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Gallery: P1 AquaX Round 3; St. Petersburg, FL

By
Kurt NgSaye
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Welcome to Round 3 of the P1 AquaX tour and beautiful St. Petersburg, Florida. Round 2 in St. Cloud, Florida was in the past and the racers were ready to get back on the water. This round would be the first time in the 5-year race series that it would grace the shores of St. Pete and it was a welcome venue. The Amateurs who raced Round 2 welcomed back the professionals along with the P1 Superstock race boats for this site.

Prior to this weekend, the overall point totals showed that there was a new Number One racer on the tour for the professionals. Chris MacClugage was named the new world leader coming into the weekend (taking it over from Aero Aswar) and it was going to be interesting as many racers had it set to knock him off the podium.

First up for the weekend was the Amateur class, so the battle for the top spot in the Pros would have to wait just a little bit. The racing started had Enrique Chia taking the hole shot just as he had done in St. Cloud and many wondered if he would gain his second win of the season. Sophie Francis, who in the past races came up just a tiny bit short of getting a podium spot followed Chia. Sophie looked like she was on a mission and took the lead from Chia and held off all the rest of the racers all weekend to claim her very first win in AquaX. With the win she also became the very first female racer to ever win a race in the 300 class, showed that with her husband Eric Francis, that a family who trains together can both get big wins.

In the 250 class, Kevin Sullivan would continue his winning streak for the season and take the first win for the weekend in his class. In the 200 class, we would see Jennifer Nolan take the win over Eric Diaz. After the race, Jennifer was glad for the win but was really tired. A combination of the extreme Florida heat and humidity – along with fighting a severe case of bronchitis, she definitely needed to get as much rest as possible if she was going to finish racing the entire weekend.

Then, the Pros took the water. Many wondered who would come out on top in a field of 25 racers that included numerous world champions. As the race started it was RIVA-sponsored racer Brian Baldwin who grabbed the hole shot and would not relinquish the lead the entire race. Chris MacClugage would try to chase him down but it appeared from the shore that Macc wasn’t charging as fast as he usually does.

Nicholas Rius and Eric Francis were on the hunt; as the race ended it was Macc and Rius following Baldwin. As soon as MacClugage arrived back to the shore, he tore off his race gear and we knew something was going on with him. It turned out that Macc was also battling a severe case of bronchitis and with no wind and the thick Florida humidity; it would be a lot for him (as well as any racer) to endure for 30 minutes.

Race 2 in the Amateur class was up next. After seeing Daytona winner Carlito Del Valle take the win in the 300 class, Kevin Sullivan in the 250 class and Jennifer Nolan in the 200 class, the second Pro moto saw Nicolas Rius take the win in the 300 class followed by Chris MacClugage and Eric Francis, respectively. Day 1 of racing was officially in the books and the racers were pumped up for the Day 2 of racing to get here.

Day 2 arrived and the conditions were a repeat of the previous day with the same high temperatures. Would Chris MacClugage be rested enough from his bronchitis to get a get a win and maintain his number one ranking in the world or would someone else take the win? Racing started with the Amateurs racing again. Cody Tetreault took the win in the 300 class and the Overall win for the weekend. Sophie Francis would follow him for second place and garner her very first podium spot in the series. Following Sophie was Enrique Chia but it wasn’t enough for him to gain points for a podium spot.

In the 250 class, Kevin Sullivan who would get a clean sweep for the weekend and put him at the top podium spot in his class. In the 200 class, Eric Diaz took top honors for the final race of the weekend in the Amateur class. Jennifer Nolan would get the overall top podium spot for the weekend even while fighting bronchitis.

The final race of the weekend had the Pros in Race 3, with Eric Francis taking the win over Chris MacClugage, garnering him a podium spot, and joining his wife Sophie for the weekend. Brian Baldwin would take third place in the final race of the weekend. Due to points, it ended with MacClugage getting the overall top spot (by one point) for the weekend having finished a consistent second in every race. Eric Francis and Brian Baldwin finished tied for the weekend and would have them rounding out the top three. Another race weekend was in the books and the racers said good bye to St. Petersburg and have now set their sights to the next round, which will be only the Pros racing in Sarasota, Florida in July.

Join The Club: WNY PWC Owners

By
Kevin Shaw
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0

[For today’s installment of “Join The Club,” The Watercraft Journal welcomes Craig R. Witt from the WNY PWC Owners, a group comprised of local watercraft enthusiasts around the Lake Erie, Niagara River, Lake Ontario region. -Ed]

“It all began with as a way to connect local riders focused on maximizing our short seasons here in a region known only for our blizzard stricken winters by the outside world. WNY PWC Owners takes great pride in utilizing our Facebook page to provide a no cost membership and share a plethora of information concerning weather conditions, water temps, small craft advisories, new waterway rules, local launch information, share classifieds, trouble shooting support and more.

“Riding on the American/Canadian boarder also has its own share of challenges. We have multiple law enforcement agencies patrolling our waters every day, along with a different set of rules depending on what countries water you are in. It is not uncommon to have multiple routine inspections within a few hours from various agencies. WNY PWC Owners has a deep understanding of safe / legal operation within our region. We pride ourselves with great sense of comradeship regardless of what you ride, your age, sex or ethnic background. The most important thing is being out on the water safely, surrounded by good people and having fun.

“Through our rapid member growth and strategic partnerships with local and industry organizations, we have gained members and support from all across the region and globe.

“Although, we only recently founded back in April of 2017 we are pleased to announce our first ‘Group Ride’ Saturday June 10th 2017 in the Upper Niagara River with the patio booked at ‘Smoke on the Water’ a local BBQ spot with dock access. We have ordered custom ordered vinyl decals of our logo for each member participating and will have a professional photographer in the water to document our day. Thanks to the gracious supports from our sponsors and the items they have donated, along with our volunteers, we are also compiling ‘grab bags’ for the members in attendance that day to celebrate this momentous occasion. It’s sure to be a memorable one!

“Currently we stand strong at over 200 members. Moving forward as we grow, we plan on coordinating charitable rides as Buffalo, NY is known as the ‘city of good neighbors!’ As many of our members are also avid dog owners, We have recently talked about a ‘ride for pitties’ (pit bulls) with all contributions going to our local shelters.

“Ultimately, Our team is always open to suggestions from members and those willing to volunteer their time or companies who would like to sponsor our events. WNY PWC Owners is 100% operated by volunteers and not for profit. With that being said, your support is always greatly appreciated. I would like to welcome each and everyone of you to join our group to either participate or to just simply see what our crazy lifestyle is like.”

Links to our Facebook page and additional contact information can be found on our website HERE.

Dad Takes Teenage Daughters on PWC Ride Down Mississippi

By
Kevin Shaw
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Friends and colleagues have warned that venturing the Mississippi River is not a ride you want to do. Contrary to the lulling appeal of sailing the “Old Man,” traversing the Mississippi is one of temperamental weather, combative boat traffic, surprisingly currents, stretches of drab and lifeless scenery, seemingly limitless flotsam and almost life-threatening pollution. Although not off of my personal “bucket list” it has been bumped to my “maybe” file.

One adventurer who already faced his mortality was Bill Ayars, who sought to take his teenage daughters down the legendary river via a pair of Sea-Doo GTXs. The ride itself has been documented by Ayars himself who wrote My Journey Down the Big Muddy. Ayars reached out to The Watercraft Journal and was kind enough to share a couple excerpts from his book, which we have included below (as well as links to how you can purchase a copy of his book).

The idea for a jet-skiing trip down the Mississippi River came while poison dripped slowly into my arm.

I was 50 years old and recently diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a cancer of the white blood cells. Every third Friday for five months, I sat in the hospital in my hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, for eight hours undergoing chemotherapy.

Toward the end of treatments, in December 2006, I started thinking about taking an adventure. I wanted something to look forward to, something to celebrate my survival. I wanted my teenage daughters, Jennifer and Jackie, to come with me.

Seven months later, my oldest daughter, Jennifer, and I were flying down the Mississippi River having fun, each on our own jet ski. It was the first day of our 1,700-mile jet-skiing trip from St. Paul, Minnesota, to New Orleans, and we were full of energy. As far as I knew, no other woman or girl had jet skied the Mississippi.

We had left St. Paul, Minnesota, earlier that morning from beautiful Hidden Falls Regional Park, just below the first lock and dam on the river at mile marker 844. Our destination that day was Alma, Wisconsin, 95 miles away.

We were all a little nervous at the start, uncertain of what lie ahead. It didn’t help that a woman we met the night before warned us of whirlpools that she claimed could pull entire boats under.

We later learned they’re called wing dams – and they do not “eat” boats. Still, the next seven days would be full of uncertainty, scary moments, and challenges. But triumphs and fun, too.

Frequent Obstacles
There were locks and dams about every 25 miles. We often had to wait for long periods, sometimes hours, to be let through. We’d pass the time by studying our maps or just lying back on the jet skis and resting.

The 27 locks and dams on the Upper Mississippi, as we learned, were built to control the water levels and tame a series of rapids on the upper Mississippi from St. Paul to St. Louis, Missouri.

Over this 600-mile stretch, the water fell more than 400 feet, often through boulders, rapids or small water fall systems. Entering a lock was sort of like getting into an empty bathtub. Once inside, water poured in to “raise” you up to the next portion of the river.

“Dad, I don’t know what to do!”
About halfway through our trip, a storm hit. The rain and wind stirred up the river something fierce. The waves were huge and washed over the front of our jet skis.

At one point, Jennifer stood up and a wave crashed into her, almost knocking her off her jet ski. She screamed to get my attention but I couldn’t hear her. When she finally caught up to me, she glared.

“I could have died behind you. I could have died!” she screamed. This was not the start I anticipated. New Orleans was still a long way.

To read more about Bill Ayars’ adventure, go to http://www.thebigmuddybook.com/ to purchase his book, “My Journey Down the Big Muddy.’’ Ten dollars from each purchase price goes to The Emerald Jenny Foundation, which provides online resources to families struggling with drug and alcohol addiction. Also, check out photos and chapter excerpts on http://www.facebook.com/thebigmuddybook and follow us on Twitter @thebigmuddybook

 

Miss Geico Racer Jason Russo Wears Fly Racing F2 Carbon Animal Helmet

By
Kevin Shaw
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As part of the official Miss GEICO racing team, competing in the P1 AquaX Pro Enduro class, Jason Russo and his iridescent yellow Yamaha FX SVHO WaveRunner have quite a bit of competition out on the water. Recently placing 5th overall at the St. Petersburg, FL tour stop this past weekend, Russo pushed ahead of a field of 22 other racers (including the likes of Aero and Aqsa Aswar, Nicholas Rius, and Erminio Iantosca) to edge out the top 5.

In acknowledgement of their sponsored racer, Fly Racing shared on its Facebook page this great shot of Russo aboard his Yamaha leading the Miss GEICO race boat, as well as the tag “[Jason Russo] flexing in that Animal F2 carbon helmet.” The image, taken during a video shoot for Greenlight TV and taken by photographer Gary Stray, reveals Russo’s safety gear of choice – specifically his orange, white and teal F2 Carbon Animal Helmet.

Made from a proprietary blend of carbon fiber and Kevlar, Fly Racing’s F2 Carbon Animal helmet is as close to “a factory race bike as a helmet can get” according to Fly. The race-ready helmet both meets and/or exceeds the highest safety standards (Snell 2015, DOT approved for USA); is constructed using state-of-the-art, aircraft grade woven carbon fiber and Kevlar composite materials for superior strength and light weight; the dual density EPS liner combines two layers of EPS (Expanded Polystyrene), one softer, one slightly harder for more progressive impact absorption; 11 intake and 4 exhaust vents that create massive airflow to keep your head cool; quad-vent goggle anti-fog vents; a washable Coolmax comfort liner & cheek pads; and uses super-strong, lightweight machined aluminum screws, rivets, and stainless steel D-rings for superior strength.

Diver Discovers Lost Krash Industries Freeride Ski Off Gold Coast (Updated)

By
Kevin Shaw
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0

Although far too close to shore to grant full salvage rights, maritime law states that the person to recover a sunken vessel is awarded (typically) between 10-to-25 percent of the value of the recovered item. While that might not sound like much, considering the market value of some historical artifacts pulled from the ocean floor, salvage diving can actually prove to be quite lucrative. And surprisingly, sunken jet skis – much like sunken sailboats, fishing boats and other vessels – are strewn across the ocean floor wherever mankind has sailed.

Of course, in late May of this year, one former owner of a Krash Industries Predator (sp.) became very happy when Ian Banks, a scuba diving enthusiast, discovered his lost freeride ski off of Gold Coast Seaway, in Queensland, Australia. When properly equipped, such machines can cost upwards to $25,000 to $30,000 USD, considering all of the lightweight, hand-formed carbon fiber and billet aluminum components. Freeride skis are some of the most intricate in all of jet skiing, requiring some seriously skilled hands to build machines capable of the amazing acrobatics shown in just some of the coverage published on The Watercraft Journal.

Of course, Queensland’s Gold Coast is considered one of the most desirable freeride locations in the world, and is host to several world famous freeride competitions. When more information arrives regarding the owner and details pertaining to its loss, we’ll update the story.

[Updated 6/18/2017]

Thankfully, the personal watercraft community came through in a big way over the weekend. A virtual avalanche of information came pouring in, as reports revealed the Krash Industries Predator ski belonged to Australian freerider James Ricardo. Richardo suffered a sudden steering failure which sent the ski into a nose dive down to bottom of the Gold Coast Seaway.

Clint Ebbesen who was part of the rescue, explained the reason for the sinking, “[It was a] mechanical failure. A bolt holding on the handle bars sheared off. As the handle bar was pulled away from the ski it pulled on the steering and throttle cables, making the ski go full throttle at full lock and the ski just dived underwater and went down very quick.”

With quick work by Ian Banks, who located the ski in no time at all (and tied a locator buoy to it), a response crew was aboard a rescue boat, and with a few ropes and 3 hours time, Richardo’s ski was back on dry ground. Because of the heavy ingestion of sand, the Predator was whisked onto a trailer and hauled off to a local shop to be completely disassembled, cleaned and rebuilt as new.

 

The Watercraft Journal Looks to Hire a News & Feature Editor

By
Kevin Shaw
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0

Did you know that you could make upwards to $1,500 a month writing for The Watercraft Journal all by putting in an extra hour or two a day worth of work? Seriously, it’s that easy. Because The Watercraft Journal continues its aggressive industry-leading daily (Monday-through-Friday) publishing schedule, and we need as much help as we can get to continue to entertain and inform our ever-growing readership, we’re excited to announce that we’re hiring!

Right now, The Watercraft Journal needs to fill a very important position: a News & Feature Editor! That’s right, we’re looking for self-motivated, dedicated enthusiasts looking to work with the single most popular PWC magazine in the world to help spread the word about our industry’s best and brightest brands and manufacturers, as well as help provide a focused spotlight on our sport’s best freeride/freestyle riders, manufacturers and events! Here are the details below:

News Editor
Shaw Group Media, the publisher of The Watercraft Journal (watercraftjournal.com) is looking a self-motivated, energetic person to hire as News & Feature Editor. The News & Feature Editor must have a strong interest in the personal watercraft (PWC) industry, be at least somewhat familiar with proper terminology, technology and persons/companies therein, or willing to learn quickly.

The News & Feature Editor must be able to turn around news content into fast, legible and informative written content for The Watercraft Journal. Applicants are encouraged to have several social media feeds providing leads for potential news that the rest of the Editorial teams might not have access to. An ongoing Google document is regularly updated with already pre-approved news topics to be written about, as well.

Riding ability, photographic talent or writing experience is appreciated and encouraged, but not necessarily mandatory.

The News & Feature Editor position is a 1099 freelance/subcontractor position and will be paid twice a month per a predetermined scale for each written article. There will be a 90-day trial period for every applicant to evaluate work ethic, determination and commitment to providing superior, reliable news-worthy PWC content for The Watercraft Journal audience.

All serious inquires are to email introductory “cover letter” and resume to [email protected].

Unlimited Converts New SX-R Into X2 With Hood/Steering Kit

By
Kevin Shaw
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0

Well, it was bound to happen, right? With Kawasaki’s widely lauded and ferociously anticipated return to the world of standup JetSkis, the new 1.5L 4-stroke STX-15F powered SX-R has enthusiasts and racers alike itching to get their hands on the new machine. Already, starting lineups are filling with new SX-Rs; beaches are seeing more and more of the new, long and linear machines; and specialized and modified race classes are suddenly restocking with fresh talent. Has the SX-R changed the industry in the same way that Sea-Doo’s Spark has? It’s far too soon to tell.

But what has happened is that aftermarket parts designers, tuners and builders are quickly jumping on the new standup. Japan’s famous Unlimited PWC Parts has been building previous SX-R 800s with STX-15F running gear for years, so when the new SX-R came around, they started the race with a bit of an advantage. Now, just to make things interesting, the company teased some images of a hood and steering kit to transform your new SX-R into a quasi X-2.

We say “quasi” because as many will note, the original X-2 units had a narrow sport seat with open footwells, unlike this kit which retains the factory deck and only replaces the handlepole and hood. Whether Unlimited or Kawasaki themselves will offer a true X-2 1500 in the future remains unclear (although, man. It sure would be easy). Until then, we’ll just have to make due with this.

Gallery: HeyDay Pro Watercross Tour Round 3, Lake Lewisville, TX

By
The Watercraft Journal
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0

The HeyDay Pro Watercross Tour presented by Broward Motorsports kicked off its third round on national competition in beautiful Lake Lewisville, Texas just outside of Dallas/Fort Worth this past weekend. It’s been a while since Texas got a National Watercross Tour stop and the local diehards where on hand to make their presence known!

The atmosphere was electric as Lake Park hosted the round with some great extra curricular activities including bouncy-houses for the kids, climbing wall, mechanical football (similar to a mechanical bull but in the shape of a football), zip line, and more, including several live bands playing throughout the day. The city of Lake Lewisville did a great job getting the site ready and the racers appreciated the ample parking – on asphalt no less!

Racing started out after practice with the Pro Show and the Pro Watercross Tour crew was ready for the action having provided a substantial course for the riders to negotiate including a start split! The wind was blowing and the lake was rough with small whitecaps that lasted into the final motos of the day. After the first moto it was apparent that the large split start/course was a little uneven and they corrected it in small increments as the day progressed until they got it pretty even.

In the Pro classes, the Pro Ski GP class was the largest of the day; and it was Jimmy Wilson coming out on top going 1-1-1 for the weekend on a triple cylinder Judge Motorsports-tuned 2-stroke ski. Despite the influx of new Kawasaki 4-stroke SX-Rs by some of the competitors, the 2-strokes haven’t been willing to quite relinquish control of the class yet!  Dustin Motzuoris came back from some inconsistent starts to battle his way past his teammate, David Redinger to finish second overall and third overall receptively.

Pro Sport GP was the next largest Pro class and Sam Nehme continued his domination – although he didn’t have it easy. Keith Dill and Bill Dearman came to play this weekend and Dill managed to pull a 3rd Moto win from the clutches of the reigning champ Nehme. Notably, Team Faith’s Gage Schoenherr, who came into this round tied for the points lead with Nehme was not present and did not compete this round. Team Faith’s Brian O’Rourke explained that he just graduated high school and would take the opportunity to go to the US Coast Guard Academy to pursue his career serving our country – a decision the entire Team supports!

In Pro Runabout GP it looked early like it was going to be all Claude Clayton on his beautiful (and fast) all-carbon fiber hull as he rocketed out to a great start in Moto 1, but as they often do, the GP boat was hard pressed to finish and attrition got the best of him. He would later rebound on Sunday to pull two holeshots and wire-to-wire wins, but it wasn’t enough to match the consistently of Corey Hellman from Argyle, TX who went 1-2-2 for the overall win. Rydal, Georgia’s Jeff Dyckowski rounded out the Top 3 in the overalls for the weekend.

In Pro-Am Box Stock, Troy Snider and Jeff Dyckowski traded moto wins but it was Snyder who brought home the overall with a 1-3-1 finish, while Dyckowski went 2-1-3 for second and Team JetLift’s Dylan Osbourne rounded out the podium with a 3-2-2 finish.

In Pro-Am Ski Stock it was Gene Daniel, David Cabrera, and Jimmy Wilson swapping moto wins for an exciting battle between the three veteran competitors. Wilson was on borrowed equipment (from Sammy Nehme) so his first moto finish reflected that, but he wound up breaking a steering cable on that boat and had to revert back to his own, which he got going for the later motos. Cabrera looked to have them covered but made an error on the final lap while coming across the finish line mistakenly missed the checkered buoy thus being docked two positions. In the end it was Gene Daniel on the top spot of the podium with Cabrera in 2nd and Wilson in third.

When Amateur racing came up it was the Sport Stock class that was the healthiest – which it has been all season thus far.  Eric Gabriel looked to have them covered early on his Sea-Doo HX, but unfortunately, a post-race technical inspection yielded him a DQ for the weekend despite going 1-1-1. That gave way to WCP’s Keith Dill to take the overall and the championship points lead with a 3-3-2 finish to Bill Dearman’s 2-5-4, which was good enough for the second spot on the podium. Veteran rider Craig Ingram had a fast HX as well and put together a nice weekend of racing to complete the overall podium. The racing was not without a scare though; in Moto 3 as Team Faith’s newest rider Jeff McPhail was hit pretty hard by accident when he slid out in a turn while in second place and suffered a deep bone bruise on the top of his femur. He should be OK according to the Team Faith crew.

Speaking of Team Faith, in the IROC Stock class it seems to be a battle of families! Unlike the Hatfield and McCoy clans, the O’Rourke’s and Gabriel’s had a more-than-friendly rivalry going on all weekend. Eric Gabriel had both his sons, Eric T. Gabriel and Justin Gabriel entered in the class to go up against Brian and Monica O’Rourke and the battle ensued early Saturday morning with Brian O’ getting the holeshot in Moto 1 only to passed on the front straight by Eric Sr. who lead the rest of the way to the win. Gabriel Sr. grabbed the second Moto win also and it looked as Justin Gabriel would take second until he missed a start buoy, handing the outside split start holeshot to Brian O’ who ducked in behind Eric Sr. for second. In Moto 3, O’Rourke was able to grab his second holeshot of the weekend and led wire-to-wire for the win – of which he was obviously excited as he came across the finish line. But Eric Sr. continued his dominating overall performance in the class taking another overall win with O’Rourke taking second and Eric T. Gabriel in third.

The Juniors are always a treat to watch as these little dudes and dudettes rip! Lake Havasu’s JuJu Beaumer took the overall for the weekend going 1-1-1 in the Junior 10-12 Year Old class while BMS’s Sammy Nehme took second overall to his buddy Hayden Skellet who finished third. Theo Beaumer followed his little brother’s footsteps going 1-1-1 for the overall in the Junior 13-15 class followed by Devin Farting who went 2-2-2 and Hagen Smith who went 3-3-3 respectively. It was nice to see “King D” Dustin Farthing play the father role so prominently, as he did not bring a boat to compete on this weekend, opting to support Devon in his racing efforts.

The weather was great. The race site was great. The action was intense at times and everyone seemed to enjoy the weekend of friendly competition at Round 3 of the HeyDay Pro Watercross Tour in Lake Lewsville Texas.  Next stop is Sparks Marina in Sparks, Nevada this coming weekend.

Cycle Springs Powersports Giving Away Free T-Shirts!

By
Cody Cole
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0

If there is one thing a lot of people have in their closet, its T-shirts. We’re all self-admitted powersports fanatics and our closets do a good job of showing that. Cycle Springs Powersports is hoping to add to your T-shirt collection with one of their own awesome shirts.

Until June 30th, they are giving away free T-shirts! All you have to do is go to their store in Clearwater, Florida and check in to Facebook while there. Once you do that, bring your phone or other device to the parts department for confirmation and they’ll give you a brand new Cycle Springs Powersports T-shirt!

These killer looking shirts come in black, white or blue. Please note, this offer is only good in-store, so use it as a good excuse to stop in and visit one of the biggest, most popular and highest-rated personal watercraft and powersports dealers in Florida! Because everybody loves free stuff.

Kevin Shaw: The Road To Water

By
Kevin Shaw
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4

It was time for a change. I loved my job, but I also wanted more than just to be an Associate Editor, and it wasn’t looking like my boss had any ambition to ever leave for greener pastures. It was early 2007, I was newly married, and looking to advance my career so I accepted a job offer back in Southern California only a few miles from the town I had grown up in (we were living in Florida at the time). The position offered nearly double my salary, the coveted position of Editor, and the promise of cool days on the water over sweltering afternoons at the racetrack. The decision wasn’t that hard to make, and thus I became the 5th and final Editor of Personal Watercraft Illustrated.

Given a scant two weeks to transplant all of our earthly belongings from one coast to the other, I bitterly left my wife of 6 months, as she chose to stay an extra 3 weeks at her job (it payed well) and pack up the rest of our stuff; as well as my prized ’69 Dodge Charger at a paint shop in Central Florida, expecting to see it returned straightened, rust-free and painted in a year’s time. Alone, and with a majority of my tools, remaining car parts, and some clothes, drove out west, and stowed all but a duffle bag of clothes in a storage unit. I bunked at my brother’s house in Garden Grove those first few weeks, but was rarely around.

Upon arriving at CN Publishing, the parent company of Personal Watercraft Illustrated, I was given a crash course in the publication. Admittedly, I barely recognized the title although I did recall stacks of Cycle News on the table at my father’s powersport rental company during the 1980’s. PWI was the longest-running personal watercraft enthusiast magazine in the industry, having launched with the June 1987 issue. Coincidentally, it was the June 2007 issue that was to be my first. The previous Editor, Josh Burns had weirdly celebrated the anniversary prior to his leaving, some months prematurely, and I felt.

Moreover, as I was absentmindedly going about cleaning and organizing my new office, our Art Director, a lovely but no-nonsense woman named Sunny Kwon came in to let me know that there was little over two weeks remaining to get the June issue submitted for layout.

Thus far, nothing had been submitted so as it were, I was on the hook for 76-something pages of content. My Senior Editor, Paul Carruthers, the same who had launched PWI 20 years previous, offered some help – pointing towards longtime contributor Chris Lauber and connecting me with freerider Taylor Curtis, who Josh had been working with earlier.

A succession of 10-to-14 hour days followed; I was often first or second into the building and almost always last. It’s then that I developed a taste for Rockstar and Monster energy drinks as I hammered into the keyboard incessantly (a habit I only abandoned last December).

Of that first issue, I personally wrote 65-percent, grateful to Heather Selwitz-Briglia, the aforementioned Chris Lauber and Andrea Wilson, the latter who stood on the breakwater as then Sales Manager Rick Lake and myself rode around Dana Point, CA, snapping pictures. With half a dozen pages to fill and no seat time beneath me, I propositioned Rick with a day on the water.

Rick, of course, had been with the magazine for 5 years, having jumped from Jet Sports Magazine, the former publication of the IJSBA, to PWI. He suggested the offshore course of Dana Point to Oceanside, and back as a good “break in the new guy” ride. Equipped with a then-brand new ’07 Kawasaki Ultra 250X and a Yamaha VX Cruiser (there was never a more mix-matched pair of skis), we suited up and went for a ride. The Ultra of course, fared far better in the surf but despite the 50-something-mile round trip, the VX still had plenty of fuel in reserve. A trend that has seemed yet to change in a decade’s time.

Admittedly, most of the stories ran far too long, fluffed with too much exposition or massive full page spreads. At the conclusion of my two-and-a-half-week sprint to my first-ever deadline as an Editor, I was scheduled to fly back to Florida where I’d join my wife for a delayed honeymoon cruise and then drive back together to California. Fatefully, queries regarding layout and editing arose in my absence, which only frustrated my seemingly perpetually frustrated copy editor and Sunny, who I learned quickly never to cross. Doing my best to extinguish fires via email, I scurried back to Orange County, California, half expecting a mutiny.

Rather, my Publisher, Bob NorVelle, greeted me pleasantly, praised the issue and slapped me on the back with an “attaboy.” I hadn’t failed in spectacular fashion as the nightmares that kept me up at night had threatened. And in the following months, I was able to learn how to stay ahead of my deadlines, prepare and deliver on superior content, elevate both the readership and quality of the magazine, and moreover, come to know and befriend the people, companies and organizations of this industry. I still trample a few toes and stumble over my own tongue once and again, but the road to my becoming an Editor of a personal watercraft magazine is one that I cherish.

Go Get Wet,
Kevin

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