Gallery: Tri-State River Rats Save 6 Boaters From Sinking

October 24, 2017

News of the Tri-State River Rats – a Powersports Club from Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio areas –and their daring rescue has already hit the social media circles, but The Watercraft Journal reached out to President of the River Rats, Stephen Kresko, for a first hand account. This is the inside story:

“We were enjoying the last day of vacation in the Destin, Florida area,” Kresko began. “[Me], Tyler Rebman of Cincinnati, Ohio; Chris Riesz of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Peter Hanna of Nashville, Tennessee all wanted one last time out in the Gulf of Mexico to jump some waves as the rest of the club was hanging out at Crab Island, a local area to anchor and relax.”

“The weather forecast on the 21st of October had issued a small craft weather advisory,” Kresko cautioned. “But we had already enjoyed the waves earlier in the day so we knew what we were getting into on the water. We headed out, but this time the swells were bigger than before. As we made our way out the East Pass of the mouth of Destin into the Gulf, we noticed the wind had picked up. We all went to our area to do some wave jumping. The waves now were 10-14 footers where we were jumping.”

Kresko, keeping an eye on everybody to make sure they weren’t in harm’s way, joined in the fun. “Tyler got his camera out and starting taking pictures and video. As we jumped all of us had smiles on our faces. We would circle around and make run after run. We rode until we were too tired to continue.”

Kresko motioned to head back in and rejoin the group at Crab Island. “As we started in the mouth of the East Pass of the Destin waterway, [I] noticed a boat capsized with six men on top of the hull, none of them had lifejackets on. All [of the] men looked scared and nervous. There were two other boats trying to assist, one boat was the “Barracuda”, captained by Brandy Miles-Kitchen; the other just warning other boaters to keep clear. But neither vessel could get close enough to help.”

That’s when Kresko looked at Riesz and said, “Let’s give them a hand.”

Rebman and Hanna followed. They first tried to get life vests from the Barracuda to the men on the overturned boat. Then Kresko was the first to position his personal watercraft with the backend towards the capsized boat so one of the men could get on his craft. As the man tried climbing aboard the watercraft he leaned too far to the right and both men fell off into the rough sea. Kresko hurried back on his craft and they tried again with success.

He brought him to the boat and positioned alongside of it and people on the boat grabbed him and brought him on board the vessel. The man said, “Please get my brothers.” As this was happening Rebman, Riesz and Hanna started positioning their craft in the same manner and plucking each man one by one. Peter Hanna had brought one of his men to the shore for safety. Kresko and Rebman each rescued two men and Riesz and Hanna a man each. The rescue worked like clockwork.

“The River Rats are experienced PWC riders and it showed during the rescue in rough waters, each operator was calm and collected. All men were rescued and accounted for, as they were completing the operation, the Coast Guard arrived to assist the rescue boat to shore and take them to the Coast Guard facility. As the capsized boat went under the River Rats left the area to rejoin their group at Crab Island and share their story,” Kresko concluded.

All images courtesy of Tyler Rebman

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Gallery: 36th Annual Blowsion IJSBA World Finals Whips Up Havasu

Kevin Shaw

October 23, 2017

The lead up to the 36th annual IJSBA World Finals was a rocky one. Racers were scrambling to arrange travel and transportation, and tuners hustled to put the final touches on new machines for the iconic event. Advancing the dates to a week earlier in October required many to shuffle plans as other events threatened to overlap. Returning once again to the Crazy Horse Campgrounds in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, the World Finals – this year sponsored by Blowsion – saw a great deal of change ups, a handful of surprises and a few curve balls.

Those few who were present on Monday, October 2nd, woke to tragic news of a mass shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada. As one of the primary airports used by professional personal watercraft racers every October, flights, hotels and rental cars were suddenly akimbo. All travel came to a screeching halt when Air Force One touched down at McCarran International Airport a couple days later. The annual get-together with long-time friends and industry people was boiled down to a mad dash to setup booths, pits and equipment before their races began.

As the industry’s single largest gathering of aftermarket companies, the IJSBA World Finals also acts as the sport’s one-and-only trade show. New product is revealed, and existing items are displayed and sold on Vendor Row; the alley also serving to give competitors an opportunity to catch up with their sponsors and potentially make new ones. Welcomed newcomers and established mainstays all beckoned for visitors to stop in and review their latest wares. As the days continued the foot traffic increased but never to the point of congestion.

Legendary athletes from the sport’s heydays like Larry Rippenkroeger, Tera Laho, Jeff Jacobs, Chris Fishetti, Tommy Bonacci, Mike Yellich as well as many others were walking the grounds checking out the racing and the latest and greatest products for PWCs as well as just catching up with old friends. Moving in and out of the RIVA Racing booth, the massively-expanded Jettrim tractor trailer, catching up with Arno at Hydro-Turf, or stopping in at the Skat-Trak booth, the Vendor Row was teaming with racers and enthusiasts alike.

Initial practices for Novices and Amateurs began that Monday, October 2nd with Tuesday kicking off the actual racing. Novices, Amateurs and Masters classes all had heats, LCQ’s and first and second motos all in one day! It made for a long one, but a good time was had by all. On Wednesday, some of the GP classes and SuperStock Amateur and Master classes were held. The laps were increased as there were less races. Like Monday, northern winds whipped up the lake into a sea of white caps, giving racers another challenger: Mother Nature.

Thursday we started to see some of the bigger classes like Sport Spec and Junior Ski classes as well as the implementation of the log jump for some ski classes. Actually, there were 3 log jumps in a row on the massive track this year. Friday, as when most of the stands were filled with spectators, the wind returned and fiercer than ever. As the Pros started to fill the starting lines, spectators witnessed great racing in the Jr. Ski classes as well as the Sport GP class as Dustin Farthing entered the fray, taking home his 20th world championship.

Saturday’s roster was packed full of stellar racing and welcomed the largest class of the event, Vintage Ski. Competitors from all ages entered, and many in the bleachers stood on their feet as the plumes of blue two-stroke smoke billowed over the beach. In fine fashion, class winner Rob Flores showed why experience should be feared as he fought back the field to a world championship. Equally, Chris MacClugage’s decades of racing paid off as he won another championship in the Pro Runabout Stock class to add to his resume.

Amid all the chaos, all the world stood still for the Pro Freestyle event. World Finals seems to be about the only place to see the best perform and this year was no different. Taking the short straw was 5-time World Champion Lee Stone, who every year has brought new and exciting tricks to the water. As Stone circled the shore, many wondered what the Englishman had in store. Stone erupted into the air with an incredible double backflip – a trick only previously executed either in surf or in the wake of a ski boat.

The rest of the competitors, the judges mused, were now in a race to fill the rest of the podium. That night, at the Blowsion Expression Session held under the London Bridge, Stone executed his double backflip again and followed it with the first 720. As Sunday rolled around, many thought that Stone had the championship in the bag, and 30 seconds into his final routine only added to it. Stone performed his third double backflip and 720 then his engine died. All efforts to revive the ski failed.

Failing under 60 seconds meant Stone was out of the running. Not to be outdone, one competitor had not given up the race, Mark Gomez. Gomez showed true showmanship panache, performing freeride tricks on flatwater again and again, with exaggerated flair and near-flawless transitions. He even installed LEDs to his ski during the nighttime performance. With Stone out of the running, Gomez was crowned the victor.

Last year’s GP Runabout winner György Kasza came back swinging after a tough week. During testing, Kasza blew up a motor, requiring him to purchase a whole new ski just to extract its engine and replace the blown one. And the payoff? In a field of 12 racers, with so many breaking down with mechanical issues, Kasza was all but unchallenged, leisurely cruising the entirety of the track at an average of 45 miles per hour.

Sunday wasn’t without its drama either. Some of the sport’s fastest boats were on the water, both in Pro Ski Modified and Pro Runabout Open; France’s Jeremy Poret beat out Dustin Motzuris in a hard-fought race, and Kuwaiti Mohammed Burbayea bested György Kasza, respectively. The Vintage X2 class was well-populated showing that most of the effort has shifted from new to old as it just seems to be easier to afford. Of course, Kawasaki’s new SX-R 1500 was the biggest winner, as so many racers opted for the new ski either for advantage or due to class restructuring.

All-in-all it was a great World Finals event, although attendance was noticeably low, travel to the location hindered by unforeseen circumstances and weather being all but uncooperative. Thankfully, those present will attest that it is the spirit of camaraderie and passion for the sport that drives so many and compels all to do just about anything to keep it going. The sport of personal watercraft racing will continue only as long as there are passionate, dyed-in-the-wool enthusiasts who love and sacrifice to keep it going. And that is all it needs.

All photography provided by Angel Mazur. Original, unedited copies can be purchased HERE.

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Video: Go Farther, Go Bigger With The Neptune Sliding Bracket

Ocean Priselac

October 23, 2017

Durban, South Africa’s outfit; Jet Ski Developments offers the Neptune Sliding Bracket. This system makes it easy to attach an outboard motor to your personal watercraft. It will help you reach your offshore fishing destination faster as well as easily maneuver your ski off its trailer and onto a couple of big rollers. The use of beach rollers gives more clearance and makes it easier to move the ski when off trailer. Also, the rollers keep your boat off the ground so no sand enters the motor.

In a video dated October 21, 2014, a rider is shown mounting the ski at the stern. The additional trolmotor is off center, allowing easy access onto the ski. The motor can either be centered or off to the side. Either way; the ski isn’t affected. It still moves in a straight line. Climbing aboard from the stern is just as easy as dismounting at the stern.

The motor can be tilted in order to use a PWC at full throttle. Make sure the boat motor is secured with a line if you go full on with your ski! The advantages of using the Neptune Sliding Bracket include safety and piece of mind. No worries about being stranded on your personal watercraft. If your ski breaks down, you have an extra engine! Use of an outboard motor also equates to less hours on your jet ski engine. Moreover, an outboard motor enables trolling at a slow pace. It’s great for reeling in those trophy fish like the swordfish the angler in the video fights and catches.

When the rider comes ashore, he simply removes the motor and bracket. The bracket isn’t difficult to unbolt and leaving the brace attached makes it simple to reattach the slider and outboard motor. If you want to find out more about The Neptune Sliding Bracket, check out Jet Ski Developments Facebook page.

Sea-Doo Spark Trixx Wins Design Award

Kevin Shaw

October 20, 2017

The Sea-Doo Spark Trixx has become such a huge hit with consumers. This special Spark model which first hit dealer showrooms earlier this year, saw some radical design additions to the base model Spark which allows riders to perform unique tricks, hence the model name Trixx.

This trend setting excellent design has just earned BRP the prestigious Good Design Award from The Japan Institute for Design Promotion. According to Denys Lapointe, BRP’s senior vice-president of Design, Innovation and Corporate Image, “This prestigious recognition proves convincingly that an affordable recreational product can have cutting-edge design and provide an amazing riding experience.

Inspired by BMX bikes and extreme sports, the Spark Trixx stimulates the imagination of riders and impels them to perform a wide variety of stunts that were originally only accessible to pros. Learn more about it and see how it behaves on the water.

Among other things, the Good Design Award jury was impressed by the lightweight and scratch-resistant Polytec material the Sea-Doo Spark Trixx is made of. “The angled footwell wedges, adjustable handlebar, and comfortable grip contribute to a high-quality design that makes the user feel as if they are riding a bike on water,” said the jury. Read more about the Spark Trixx’s Good Design Award.

The Sea-Doo Spark Trixx was designed at BRP’s Centre Design & Innovation Laurent Beaudoin, located in the company’s hometown of Valcourt in Québec, Canada. In June, the Sea-Doo Spark Trixx as well as three other BRP products, the Can-Am Maverick X3 and Can-Am Defender MAX side-by-side vehicles and the Evinrude E-TEC G2 150-200 HP outboard engine, won Good Design Australia awards.

Seven Deadly Questions With Five-Time IJSBA World Champ Tyler Hill

Brice Leckrone

October 19, 2017

[This episode of Seven Deadly Questions comes from a Wiseco Performance Products interview with the five-time IJSBA world champion and Yamaha racer Tyler Hill. – Ed]

WPP: Give us some history on your racing career.
Tyler Hill: I have been racing personal watercraft since I was eleven years old and have grown up in the watercraft racing industry. In my first year of racing, I captured my first world championship title when I was eleven years old in the Junior 13-15 Runabout limited class in 2008. Over the next several years I became a top contender in the Sport class, competing in Sport Spec, Sport Spec Open, Sport Modified, and Sport GP. Two years later, I won the Sport Spec world championship title at the age of thirteen. In 2012, I placed second in Sport Spec and Sport Modified. I placed third in Sport GP and first in Sport Spec Open in 2013.

After finally winning the Sport Spec Open class, I set my sights on winning a world championship in Sport GP. The following year, I took a third place in Sport Spec and a second place in Sport GP. The world title eluded me in 2015 when I placed second in Sport GP. After a lot of hard work and determination, I achieved my goal of Sport GP World Champion in 2016. I also took a second place in Sport Spec. I returned to the Runabout class in 2016 and won a world championship title in Runabout Naturally Aspirated Stock.

WPP: What’s your favorite place to race and why?
TP: My favorite place to race is Lake Havasu. 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.

WPP: What’s your favorite hull/engine combination to run and why?
TP: My favorite hull to run is my Yamaha GP 1800 with its CC displacement of 1812. The GP 1800 is a supercharged 4-stroke that in stock form, goes over 70 mph. With the correct combination of handling parts, it is a fun boat to race and fast. I also enjoy racing my Sport GP HX which is powered by a Seadoo 951 engine with Wiseco Pistons. Last year, I won a world championship in Sport GP racing through some of the roughest water conditions seen at the World Finals in Lake Havasu.

WPP: Have you seen any growth in the sport since you’ve been racing? If so, what do you attribute that to?
TP: Over the past few years, I have seen the Sport class grow in both Sport GP and Sport Spec. I think that several of us sport riders have contributed to making the classes more exciting to watch and competitive to race in. My race boats have inspired others to build Sport GP boats. My fellow racers hope that they will get the chance to beat me on my Sport GP HX..

WPP: What’s the driving factor for you to stick with your key sponsors?
TP: I am a very loyal racer to my sponsors and want to represent them as a positive influence in the sport of watercraft racing. My sponsors have been very generous over the years and I truly appreciate their support. I could not have won 5 world championship titles without their help and sponsorship. Each year, I am proud to run their company names on all of my race boats.

WPP: What have you been focusing on in the recent months?
TP: I have been training for the upcoming 2017 World Finals of Watercraft Racing to be held in Lake Havasu City, Arizona on September 30th through October 9th. I have been on a strict diet to keep my body fat percentage low, along with a weight lifting program at the gym. I incorporate active cardio type of activities into my program like road cycling, mountain biking, and surfing. I will be training on the lake every day for the month of September. I will be racing both Sport Spec and Sport GP once again at this year’s World Finals. I have also made a big step up to the Pro Runabout Stock class.

WPP: What’s next for you in the coming years?
TP: In the coming years, I want to become one of the top competitors in every aspect in the sport of watercraft racing. I train extremely hard to be competitive in the sport, from endurance racing to closed course. I want to continue to better myself in all areas of watercraft racing which include racing in all classes: Runabout, Sport, and the Ski class.

Racing photography courtesy of Woramun Boonrawd at Bomb Photography. All images are available HERE.

Yamaha WaveRunners Becomes Presenting Sponsor of Long Haul Video Series

Kevin Shaw

October 19, 2017

Do you remember having to pay a monthly subscription fee to get the latest news, product reviews, event coverage, interviews and shop tours from throughout the personal watercraft industry? Man, that was sooo long ago. Do you remember the magazine being creased and wrinkled from the mailman folding it in half over your monthly bills and junk mail? Yeah, we remember that too. Aren’t you glad that those days are long behind you, and now you get all of that awesome content 100-percent for free, and published every day, Monday-through-Friday? Aaand a weekly newsletter popping into your inbox every Friday afternoon recapping the week’s articles? Yeah, what a time to be alive.

Well, it turns out that if you’re only reading the awesome, industry-leading articles published here at The Watercraft Journal you’re only getting half of the content we provide! We also film, edit and produce a bi-monthly series called “Long Haul”, an enthusiast’s guide to some of the latest personal watercraft, awesome scenic rides and event the occasional major PWC event. We’ve been hard at work cranking out episode after episode of our brief YouTube series, and it’s entirely free to you, the watercraft lover! Even if you don’t frequent YouTube often (which isn’t many of you since YouTube is the second most popular search engine besides Google), you can subscribe to get alerts when we publish a new video!

And for the remainder of 2017 and throughout all of 2018, The Watercraft Journal is very proud to announce that Yamaha WaveRunners has become the presenting sponsor for each and every episode. But do not fear, even though Yamaha is helping us pay the bills to crank out all of these videos, we still will feature videos with Sea-Doo and Kawasaki watercraft too. While we don’t charge you, the reader for anything, we do need to keep the lights on, and we’re so proud to be working with Yamaha and all of The Watercraft Journal’s advertising sponsors. Make sure to check out our Sponsors page and give them your support – they’re the ones making this magazine and our YouTube videos possible!

Video: Sea-Doo Spark Wave Jumping Done Right

Brice Leckrone

October 18, 2017

Whenever a new revolutionary design hits the market, it can be a scary moment for a manufacturer. Whether it is a new engine platform, a new hull, or a totally new concept from a material engineering standpoint, the bets are being played in uncharted territory. The Sea-Doo Spark was no exception when it was released.

This little industry-changing ski has definitely seen its fair share of customer uncertainty and scrutiny. One of the main concerns which customers or critics had was the whether or not the hull could stand up to the abuse of not only normal watercraft riding but the pounding of rough water conditions.

Sea-Doo itself went so far to prove the integrity of this PWC, that it released a series of ‘scientific test’ videos to not only give some humor, but show the Sea-Doo Spark’s credibility. As funny yet truthful as this evidence suggests, at the end of the day there is sometimes no better way to show proof than some good ole’ real world rough and tough abuse such as the likes of this recent YouTube video.

The guys from Queensland, Australia definitely look like they had a fun time making this video. It surely goes to show just how much abuse these things can really take and still hold their own. To check out one of these awesome wave jumping machines, head on over to Sea-Doo today.

Sea-Doo Leaves Huge Impact At IJSBA World Finals

Brice Leckrone

October 18, 2017

Sea-Doo definitely made a huge impression at the 2017 IJSBA World Finals in Lake Havasu, AZ. They not only set a record with their seventh consecutive Pro Open IJSBA World Championship, they also stirred up quite a bit of buzz with their public reveal of the 2018 Sea-Doo watercraft. In addition, the Sea-Doo Bounty Invitational showcased the stability and handling of the 2018 RXT-X 300.

The Sea-Doo X-TEAM extends the legacy of Sea-Doo watercraft dominance to seven consecutive years in the two premier IJSBA Pro World Championship classes. Kuwait’s Mohammed Burbayea captured his first Pro Open championship aboard his Sea-Doo RXP-X model and Hungary’s György Kasza added to his championships finishing atop the Pro GP class.

Sea-Doo riders added to the podium count with Kasza finishing as the runner up in Pro Open. In Pro GP it was UK’s prolific James Bushell finishing second and Marcus Jorgenson of Denmark completing the X-TEAM podium sweep finishing in third. Kylie Elmers also added another Pro Women’s championship to her resume aboard her Sea-Doo Centre backed RXP-X 300. The event, attended by the top riders in the world, proved the dynasty of performance dominance lives with the Sea-Doo T³ hull equipped watercraft models.

Ready to carry the X-TEAM winning legacy to endurance racing is the 2018 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300 model with the all new ST³ hull. The new Sea-Doo RXT, GTX, and WAKE PRO watercraft models made their public debut at IJSBA World Finals in Lake Havasu City, AZ where guests were able to test ride the new platform featuring the ST³ hull. Numerous racers and performance enthusiasts said this new platform would be the one to beat in 2018 in part because of its incredible rough water stability and lowered rider center of gravity.

Select X-TEAM racers showcased the performance and specifically the stability and precise handling of the new RXT-X 300 in the Sea-Doo Bounty Invitational event. The Sea-Doo Bounty is a racer contingency program that pays Sea-Doo watercraft racers extra money for top finishes and includes a special World Finals event. Florida’s Erminio Iantosca and Australia’s Gee Greenland competed in the Sea-Doo Bounty ‘Pop Man’ Invitational final where both riders rode the new 2018 Sea-Doo RXT-X 300 model around the World Finals track while having to pop several buoys in attempt to post the fastest one-lap time. Greenland showcased the RXT-X 300 stable and precise handling abilities the best by narrowly edging Iantosca by a mere three tenths of a second to claim the $1000 bonus.

Visit Sea-Doo on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SeaDoo to view images from the 2017 IJSBA World Finals and to learn about upcoming events.

Case of The Tuesdays: RV Owner’s Unique Articulating PWC Rack

Kevin Shaw

October 17, 2017

Listen, we get it. Some folks just don’t want to tow a trailer behind them. It gets in the way, there’s all that extra strain on your tow vehicle. And let’s not forget all of the crazies out on the road seemingly hellbent to collide into your skis! That’s why we like Truckboss so much. Their truck bed deck systems are some of the best in the industry, and offer a whole heck of a lot of versatility and functionality to boot. But what we’ve seen here is something different altogether.

Although details remain a little fuzzy whether this was a homebuilt rack and lift system, or was actually something purchased from a manufacturer; but either way, this odd PWC lift and rack combination suddenly makes what normally would be a ladder on the back of a RV into an articulated, ram-operated launching pivot. Watch as the owner backs his camper into the water and slowly dispatches his runabout from the roof all the way down into the water. We can imagine the forces placed on this system when fully laden with fuel and storage, so we’re thinking this might be a do-it-yourselfer kinda deal.

Either way, it’s still pretty ingenious and clearly it works. We wonder how many other RV owners would be interested in such an item. All we gotta say is just make sure the straps are on tight!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ_u0CTlfx0/?taken-by=xfloatbrasil

Yamaha Racers Shake The 2017 IJSBA World Finals

Ocean Priselac

October 17, 2017

Yamaha GP1800 racers take out the world championships and the world title in Lake Havasu City, AZ, this past September 30-October 8.

“It was truly an amazing showing for the GP1800 along with our other platforms including the new EX which also made its racing debut. The GP’s combination of high power, light weight and unmatched handling in all types of conditions was demonstrated by its strong showing on Friday in two to three foot chop,” said Yamaha product manager and race director Scott Watkins. “The GP went on to dominate the rest of the weekend winning multiple world championship titles. Congrats and many thanks to all the racers and their families, tuners, mechanics, friends and other sponsors who contribute so much to their racing effort. It’s an honor for myself and Yamaha to be a part of such a dedicated group.”

It’s all true; the new Yamaha GP 1800 dominated the field during the IJSBA World Finals. The Yamaha team won Pro Runabout, Stock, and Pro Runabout Limited classes. Chris MacCluggage, Aero Aswar, and Aqsa Aswar finished 1st, 2nd, and 3rd overall.

The victories began Saturday in howling 20mph winds, which created rough chop on the lake. Aqsa Aswar won the first moto in a blazing 42-seconds! Moto 2 was held in cleaner conditions as the winds laid down Sunday. Aero Aswar took the moto win, while MacCluggage picked up the gold in the overall category with his two second place finishes.

Eric Francis’s decision to ride Yamaha Waverunners served him well in Lake Havasu. He won the Pro Runabout Limited on a Stock Class GP 1800. Francis also secured the Pro Runabout Limited World Title with his first place finish.

Yamaha congratulates all of the Yamaha riders who competed this year at the IJSBA World Finals. Congratulations also go out to Dean’s Team, RIVA Racing, and Broward Motorsports. What a great year!

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