Here we go again in Australia: A small amount of irresponsible jet ski operators have become such a nuisance; the water police are cracking down on everyone. Transport Safety Victoria (TSV) has added more water police to the known hot spots in order to catch and fine the riders who aren’t obeying the laws, according to OZPWC.
There have been many PWC crashes and other negative incidents involving personal watercraft in the waters in Victoria. These numbers have risen during the last couple of years so the TSV has taken harsh measures to reduce the amount of PWC related problems in order to get careless riders to comply with the laws set forth. In December and January, there were 10 personal watercraft crashes and three of them resulted in serious injuries. That’s bad, considering that in the years 2015-2016, there were 5 crashes and only one in 2014-2015.
Peter Corcoran, Director of Maritime Safety at TSV proclaims,“To combat this trend, we are putting more resources into compliance. Riders, and all those on or being towed by the PWC, must wear a life jacket, keep their distance from others, travel at a safe speed and keep a good lookout at all times.”
It is unfortunate that a small number of riders have caused so many problems, that the majority of PWC operators are frowned upon. PWC manufacturers and riders have come up with a neat idea, which is called a Responsible Riding Code of Conduct. By signing the code, some of the pressure is taken off the reputable riders by helping them set a good example for other jet ski operators and the people along the beaches, like swimmers and regular beach goers.
A copy of the rules and laws can be found HERE. It is quite a list and yet very straightforward. The laws are comprised of items an experienced operator should already follow and are great for new riders as well. We suggest checking them out, if for no other reason, just to refresh your memory.
The morning’s overcast hung low over the Florida bay as commuters slogged in creeping traffic along the Courtney Campbell Causeway all as sunlight slipped through the cracks between passing cloud cover and the vertical skyline of downtown Tampa. As I watched passersby I couldn’t help but feel their stares glaring back. If I was trapped crawling along the highway while some jerk was unloading a trailer-full of jet skis into the warming gulf water, I’d be angry too. Sea-Doo’s Tim McKercher lowered a crimson red RXP-X and a festively-colored Spark Trixx into the water, while ProRider’s Danielle Gavagni and myself sat ready to ride them to the beach just inside of Rocky Point.
“Not a bad way to spend a Tuesday,” I joked to Danielle who admittedly, wasn’t having “any of it.” She had just came in from Orlando late last night having literally flown 24 hours from a short stay in India to cover the P1 offshore boat races. Despite her best efforts to hide behind a smile, Danielle was visibly exhausted. Accompanying our two Sea-Doos was a blue-and-white supercharged GP1800 and a EX, Yamaha’s entry-level runabout. A brilliant green-and-black Kawasaki Ultra 310R and STX-15F were already idling away from the launch ramp. The morning taxiing of the watercraft from the ramp to the sugary sands behind Whiskey Joe’s has become part of the Skyway Ski Show as much as the show itself, and all hands were on deck to make it happen.
Celebrating its 5th year, the Skyway Ski Show is the last remaining vestige of Watercraft World magazine, which shuttered its doors in 2009. There, the event was called the “Dream Demo” and was a little more than a glorified free-for-all wherein manufacturers provided examples of each of their available models for testing by a panel of nearly a dozen riders reigning from every ilk. Tales of the demo echo throughout the industry, most of which circling about highly tuned models that far exceeded stock performance levels, incredibly lavish gifts to the judging panel from one manufacturer or another, or some pretty “adult” situations best left for the “Letters to The Editor” section of other publications.
Under the direction of the Watercraft Superstore, all of that has been eliminated. Rather, manufacturers are invited to bring two examples from their lineup, typically sorted by predetermined themes; this year was base-model entry level and top performance model. Providing the test units was Cycle Springs Powersports. Watercraft Sales Manager Dan “Smitty” Smith generously provided Yamahas, Kawasakis and a single Sea-Doo Spark (McKercher provided the RXP-X 300) for the day’s introductions and test rides. Marine Mat provided the camera/safety boat, and former Watercraft World staff writer Jeff Hemmel returned as the head judge and guide for the day’s riding who brought Chris Krall, a previous panelist and friend.
The night before, the Watercraft Superstore introduced us to all the test riders, and to Jesse Freeman and the Eckerd Kids Foundation, a tremendous cause working to provide counseling and direction for troubled youth in the area. Jesse was picked as a judge for her complete lack of experience, and laughed, “This was my first time ever riding jet skis. I started off on the ‘beginner level’ [models]; I started off on the lightweight Sea-Doo [Spark] but I did feel stable – I didn’t feel like I was going to fall off or anything like that. I did feel like the Yamaha [EX] was more stable, but I wish it was easier to grab [the throttle]. Overall, I did spend a lot of time on the Yamaha, and I enjoyed it a lot. The Kawasaki was more of a wet ride.”
We met up with professional racer and full-time PWC enthusiast Dylan Osborn who said, “Going out in the rough, the 310R is for sure the machine for the big heavy swells, but just coming back in I was on the GP1800 and was surprised at how well it handled. It tracked beautiful – and had it trimmed up and down just to test – and came down on a wave sideways. If I was on another ski it probably would’ve ejected me. [Compared to the RXP-X], the GP has a lot more lower-end power, you can really feel it come on. The RXP-X definitely handles and carves, but as the GP just does what you tell it to do, you just have to hang on to the RXP-X. The GP1800 has really blown me away.”
Finally, we chatted up with James Howe after the day’s riding who said of his riding experience, “I’m past beginner, but saying ‘intermediate’ would be pushing it.” Nevertheless, James provided some great insight on his day as a judge, “The Spark was very nimble; very easy to turn, donuts, S-curves, it was very nice. The EX was very predictable when you’re on the gas. It seemed a little unpredictable when you let off the gas. It felt a little uncomfortable when you left off the gas. Of the three, I liked the Kawasaki the best, although I feel it was the wettest. It was very predictable, good get-up-and-go, and got up to good speed. The biggest thing that would keep me from buying the Kawasaki today was that the throttle was sooo tight. It really wore out my hand. The Spark beat me up a little more. The Yamaha was very ‘middle-of-the-road.'”
Ultimately, the final judging on the three entry-level machines and the three top-performer machines will be revealed when the annual Watercraft Superstore “magalog” is released to the world in the coming weeks. Until then, we have a sampling of some really great images taken by our own Kurt NgSaye of Harlem Shake Photography, and look forward to seeing how the final judging results. So while the rest of the world was on its way to work, we were playing on the water. Not a bad way to spend a Tuesday after all.
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Jet ski fishing is a rapidly growing sport, even if America fishing enthusiasts have been slow to pick up on the trend. We joked that the best way to get Americans interested in PWC fishing is to simply offer it to countries outside of the US and tell them that “they can’t have it.” Why? Because nothing makes an American want something than telling them they can’t have it. Nevertheless, PWC fishing continues to grow leaps and bounds in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and the Philippines and with that, expand the PWC market to new groups as well as the fishing industry (which is humongous).
In welcoming Kool PWC Stuff back to The Watercraft Journal for 2017, we also caught word of this awesome “walk around” video showcasing one very well-equipped PWC-rigged Yamaha FX Cruiser WaveRunner. Equipped with one of Kool PWC Stuff’s live well (live bait tanks) and sump pump, remote motorcycle battery (in a canvas pouch) for power, a GPS/Fish finder, running lights and much more, the Yamaha is ready for full days of fishing wherever the beacon points you. Unlike so many other fishing and/or cooler racks, Kool PWC Stuff’s rack is 100-percent non-invasive, meaning there’s no drilling or cutting required to install and mount your new rack.
As stated by Kool PWC Stuff themselves, “Safety is a must. All our racks are designed with a low profile, so that just in case that big wave comes or you just fall off, you can easily get back on your jet ski.” And each rack is made from marine-grade stainless steel, powered coated for extra protection (and looks), comes with adjustable legs to fit any deck surface (including the Sea-Doo Spark), welded rod holder(s) with slightly small diameter to snugly hold your rods, can hold up to a 54-quart cooler (but can be specially-designed for Yeti and Frostbite coolers, or Rigid Frigid 40 coolers), and is predrilled to hold Rotopax fuel, water and storage tanks. Whether you’re going fishing for just wanting to bring along plenty of drinks and snacks for your ride, a Kool PWC Stuff rack is what you need.
One of the many great features about boats is their ability to blast music across the water without sacrificing too much space. While boats are much bigger, it is safe to say we all love PWC. But we want to listen to music while we are out riding or when we take a break. Luckily a company has just produced a sound system that is small and has a low profile. Fusion Stereo Active looks almost like any other portable sounds system at first glance, but upon looking at it you can find many key elements that make it stand out from its competitors.
Fusion Stereo Active comes with Bluetooth connection, a completely sealed pouch for your streaming device that floats, and a “puck mounting system” to secure it to your watercraft, under any condition. This system fits right in front of your steering console. One of the many advantages of this placement is that it does not sacrifice any leg room if you have passengers aboard. Other stereo system have speakers coming out the back and can restrict from loading your watercraft to full capacity.
With colors offered in red, white and blue, there is something to match your personal watercraft. The price for a Fusion Stereo is $399.95 which includes the sealed pouch and mount. If you have been looking for a sound system and not looking to break the bank, this is the system for you!
[In yet another submission for the “Oops! We did it again” file, I accidentally published an unfinished draft of our 2017 Kawasaki SX-R JetSki review full of disjointed thoughts, incomplete sentences and a whole lot of mistakes. For those who already read our previous version, I apologize. For those who liked it, we question your sanity. – Ed.]
“Yeah, I know,” I grumbled to yet another friend who had taken the new ski out for their first time. I had already heard how fast the 2017 Kawasaki SX-R JetSki was from far too many sources, and for whatever reason, every single one of them felt inclined to call and tell me about it. All but completely mockingly, I parroted, “It’s faaast!” I won’t lie, I was kind of sick of hearing about it over the past six months – between today and the time we revealed to the world that the SX-R would be returning last September. Admittedly, I was bitter. (No duh.) Everywhere I looked, international media outlets were riding the new standup, but for whatever reason, all of the American media was virtually shut out. Was Kawasaki afraid of what we would say? Maybe I was being impatient. Yeah, I knew I was.
Kawasaki’s resurrection of the standup was something of an enigma in and of itself. And offering a 62-mile-per-hour standup from the factory made the decision less of a mystery and more of a questioning of the company’s sanity. Yes, the SX-R was fast. Despite its 551-pound heft, the 160-horsepower 1,496cc 4-stroke pulled from the STX-15F could deftly propel the new SX-R to Pro Open speeds without breaking a sweat – I had little doubt about that. What concerned me more than its ability to out accelerate the supercharged 310-horsepower Ultra (which it can), was whether the SX-R retained much of its predecessor’s soul. The lingering ghost of the SX-R 800 still haunted the corners and hallways of people’s nostalgia, and all wanted Kawasaki to provide a worthy successor. The long delay in revealing the ski gave many supposed reason to doubt, be it unfounded or otherwise. Admittedly (again), I was one of those.
And why not? The SX-R 800 was a huge success for Kawasaki, from its introduction in 2003 until its untimely “retirement” in 2011. In fact, it was one of my personal favorite standups and is still the benchmark for many aftermarket ski builders. The new SX-R on the other hand, appeared to be more runabout than standup. Even I got caught up in the “standabout” name calling among friends. When compared, the new SX-R outweighs the previous SX-R 800 by nearly 150-pounds. (Heck, it’s 130-pounds heavier than a 3-seater Sea-Doo Spark.) The new ski was also 14-inches longer, with only a slight expansion in width, and another 3-plus-inches in height above the old 800. But history has a way of hiding truths; the 800’s introduction back in 2003 was nearly as upsetting as the new SX-R today. The 800, when compared to the then-standard SXi Pro, was enormous, and considerably over-powered. The comparison felt palpable.
In fact, it was this predisposition that equated for my initial humbling. Observing how much hull resided below the bondline, I had wrongly presumed the SX-R would all but buoy like a pontoon. It didn’t, and dozily rolled over as I confidently threw a knee into the tray. The hull, and the entirety of the new SX-R, is deceptively well-balanced. In fact, the amount of draft was easily explained by Kawasaki standup guru and principal developer, Minoru Kanamori: “We had to place the engine as far down as possible in case it rolls over. With [the engine] so low, it will naturally roll back over.” He continued, “The lower the center of gravity, the better the stability both in the ocean and in the closed course. It makes it more stable and easier for everybody to ride.” And chop is where the SX-R shines brightest. Before, even rolling waves would give us reason to fear on smaller standups but not the SX-R. Simply charge ahead, rollers be damned.
Firing up the ignition spurs an unfamiliar, almost disquieting burble from beneath the hood. Although I consciously knew the 1,496cc 4-stroke powered the ski, hearing the muffled exhaust note was unsettling. That doesn’t sound right. My lizard brain’s inner monologue observed; half expecting the cacophony of a pinging 2-stroke. At idle, the 15F’s transplanted pump churns gently and a lack of blue premixed exhaust instinctively made me question whether the ski was still firing. It was in fact, and was ready for me to wake up. After my stupid bobble, I pulled myself back aboard, pinched the mechanical cable-driven throttle, and let the SX-R’s acceleration reveal itself. Unlike the Eaton-supercharged Ultras 310s, the SX-R’s acceleration comes on linearly, giving only as much as you ask it. With 160-ponies on tap, I feared the throttle would be jarring. Gratefully, such was never the case. Sure, there is arm-stretching acceleration at the ready, but the 60mm throttle body never once threw me a surprise.
Feeling brave, I decided to open her up. Tucking in low, staggering my feet, I pinned the gas. And it was…weirdly uneventful. Sure, going that fast on a ski is amazing and will definitely alert all of your senses, but at no time did the SX-R do anything wonky. No chine walk or searching. At speed the SX-R tracked true, behaved predictably and well-balanced. No standup we had ridden before acted so calmly at such speeds. It simply went faster. While there was no time that I forgot the size of the craft I was riding, it never felt big, unruly or insulated. It never hunted or darted side-to-side. The steering input was responsive, responding sharply, but measured. In fact, in the corners, it only wanted more: more throttle, more lean-in. In fact, almost at all times did it beg for more throttle. Whether sluicing through chop or in the corner, the SX-R wanted more gas. Let’s go faster, it begged. C’mon, we can take this turn twice as fast.
Despite its curvaceous profile, the compounding angles, alcoves and curves, the entirety of the SX-R is somewhat spartan. What innovation exists does so out of necessity, all other conveniences or flourishes were left on the cutting room floor. The teardrop-shaped chin pad on the handle pole features an amber gas warning light and a all-encompassing red engine warning light indicating oil pressure/engine temperature. A magnetic safety key acts as a security kill switch and can be tucked under the snap-together rubberized cargo net atop the hood. Gray Hydro-Turf mats are plush and serve well. Gone are the soft padding from atop the gunwales, which I missed considering how many times I found myself reboarding throughout the day. A foam-lined chest pad wraps around the electroplated handlebars, serving as a small pull-up bar when heaving oneself back into the tray. We hoped for a little more panache given the ski’s return after its 6 year hiatus, but costs were kept to a near zero. In fact, far more than we ever could expect.
Kawasaki’s Off-Road and Watercraft Product Manager Dave Oventhal was graciously candid with The Watercraft Journal. When I prodded why Kawasaki would choose to resurrect the SX-R when manufacturers were doubling down on Rec Lite-segment (Spark, EX) runabouts, Oventhal admitted, “Trust me, we’re not ignoring them. But we decided [it was best] to do something different.” While walking to the beat of one’s own drum is commendable, we did question Kawasaki’s motives. He replied, “It wasn’t just about reclaiming existing market share, we’re an enthusiast company first. We wanted to build something we loved too. And that was a [standup] JetSki.” Moreover, Oventhal admitted that developing a “Spark fighter” would require millions in development compared to the opportunity of creating a 4-stroke standup not from whole cloth, but from a majority of pre-existing components. “You’d be very surprised has how few parts were specifically designed and created for [the SX-R] from scratch.”
In one instance, Kanamori discovered that after months of trial-and-error, the sponsons found on the STX-15F were actually better suited for the SX-R than any one of the prototypes he had been developing. “That sponson is 100-percent identical to the STX-15F. Same bolt pattern. Everything,” he laughed. The air box, criss-crossing air inlet tubes and even the flush kit hose adapter all came from the STX as well. Building a machine from so many existing components worked to keep the MSRP price below $10,000. “That was a big goal for us,” Kawasaski’s Jon Rall smiled. “We knew we had to keep the price down if we wanted to be taken seriously [by many of the JetSki diehards].” And that’s what Kawasaki is hoping for; thus far, Kawasaki reports that 80-percent of SX-R buyers are recreational riders with some previous standup or PWC experience, with 20-percent belonging to dedicated racers. The hope is that the racing segment will inspire new and returning buyers to rekindle their love affair with the standup JetSki. And given the SX-R’s out-of-the-box race-readiness, the asking price is right where it needs to be.
It’s an impressive thing to see Kawasaki put all of its passion back out on the table again. The SX-R is a valid entry, regardless of how many other machines its made from. In fact, it really shouldn’t matter at all. The machine is now entirely 50-stage legal, as well as legal in several countries it couldn’t have been sold in before, and it’s an absolute blast to ride. And yes, it’s a workout and for those of us who could bare to lose 5-to-50 pounds, it might be the only gym membership you’ll be willing to buy. There’s no doubt that Kawasaki will sell every SX-R they build this year; the big question is what will next year (and the year after) look like. Will this 4-stroke SX-R reignite the standup industry? We definitely believe it has what it takes.
In a world full of horsepower, torque, top speed and anything that deals with speed, safety equipment is often overlooked. Yes, going fast and flying across the water is what many people dream of, it is important to take a moment and look through your own safety equipment.
The first thing that comes to mind when talking about safety equipment is life jackets. They have saved thousands of lives and with the recent advancements, companies have come out with great looking but most importantly reliable life jackets. One of these companies is Yamaha. Yamaha has been a leader in personal watercraft since the late 1980’s. With a company in the industry for so long, you can count on them to provide products to the public that are of the best quality.
Yamaha has just announced their 2017 life jacket line up and are available to the public now. It is important to know what condition your life jacket is in before going out to ride, if could save your life. Yamaha’s 2017 life jackets are made of Synthetic Neoprene along with foam panels to provide the user with maximum comfort without sacrificing reliability. Yamaha offer male and female 2017 life jackets at an affordable price of $89.99. Male and female sizes range from Small to 2XL. Females have the option of blue and pin and male have black, blue or white.
These life jackets are Coast Guard approved and UL listed. Whether you are in need of a new life jacket, on the fence or wanting to spruce up your look out on the water this spring, now is the time to buy.
In spite of the river’s notorious reputation of “eating” boats, more than twenty-five riders have registered for the punishing marathon. Riders are urged to arrive early so they can assess the conditions of the river and make some trial runs in order to find out exactly what they signed up for. A swift water rescue team will be on hand to take care of any incidents along the way.
The third round sounds great as well. It takes place at Tesquesquitengo Lake in Morelos, Mexico on May 21st. The organizers have offered three package deals for international riders who want to race in the event. Each package includes a complimentary airline ticket, ground transportation, accommodations, fuel, and the use of a competitive stock PWC. If you are interested, e-mail Charles Large at: [email protected]
With the early Spring thaws, the first wild, unshaven Canadians have started emerging from beneath their beaver pelt blankets and begin their first instinctual migrations in search of Tim Horton’s Coffee. Ryan Dalli and the rest of the Jet X Powersports crew enjoyed no such winter hibernation as they were hard at work preparing for the upcoming racing season. To those familiar, Jet X maintains a fleet of formidable Sea-Doo Sparks, and this year is no different.
After a few months of wrenching, weather was cooperative enough to allow for some break-in time. “We tested the modified Spark Trixx yesterday,” Ryan told The Watercraft Journal. “We compared the Spark to a stock 60 and a 90-horsepower unit.” As both a service dealer and the head of an accomplished race team, Ryan has become an expert on the Rec Lite runabout. “[The] stock 60 we where able to see 42mph, [the] stock 90 we where able to see 48 mph. On the modified Trixx we where able to see 53/54 mph with increased throttle response and mid range.”
Of course, with any test, replicating the circumstances is imperative. Ryan explained, “We timed the modified Spark to see how [long] it would take to go for 1-2mph (idle speed) to 53/54mph – it took on average of 3 pulls, 8 seconds. The weather was 58 degrees and water was clear and calm. Water temp was around 45 degrees. For this test we used pump fuel ESSO 91 octane.” Ryan added, “[The] rider was Andrew Bezan (190lbs.). He races for us [Jet X] in Pro GP Sport.”
Achieving a 54 mph Spark (without serious engine mods) was accomplished by putting all of RIVA Racing’s Stage III kit to work (as well as a few other extras of Ryan’s personal choosing). The build included a RIVA Fresh Air intake, RIVA Intake manifold upgrade kit (ribbon removal), RIVA Waterbox and Rear exhaust kit, RIVA stainless steel wear ring, RIVA Intake grate with pump stuffer, Solas 12/14 impeller and RIVA’s MaptunerX ECM tuning which accounted for the 400 rpm gain over stock that it picked up. While all of the images below could be spun into a full-length technical article providing useful step-by-step instructions, Ryan’s own humility kept him from giving himself so much credit.
It wasn’t but two weeks ago that The Watercraft Journal broke the news on Krash Industries’ revolutionary new KV997 two-stroke powerplant. We thought there wasn’t much else that Krash Industries could do to revolutionize the freestyle/freeride industry we were proven wrong. But, lo and behold, today we now have the first ready-to-ride aftermarket jet ski priced at $12,000. Yes, you read that correct: twelve thousand dollars (USD) for a completely assembled, ready-to-ride aftermarket jet ski. Shocked? We were too.
Gone are the days of splurging $25,000-plus for a carbon hull, a hand-built engine and all the parts that go with it. The surmounting costs just to remain competitive in this sport were getting out of hand; so Nick Barton of Krash Industries pushed to offer something that could flip, barrel roll and otherwise perform directly out of the crate, and had the reliability of brand new OEM, and only costs a little more than a brand new Yamaha SuperJet in bone stock form.
Nick explained that customers who previously bought Krash’s “Starter Kit” for $8,500 can purchase the KV997 for only $3,500. But, the motor package will not be available separately for people with other hulls. You either buy the package or you don’t get the beast, which we are sure many people have been thinking about.
Not only that, initially the units will be sold directly to customers but towards the end of 2017 and in 2018 the Krash skis will be offered in your local dealerships across America. The only catch is that Krash can produce limited numbers of 2-stroke KV997 in its naturally aspirated form, and must continue to show progress with the EPA towards its Direct Injected unit.
Understandably, getting the new Krash skis in the dealerships requires quite a bit of help. Nick notes that Steve Laham – famously known as the founder and owner of Butch’s Ski Shop located in Grand Rapids, Michigan – specifically has been a tremendous help with his connections in the industry to get the Krash skis in to dealerships.
For the various kinds of riders, Krash is offering this entry-pricing on all of its hulls – the Reaper, Predator and 50 Cal – which will all continue to be produced in Thailand. However, the motors and all internals will be made with the skis assembled by Nick and the Krash crew in Australia. Therefore, every single ski will have to go back through Nick before arriving to the customer.
As per our previous announcement, the motor itself will produce between 70, 100, 120 and 160-horsepower thanks to the DC-CDI Ignition that comes with four preset maps. The KV997 can toggle through the pre-set maps with just a simple rotation of the switch. Equally, the flywheel is set facing away from the case with the pickup on the rear, making a total loss flywheel swap an a bolt-on. Being a unique design, we found the the cylinder design most interesting, as the carburetors feed air and fuel into the cylinder at a 30-degree angle, wrapping around the crank.
The engine itself is worth revisiting: displacing 997cc’s the KV997 has a 82mm stroke and 88mm bore, a domed head, 4340 forged crank, Black Ops 48mm twin carbs with carbon reeds, four Stage Power Valves (1 boost port and 2 auxiliaries, and 1 main exhaust port per cylinder), Power Pipe (B-pipe styled head pipe and a longer chamber, bored to 60mm). The rest of the ski package is equally noteworthy: a 17L gas tank (4.49 gallons), 148mm setback pump with trim, stainless steel impeller, aluminum pole, OVP steering, DC-CDI Ignition System and a 7075-T6 flywheel (weighing 1.2kg).
In addition, Nick said that Krash will be offering kits for performance upgrades for the ski as well. One kit he specifically mentioned was the “Rev Kit” which will include: High compression dome kit, jetting kit for Black Ops 48mm carbs, a total loss flywheel and a repitched impeller.
Going back to price, Nick said he knows that people will see the price and ask, “Why so cheap?” His answer is simple: he wanted to bring something to the sport that didn’t cost a fortune. “I looked to the modern car industry and found the answers. I figured if you could by a brand new car for under $12K then you should be able to get a freestyle ski for about the same”.
And, coming from other motorsports, he couldn’t believe how much jet skiers were paying for skis, parts and nearly everything else. “I kept seeing young guys get into the sport on older skis and then spend a ton fixing [it] only to have it break constantly. I would then see them exit the sport and were turned off because of cost just to keep their ski on the water. I wanted to be the one who changed that,” said Nick Barton.
Hence, bringing the enthusiasts a ready-to-ride ski that requires no building, and is ready to go flip off a wave the day you purchase. Nick mentioned that he had this vision of going OEM quite some time ago. Ironically, Krash has done so much in that little time frame. Three weeks ago was the 6-year anniversary of the launch of the JB-1 hulls. Six years later and look how far they have come.
We can expect to see the Krash Industries skis shipped to the general public and hit the United States near the end of the summer months. However, pre-orders are being taken now. The Krash-sponsored riders will be getting their new skis shipped to them at the end of April.
Yamaha has just announced their 2017 life jacket line up and are available to the public now.
Understandably, getting the new Krash skis in the dealerships requires quite a bit of help. Nick notes that Steve Laham – famously known as the founder and owner of Butch’s Ski Shop located in Grand Rapids, Michigan – specifically has been a tremendous help with his connections in the industry to get the Krash skis in to dealerships.