickback Chair. Designed specifically for nearly any personal watercraft, this kickback chair sets up in no time at all with no tools required. It is sure to make your weekend on the water much more relaxing.
All Bopenski chairs are made with strong, lightweight anodized aluminum using stainless steel hardware which gives the chair ultimate protection from both fresh and salt water. The feet use flexible hardware known as “Vektorflex” which hugs and protects your watercraft’s deck.
The chair itself is already on sale with $100 off the original price. Now you can take an additional $50 off during this Labor Day sales event.
Simply go to the Bopenski checkout page and type in promo code “LABORDAY” to receive the additional $50 promotion.
Units are in stock so act now to take advantage of these awesome savings and then kickback a little bit this Labor Day.
I like being my own boss. Not everyone is cut out for it, but it seems to fit my personality. Years ago, my father counseled, “You’re too much like me, son. You’re too much of an @$$#@%& to work for anybody else.” The gruff language wasn’t as shocking as much as the realization that he was right. For decades I continually harbored animus towards my superiors.
Typically, my combativeness was grounded in comparing competency and the editorial direction of the publication I was working for. Admittedly, I was a really lousy employee. Sure, my work was stellar and almost always submitted earlier than the prescribed deadline, but I continually butted heads, voiced my grievances and was a general pain in the rear. Employers kept me around because I was reliable, but my attitude didn’t make the decision an easy one.
“If you think you know better, why don’t you do it yourself,” I was continually told, and for whatever reason, I simply hadn’t thought striking out on my own was possible; that is, until 5 years ago. A couple of years earlier, I was instrumental in developing a successful model on how a subscription-free digital magazine should operate, and merely applied the same model to the personal watercraft industry. Needless to say, it took much of the industry some getting used to.
Forums had taken a while to really gain a foothold, and digital stores (such as Greenhulk.net’s PWC Performance and RIVA Racing’s store) were now firing on all cylinders. Inserting a digital magazine into the mix was a new concept – particularly to “old school” vendors and manufacturers. Yet, since November 1st, 2013 until today, The Watercraft Journal has welcomed over one and a quarter million readers who have read nearly three million articles.
I say this because there are those who will doubt that worthwhile change can truly happen in this small of an industry. Of course, this too was said during the two-to-four stroke conversion years in the early 2000’s. “They’ll never be as fast,” They’ll never be as fun,” “Nobody wants them,” and more negativity abounded in chat rooms, throughout the pits and around watercoolers. Yet, here we are. The only remaining two-stroke being Yamaha’s grandfathered SuperJet, which has remained unchanged for nearly a decade due to outstanding EPA laws.
Similar to the 2007 GP1300R and the 2008 FZR SHO, Yamaha never kills one machine without a suitable replacement to take its stead (or marketshare). And with the company wholly aware of the public interest in a four-stroke standup that performs and plays as true as its predecessors, a 1,052cc TR-1 powered SuperJet is incoming. (We’ll have more revelatory articles on this matter at a later date.)
Sea-Doo of course, was key to the four-stroke’s normalization into the sport – particularly through producing the first supercharged RXP making 215-horsepower. Always one to innovate, Sea-Doo is smartly imbuing its machines with modern conveyances like GPS-controlled speedometers, modular deck configurations, industry-leading ergonomics and just far too much to list within this editorial.
With a true fishing platform based on the ST3 runabout, a dedicated commercial-grade GTI for rental outfits, a Bluetooth-integrated full-color digital dashboard, and a whole lot more to be revealed for 2019, Sea-Doo will never rest on its laurels when there is virgin territory to explore. It’s not just racing and hot dogging that sells PWC anymore. Manufacturers need to create machines that can meet the needs and equip riders with the product to best satisfy their particular tastes and interests. It’s a helluva challenge, frankly; and they have my respect for doing such a solid job thus far.
“So, what does the future hold for our industry?” Is a question I’m often given. If American voting and economic policy continues to trend in the same vein, I see an explosion in new and returning PWC owners. Currently, 51-percent of all new Yamaha runabouts purchased are by first-time owners. That’s a staggeringly optimistic demographic, and one you won’t find in any other powersport. As OE’s continue to build diverse craft that appeal to a wider audience of boaters, we’ll see that first-time owner purchasing spread beyond Rec-Lite craft and into larger, more feature-heavy vehicles.
Personally, I’d like to see OE’s and event promoters push smaller (and slower) Rec-Lite runabouts as the preferred PWC for youth and novice-level runabout racing; but that too is a discussion for a different article. And clearly, racing performance has a strong influence on sales given the wild popularity of the GP1800 (and now GP1800R) units. With the advent of the new FX hull, it’ll be interesting to see how this influences future vehicle product (and sales in the coming months).
Although as minute as the changes may seem, this industry (and the sport therein) has been in perpetual flux since its beginning; from the early-to-mid 1970s until the late 1980’s, much of the decade-plus was the sole property of Kawasaki’s standup JetSki. By 1989, runabouts had taken hold as being super popular with consumers and sales quickly matched (and eventually surpassed) standups all the way until the early 2000’s. By the mid-2000’s, it was pretty obvious that the future belonged to four-stroke engines, and two-strokes were being phased out.
Interestingly, it appears that major shifts in the personal watercraft industry occur every 15 years or so, leaving one to think what will the next few years bring considering that we’re due for another paradigm shift any day now. Personally, I’m quite optimistic. New vehicle sales are the highest they have been in 11 years. The product being offered in showrooms today are some of the fastest, most advanced and versatile yet. Facilitating change requires boldness, and I believe there’s no shortage of it coming from our industry. It’s a pretty exciting time to be a jet skier.
Yamaha Watercraft has teamed up with high-end urban clothing designer John Elliott for a limited edition clothing capsule. This seven-piece apparel collection consists of board shorts, hoodies, shirts, hats, and more. Its inspiration was based on a custom EX Deluxe Wave runner.
The idea from John Elliott came two and a half years ago. Although it took some time to actually get around to the project, Yamaha and Elliott are proud to finally show off the exclusive clothing lineup as well as put it on sale.
In John’s newsletter interview, he explains why he chose Yamaha as a collaborating partner for this project. He chooses to partner with brands that he and his team respect.
In his own words, John explains “If you look at Yamaha’s heritage and who they are as a brand, you realize that not only are they extremely important in motor sports, but they are equally important in watercraft. They’ve been a competitor in that sector forever. Yamaha has a genuine legacy and that was really attractive to me.”
After choosing the project and the right partner, John and his team actually took an EX Deluxe and customized it to give the full inspiration for the clothing line. He pulled heavily on memories of riding Wave runners on holiday as well as Yamaha’s unique tuning fork logo which he can recall from his father’s Yamaha guitar-playing days.
Once customized, the candy red and gray EX Deluxe machine was all John needed to drive home all of the details of his simple yet bold, sharp-looking apparel collection.
The lineup is currently on sale. You can visit www.johnelliott.co to find out where you can pick up any of these unique items.
High performance products manufacturer and distributor Wiseco has agreed to be a supporter of this year’s IJSBA World Finals at Lake Havasu. Wiseco is a leading manufacturer of performance forged pistons for the personal watercraft and other industries.
This year Wiseco will be a vendor sponsor at the finals with representatives onsite to offer support and expertise to racers and attendees. See the full press release below for more information.
Mentor, Ohio (August 22, 2018) – Wiseco Performance Products, a leading manufacturer of high performance, forged and billet pistons for the personal watercraft, outboard marine, powersports, snowmobile, and automotive markets, has reached an agreement to support the 2018 International Jet Sports Boating Association (IJSBA) Blowsion World Finals at Lake Havasu, Ariz., Oct. 1-7.
Wiseco will serve as a Vendor Sponsor and has been a fixture at the event for decades. Representatives will be on site to offer technical expertise while supporting racers and discussing products with fans and competitors, alike. Wiseco offers forged pistons for many popular personal watercraft applications and supplies factory pistons for Krash Industries custom skis. The Mentor, Ohio-based organization currently sponsors five-time IJSBA World Champion Tyler Hill.
The IJSBA World Finals is the world’s premier event for all things personal watercraft. Now in its 37th consecutive year of operation, the IJSBA World Finals continues to be the unrivaled showcase of the human spirit in forms of engineering, athletic achievement, camaraderie, and sportsmanship.
The IJSBA is the worldwide sanctioning body for personal watercraft competitive racing. The 2018 Blowsion World Finals will take place in Lake Havasu City at Crazy Horse Campground and Resort. A custom stadium environment is purpose built on the shoreline of the park to create a unique up-close and personal watercraft experience.
“Wiseco is proud to be a part of this year’s IJSBA World Finals,” said Dave Sulecki, Wiseco’s Powersports Product Manager. “This event has always been the culmination of the season with racers from coast to coast going at it for one last run. Racing on the water is in Wiseco’s DNA. Not many people know that Wiseco was founded by a water racer. Clyde Wiseman was an outboard racer with an idea that became Wiseco Pistons over 75 years ago.”
“To this day,” Dave continues, “Wiseco tailors our product line to racers who focus on results with leading edge pistons and products. Grass roots racing has always been part of our identity and we’re looking forward to supporting all the Wiseco racers at the IJSBA World Finals. We appreciate everyone involved and we expect many more years of success for this series.”
The World Finals is centered around Closed Course Racing, Slalom Racing and Freestyle Competition. Closed Course Racing has a starting line of personal watercraft dashing towards a first turn buoy and then navigating several laps through a buoy course. Slalom Racing is a timed event where riders maneuver around a buoy course in hopes of having the fastest time in their division.
Freestyle has individual athletes demonstrating tricks and stunts during a one or two-minute routine for a judge’s score. Professionals, Amateurs, Juniors, and Women’s divisions will bring hundreds of athletes from more than 50 nations to compete for the title of World Champion. Only the Olympic Games have more individual nations represented at a single venue.
“My favorite place to race is Lake Havasu,” explained Hill. “I love the rough water conditions, especially in the fall at the World Championships. I think I race my best when a challenge awaits me. I am a very loyal racer to my sponsors and want to represent them as a positive influence in the sport of watercraft racing. Wiseco has been very generous and I truly appreciate their support.”
About Wiseco Performance Products With a coast to coast domestic distribution system and international customers in Europe, South America, Africa, Australia, and Asia, Wiseco is the world leader in manufacturing high performance, forged pistons for the personal watercraft, outboard marine, snowmobile, motorcycle, ATV and automotive markets.
Wiseco is focused on continually refining our quality culture and our associates are dedicated to living up to our Quality Policy: “To Meet or Exceed Customer Requirements Every Time.”
Quality, integrity and service are the backbone of Wiseco’s success. No other piston manufacturer can match Wiseco’s advanced technology and care for detail. That’s why the top engine builders and racers in every motorsports industry have come to appreciate and depend on Wiseco for consistent winning results.
Anyone who has time around stand up jets skis has at least an inkling as to how difficult it can be to simply get moving in a straight line. Stand ups do not float with a rider in the tray, but the speed needed to plane and stand can be daunting. That dichotomy between sinking and speed, paired with necessary balance and coordination limits the sport to only the most tenacious (and maybe masochistic) people.
But did you know – learning to ride a stand up can actually help make you smarter? The best part is, I’m not kidding in the slightest. Yes, by making mistakes and having the patience to stick out the learning process you too can have your cake, the stand up jet ski, and eat it too, the building skills and intellect through exciting fun.
Myelination: Practice Builds Skill Life is hard. We are not born with any of the skills required to simply read this article, much less ride a jet ski of any sort. We are born into the world helpless, having to learn first to roll, then crawl, and finally shakily walk after failing over and over again. A true testament to balancing patience and pain alongside balancing your physical body. How do we go from effectively a slightly more sentient sack of potatoes to the unbridled masters of our destiny? Skills on the cellular level are attributed to a massive highway of nerve fibers wrapped in a fatty substance called myelin. Through myelination, the wrapping of nerves in myelin to insulate and strengthen the nerve signal, every human skill is created.
Imagine your brain is filled with electrical wiring, the inner wires being nerve signals and the sheath being myelin. More myelin equals more skills. When we begin learning a new skill our movements are usually clumsy and disorganized because we have to consciously use the frontal cortex of our brain. We have to think and thinking is slow. The improved insulation around nerves strengthens the signal triggering your muscles to perform a task with less waste and more precise control without conscious intervention. As you practice a movement, say playing the piano and striking the keys with your fingers, your finger strokes become less sloppy because the strong, insulated nerve signal fires the right muscle at the right time.
You’ve heard the term muscle memory, but I bet you’ve never thought about it in terms of the thickening of myelin around your nerves. Practice riding your jet ski or literally anything that requires a learned skill, you’ll improve by strengthening nerve impulses that send signals to squeeze the throttle lever, brace against the acceleration, and lean into a turn with the ski. Myelin development takes time, which is why it can take days, weeks, or even months to learn a skill.
Now let’s bring this information out of the neurological realm and into the glorious world of jet skis. Think back to the first time you rode a stand up, did you even know how to start it? Now not only can you get it started, but you get it to move with you attached in some form or another – standing, on your knees, on your belly, dragging beside it –these are all acceptable forms at some point in your riding career. Improvement in your reaction time, balance, and overall ability to pilot the ski are attributed to a stronger myelin network through deliberate practice.
Brain Game
How does all this equate to you potentially being smarter? The cognitive benefits of building a beefy myelin network include improved ability to process a greater amount of information over a given time period, and new skills help create a more elastic mind primed for learning.
When your significant other, non-riding friends, and coworkers jab and tease you for spending so much time and money on these mini holes in the water, you can confidently let them know you are increasing your intelligence by building an impressive myelin network one ride at a time. A much better way to pass the time than boring brain games – make more myelin, get out there and ride!
While Sea-Doo continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary, America’s Motor Sports has a phenomenal Sea-Doo Yellow Tag Event happening now! Take advantage of this promotion while it and the personal watercraft are still available. The last day of the sale is September 9, 2018. The $1200 rebate includes 0% financing for 36 months on all 2018 GTI models. This is a great deal, considering that the GTI’s starting price is $8,899.
You can accept the $1200 rebate or choose a 3 years coverage with Sea-Doo’s B.E.S.T. Extended Service plus a $700 rebate. The B.E.S.T. warranty provides extended coverage beyond the manufacturer’s warranty. It begins the second year your PWC limited warranty expires. The plan guarantees that your vehicle will only be serviced by BRP certified technicians and only genuine BRP parts will be used on your machine.
America’s Motor Sports and Sea-Doo are offering many variations of the Yellow Tag Event. Purchase a 2017 Sea-Doo Spark for as low as $4,999, with a $300 rebate built into the price. Add on 1.9 percent financing for 36 months and you’re out the door after taxes and tag are paid.
Buy two 2018 Sea-Spark’s and a trailer for as little as $179 per month. Several models of Sea-Doo Wake skis are on sale as well. Get $150 back when you purchase one of these cool machines. They have many tow specific features including a 3-Position Retractable Ski Pylon and Removable Wakeboard Rack.
The Sea-Doo Yellow Tag Sales Event is pushing the limits on how affordable a Sea-Doo can be. Make waves with a brand new Sea-Doo by getting your hands on this amazing offer before it’s outta here like an outgoing tide!
See all of the fine print and complete details of the Sea-Doo Yellow Tag Event here.
We caught up with some riders following the third Round of the Pro Watercross Tour, Presented by Broward Motorsports. The third stop was in Racine, Wisconsin which is about 1.5 hours north of Chicago, IL on the west side of Lake Michigan. Racers such as Jimmy Wilson describe it as “a gorgeous beach with a ton of spectators just out to enjoy the sun and sand. Racine even had an Italian festival going on. We found a couple awesome little restaurants in town over the weekend for breakfast and dinner.”
Niki Turner told us, “Racine was a beautiful site for Pro Watercross to come enjoy. I loved having the beach feel without the salty after effects. The city representative was super welcoming and seemed to truly enjoy watching our sport. [There were] fun wave conditions, perfect 70+ degree weather, and an enjoyable atmosphere!”
Pro-Am Ski Stock had some heated battles. The Juniors raced in this class again, with Haden Skellett holeshotting Moto 1. He led for a lap until Jimmy Wilson passed him to take the win. Wilson holeshotted and won Moto 2. Then, on Moto 3, Wilson pulled the holeshot again, but got lost on the start. Sammy Nehme, another Junior, had a great ride in Moto 1. He was running third and held off the rest of the pack until he fell mid race. Overall for the weekend, Wilson took first, Matthew Richuk in second, and Callaway Turner in third in Pro-Am Ski Stock.
Pro-Am Ski GP was interesting. Craig Warner pulled the holeshot in Moto 1, but he broke just a couple of laps in. Jimmy Wilson won all three motos. Mike “Klipper” Klippenstien was in third both motos, challenging for second in both motos. Klipper finished behind Warner in Moto 2. In Moto 3, Klipper got Warner on the second to last lap.
Callaway Turner has been on fire in the Pro-Am Ski Stock class this season, so we took the opportunity to catch up with him for some questions. Turner told us this was his first time visiting Racine for a race as he was unable to make it there a few years back when Pro Watercross last had a tour stop there. He said, “The site was like being at a freshwater ocean, which was awesome! Weather was sunny and 75. The water was cooler than I’m used to, but not enough to require a wetsuit.
The water conditions were calm and flat on Saturday, which made for some fast racing. Some 1-2 foot wind chop started picking up throughout the day Sunday to make conditions a little more challenging and tiring. I managed to place third for the weekend, consistent with my placement in the first two tour stops down in Florida. We had some awesome competition in the Pro Ski Stock class with 14 riders signed up. This was Jeb Zarzour’s [his Hurricane Racing teammate] first time competing in that class as I finally talked him into signing up for it.”
Speaking of Jeb Zarzour, we spoke to him as well. Zarzour competes in Pro-Am Ski Stock, Amateur Ski Stock, and even does Freestyle! Zarzour mentioned, “The town of Racine is neat. It has a welcoming feel, kind of like a smaller beach town. It really feels like a beach town and the actual race site was large. It was all sand, for a very long strip. It was almost like being at the ocean, except not salt water!” We asked Zarzour about the conditions, since this was his first time on Lake Michigan. He told us, “The surf on Saturday was pretty flat for about 2/third of the day, but my last moto and most of the last motos that were ran for the day got pretty rough. It built up into about 2-3 foot waves. That was a lot of fun!”
We also got to ask Jeb Zarzour about competing in freestyle on his P&P Performance built and tuned 900cc Helium. He said, “That was the first time I’ve ever tried doing a flatwater freestyle routine in those kinds of conditions. For me, it was really difficult. You couldn’t really see your set-up wake.” We then asked him if he was trying to hit the natural waves, or was he trying to make his own setup wake? “I tried doing both of those. It made getting a good clean lip [of the wave] difficult. You could do something like a 180-flip, but throwing a big flip off of one of the Lake Michigan waves was more difficult,” Zarzour explained.
We spoke with Gary Burtka about freestyle as well. He told us that he has competed every year there’s been PWC racing in Racine since 1995 because it’s his home location (living in Chicago, IL). This was his 4th podium finish in Pro Freestyle, ending his run with his signature no-hander-lander backflip.
All in all, it sounds like Racine, WI, sounds like a fantastic location for a PWC event to be held. It’s capable of throwing all sorts of water conditions to keep the riders on their game, all while providing a beach-like environment without the follow-up maintenance of harsh salt water.
We asked Jeb Zarzour if he’d go back again. He said, “Absolutely!” Even with the long 15-hour drive, we asked? He really liked the site. He just said that it was a bit difficult to start driving back home at 4pm on Sunday because everyone had work on Monday morning. He told us he got back to work at 9:05am on Monday morning! This seems to be a common consensus with many racers. We all travel long distances, with most of us having to be back at work on Monday morning, but if you ask any of us if we’d do it again, most everyone says, “YES!”
Greenhulk PWC Performance Store has RIVA 2018 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300 Pro Series sponsons in stock. They’re available for just under $500.00. These race proven sponsons offer significant handling improvement through increased adjustability, strength, and design. The bulletproof aluminum mounting inserts add even more strength and increase vertical adjustability, allowing you to set them in the way that works best for your riding.
The sponsons are precision machined from a high strength material that will not flex, even under extreme conditions. Stiff blades work well when racing. Some riders love stiff sponsons, while others prefer to ride without them. It’s all about personal preference and what works for your riding style.
The RIVA Pro Series sponsons have five adjustable mounting positions up and down and they are legal for all classes in IJSBA sanctioned events. Moreover, the adjustable billet aluminum stabilizer allows you to tune lean-in handling characteristics. This feature will help improve your racing capabilities by letting you decide how hard you can lean into turns without losing control.
Use the discount code: “greenhulk” when completing the checkout process in the GreenHulk Store and save 10% off the listed price of most RIVA and R&D products, all WORX Racing parts and all Solas impellers.
Hartwell, Georgia is special because it’s the only stop on the tour that they have the unique race class of “Vintage Ski.” This year, it was the second most popular class with 14 racers on the line! Josh Block returned from a 2-year hiatus, taking the overall win on a Yamaha SuperJet with a 1-2-2. Kevin Rowe finished second overall with a 2-4-1, and Gage Schoenherr finished third overall with a 5-1-3 in the 3 motos.
A familiar face on the shore is 10-year-old Kayden Baldwin, son of Brian Baldwin. Hartwell is now a memorable place for him because this was his first ever race! We asked him what it was like to race for the first time. He told us, “I was excited and a little nervous. Once I got to the starting line, I was a lot nervous and my stomach started hurting.” We then asked him how he felt once the race started: “The nerves went away,” Baldwin answered immediately. He was out there racing on a Kawasaki SX-R 800 saying, “She’s fast and runs real good, thanks to my dad of Champion Powersports. Big thanks to Fly Racing for my cool racing gear, too!”
Freestyle was surely entertaining for the spectators. They got to see a wide array of tricks ranging from old-school tricks like submarines and bulldogs, to new-school tricks like backflips and 540’s. We started off with Amateur Freestyle in which Michael Petro entered back into the competition scene on ‘98 roundnose Yamaha SuperJet with a 650 and a big ‘ol Liquid Militia logo across the hood. The lack of power surely didn’t stop him though, starting off with his signature Superman Rail Grab! Yes folks, Petro is back! He threw down a solid old school routine, busting out everything in the books.
Next up was Kevin Rowe on his vintage Kawasaki 550. Boy, he threw down a heck of a routine as well, starting off with his favorite ‘barefooting’ as he zoomed across the water with his feet skipping off the side. Mid-routine, he even threw a log roll. He ended his routine with a really deep submarine causing his ski to start sinking, but luckily there were plenty of us to swim his ski to shore and get the water out. Following Petro and Rowe was Jeb Zarzour on his ‘new-school’ ski, a carbon XScream Helium hull with 900cc power plant. Unfortunately for Jeb, he had mechanical issues immediately upon starting his routine and had to forfeit for the remainder of the weekend. Rowe took first on Saturday, but Petro battled back real hard on Sunday, winning Moto 2 with a flawless old-school routine, taking the overall win in Amateur Freestyle. Talk about a nice way to enter back into the competition scene after many years away!
Next up was Pro Freestyle! Unfortunately, during practice in Moto 1, Gary Burtka broke his exhaust coupler on his blue Twangled Havoc. Luckily, Freestylers are supportive of each other, so Michael Petro let Burtka take his vintage 650 square nose SuperJet out for a 2-minute rip. Burtka, haven’t been on a vintage ski in many years, looked right at home busting out crowd favorites like fountains and other various hood tricks. Following Burtka was Ryan Doberstein on his P&P Performance built TPE 1200cc Helium. Doberstein was on a new-school ski and gave this crowd some eye-opening amplitude on big backflips, spins, and combos!
Moto 2 in Pro Freestyle on Sunday had Gary Burtka going first on his white Twangled Havoc, which was built by Zack at Powerhouse Performance. His ski looked great as he started off his routine with a clean set of three backflips in a row and even a no-hander lander backflip. It was now up to Doberstein to defend his Moto 1 win, so Doberstein pulled out multiple technical tricks such as 1-footed 540 to backflip combos. Other combos consisted of 1-footed can backflips to multiple 1-footed 360s. Doberstein pulled out the overall win with Burtka in second.
One of the big talks of the weekend was Moto 3 of Pro-Am Runabout Box Stock with 777 Tim Miller squeezing out the win from 110 Troy Snyder. Overall, Snyder took first; Brian Baldwin in second; and Miller in third, but this Moto 3 was especially entertaining as a spectator. We got a chance to catch up with both Tim Miller and Troy Snyder to see what they said.
Tim Miller told The Watercraft Journal, “Snyder was in the lead the whole race, I was in second with Baldwin on my tail the whole race. I was really working hard trying to pass Snyder. At that time I really just wanted to beat Snyder for the Moto, but knew it wouldn’t help much. Baldwin is pretty far ahead in the points. Not sure if anyone can get him. I’m currently second in points after Georgia, but the win for Snyder brought us within 7 points of each other. “
We asked Miller if he had any advice for new racers in regards to finishing the race strong. He told us “The race isn’t over until you cross that finish line, never give up and keep pushing. Never let off, especially at or before the finish line. It’s dangerous for the racer and the ones behind them as well. Pin it to win it till the end!! Not real sure why Snyder let off that early.” Well, neither did the majority of everyone on shore and even on social media afterwards. So, we wanted to get Troy Snyder’s take on this race.
Troy Snyder told us, “I let off at the end for strategy for overall [points] for the year. I was holding Baldwin up on purpose trying to get Tim Miller to beat him for the weekend. You always want to push hard to the end of the course. Me, as multi-time champion, always use my head when I race. I save the boat and know where I am for overall wins. You don’t have to win every moto to get the trophy.”
For this year’s IJSBA World Finals, ProX Racing Parts is excited to announce their support. This year, ProX will be a vendor sponsor with onsite product specialists to offer technical expertise. They will be supporting racers as well as discussing products with all attendees.
For more information about ProX and their supporting role in the upcoming IJSBA World Finals, see their full press release below:
Mentor, Ohio (August 21, 2018) – ProX Racing Parts, a global manufacturer and supplier of replacement parts and products for personal watercraft, Jetskis, dirt bikes, ATVs, snowmobiles and karts, has reached an agreement to support the 2018 International Jet Sports Boating Association (IJSBA) Blowsion World Finals at Lake Havasu, Ariz., Oct. 1-7.
The IJSBA is the worldwide sanctioning body for personal watercraft competitive racing. The 2018 Blowsion World Finals will take place in Lake Havasu City at Crazy Horse Campgrounds and Resort. A custom stadium environment is purpose built on the shoreline of the park to create a unique up-close and personal watercraft experience. ProX will serve as a Vendor Sponsor at the annual event where product specialists will be on site to offer technical expertise while supporting racers and discussing products with fans and competitors, alike.
The IJSBA World Finals is the world’s premier event for all things personal watercraft. Now in its 37th consecutive year of operation, the IJSBA World Finals continues to be the unrivaled showcase of the human spirit in forms of engineering, athletic achievement, camaraderie, and sportsmanship.
ProX offers OEM-quality replacement pistons and connecting rods for many of the popular personal watercraft applications. ProX has a rich history in personal watercraft competition in Europe and currently sponsors Luc Hermsen, who races the European P1 Jetcross series.
“ProX Racing Parts is proud to be involved with IJSBA, promoting watercraft racing, fun, and safety,” explained ProX Director of Powersports Scott Highland. “The Association has a long history of promoting the sport of personal watercraft racing and we appreciate their efforts. ProX has been involved in personal watercraft engine parts development for many years, and support racers from that discipline across the globe. We are excited to support all the participants, racers and team members at an event as prestigious as the IJSBA World Finals. ProX is proud to support this world-class championship event.”
The World Finals is centered around Closed Course Racing, Slalom Racing and Freestyle Competition. Closed Course Racing has a starting line of personal watercraft dashing towards a first turn buoy and then navigating several laps through a buoy course. Slalom Racing is a timed event where riders maneuver around a buoy course in hopes of having the fastest time in their division.
Freestyle has individual athletes demonstrating tricks and stunts during a one or two-minute routine for a judge’s score. Professionals, Amateurs, Juniors, and Women’s divisions will bring hundreds of athletes from more than 50 nations to compete for the title of World Champion. Only the Olympic Games have more individual nations represented at a single venue.
About ProX
ProX Racing Parts supplies genuine replacement parts and products which meet or exceed OEM specifications and standards for dirt bikes, ATVs, personal watercraft, Jetskis, snowmobiles and karts. Founded in 1975 and headquartered near Amsterdam in The Netherlands, ProX is distributed across the globe. ProX specializes in high quality internal engine components like pistons, connecting rods, crankshafts and valves. ProX continues to expand
its range and develop product lines for applications outside the engine case. ProX stocks over 8, 000 part numbers segmented over more than 60 different product groups. ProX Racing Parts are available through specific and dedicated sales networks around the world. For more information, log on to www.pro-x.com.
While 
