Late last October, The Watercraft Journal published a complete report and photo gallery from the 9th annual Rip ‘N Ride on Cronulla Beach, Sydney, Australia. One of the continent’s most anticipated freestyle surf (ie. freeride) events has made incredible aerial antics, amazing tricks and frankly, some pretty gorgeous people common place year after year. Add to it the returning title sponsorship from Yamaha Motor Australia, who offered up a brand-new SuperJet to the grand prize winner, and what you’ve got is an awesome event.
While our photo galley came from one of the industry’s best photographers, Andrew “Skip” Donovan, we are always wowed by the video footage captured at this event, and last October’s was no different. From the talents of Andrew Cooney, this past official video of the Yamaha Cronulla Rip ‘N Ride 9 is truly something to behold. It’s a great way to start your week and will definitely make you want to attend this year’s Rip ‘N Ride X (or “ten” for those lacking in the Roman Numeral dept.).
And as Rip ‘N Ride itself wrote, “Big Thank You to all our sponsors, staff, riders and spectators. Look forward to seeing you all at RNRX this coming October.” Enjoy the video below:
What do you do when there simply isn’t what you need made available in the market? If you’re anything like Krash Industries’ owner and founder Nick Barton, you make it yourself. The freeride/freestyle aftermarket hull manufacturer was struggling to find a suitable powerplant that could perform admirably in the grueling conditions of Australian surf, remain lightweight and somehow stay affordable. After years of building, testing and developing, he found that none truly met his gaze. That is why we made his own. New for 2017, Krash Industries is offering the KV997.
The two-cylinder 2-stroke is completely unique, with none of the parts being compatible with any of those from Yamaha, which nearly all current freeride and freestyle skis employ in some form or another. The entirely new concept was “inspired” by certain Ski-Doo and motocross 2-strokes, noting that “the Yamaha motor is outdated and has been the same thing since the 90’s.” The drafting, casting and development of the KV997 has been the culmination of “years and years of testing” and even joked, “that it was extremely difficult keeping quiet about this for as long as we did.”
Beginning with the backbone of the engine, the crankshaft is 4340 forged steel and weighs in at 7.8kg, giving the motor an 82mm stroke. Each crank is assembled using NSK C3 bearings. Nick notes, “Our rods are 144mm long giving our engine an ideal rod to stroke ratio of 1.76. All pins and surfaces are nitrate treated for increased longevity.”
The KV997’s cylinder is made from A356 high pressure die cast aluminum with pressed-in 88mm bored steel sleeves. It features four auxiliary ports, one boost port, two auxiliary exhaust ports with one main exhaust port per cylinder. “The air and fuel are feed into the intake through the side of the cylinder at a 30-degree angle and wrap around the crank as the piston plunges from TDC to BDC,” Nick continues. “The cylinders are 150mm apart to increase the inner auxiliary ports area for improved bottom end punch.”
The KV997 is fed by two “Black Ops” carburetors, with Nick explaining, “Our Black OPS Carburetors stand 84mm tall and are complimented with individual air pods and carbon fibre reeds.” But the big innovation comes in the KV997’s electrical system.
“The DC-CDI comes with four pre-set maps to take you from 70hp, 100hp, 120hp, 160hp at the rotation of the switch. The 7075-T6 flywheel weighs 1.2kg and faces away from the engine, with the pickup at the back of the flywheel this enables the user to bolt on a 384 gram total loss flywheel for more responsive power.” Also, the way the flywheel is set facing away from the motor with the pickup on the rear, making a total loss flywheel swap incredibly easy.
Additionally, Nick explained that performance upgrade packages will be available, such as the “Rev Kit” which will include a High Compression Dome Kit, Jetting Kit for Black Ops 48mm Carbs and a Total Loss Flywheel, pushing the total output of the KV997 that much further ahead. As Krash Industries prepares to launch a new, complete range of watercraft, the KV997 will be the heart of the entire lineup.
Biloxi, Mississippi native Jules Hopkins is a semi-professional Ski class racer and full-time mechanic at Performance Jetski And Cycle when he’s not on the buoy course. Hopkins – aboard his #85 IPD Graphics-wrapped Yamaha SuperJet (and previously on a Trinity SX-R) – has been a mainstay in the Pro Watercross Tour for several seasons and has climbed up the rungs to become a venerable force to be reckoned with.
“I am glad I can finally share one of the coolest things that I have gotten to be apart of in my career! I want to thank Rich and Fly Racing for giving me the opportunity to be on the cover of the 2017 WPS Watercraft Catalog! It is honestly a blessing having been chosen for such an awesome position. I have been with Fly Racing since day 1 of my racing career and I could not imagine where I would be without my #flyracingfamily Being with Fly Racing has opened so many opportunities that I never would have even dreamt of having. I am so proud of everything we have accomplished together and can not wait for the many years to come! Thank you Fly Racing!”
Headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Western Powersports, the parent company of Fly Racing, is one of the single-largest distributors of off-road and street motorcycle, ATV, snowmobile, and watercraft parts and accessories in the world, shipping over 120,000 products to literally thousands of dealers nationwide.
Yamaha is giving you no excuse to get out and ride this year. Whether you’re taking advantage of the “everything but the kitchen sink” Limited packages available with the VX and FX Cruiser Limited, or looking at getting into something a little more befitting your budget like the new EX WaveRunner, Yamaha is helping equip you with more accessories and fun than ever before.
Now, exclusively through Australian dealerships, customers will walk home with $400 worth of free lifevest (PDFs) and a special Yamaha-branded gear bag with the purchase of a EX or EX Deluxe. Not only do you get to enjoy one of the most fun runabouts to come from Yamaha but you’ll also have brand-new gear to help enjoy it even more.
Here’s the original press release: For a limited time, Yamaha is offering customers a FREE Yamaha branded Gear Bag and two Yamaha Neoprene Life Jackets (PFD) with all Yamaha EX and EX Deluxe WaveRunner models purchased.
FREE Gear Bag & 2x PFDs with 2017 EX FREE Gear Bag & 2x PFDs with 2017 EX Deluxe
Offer available to customers who purchase a new eligible WaveRunner between the 17th of March 2017 and the 31st of May 2017.
So what are you waiting for? Gear Up with Yamaha! Contact your local participating Yamaha WaveRunner Retailer for details and to take advantage of Yamaha’s limited time offer.
Those in the jet skiing community who know him, know Anthony Radetic as a “real good dude.” But it goes so much further than that. The Blacktip Jetsports and Sea-Doo X-Team racer is an accomplished paralympic athlete, excelling in skiing, swimming and cycling; even participating in the “2016 Invictus games in Orlando, Florida, during which he competed in the swimming and cycling competitions,” according to an article by the US Army.
Of course, before Radetic’s motorcycle accident over 6 years ago, Radetic served his nation as a communications NCO before transitioning into Aviation and becoming a warrant officer. Because of his service, dedication and motivational ceaselessness to never let his injury define or deter him, Radetic was recently honored – along with 87 soldiers from the Warrant Officer Candidate School Class 17-06 – for becoming warrant officers during a graduation ceremony at the U.S. Army Aviation Museum this past March 2nd.
“The 1st Warrant Officer Company Iron Warrant Award, which was awarded during the ceremony, will now be known as the W01 Anthony Radetic Iron Warrant Award in honor of a former warrant officer who was able to overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, according to CW2 Mark Gonzalez, 1st WOC.
“‘The Iron Warrant Award is awarded to the most physically dexterous candidate through each warrant officer class,” he said. “This particular award was the first award that we presented since officially naming it the W01 Anthony Radetic Iron Warrant Award.'”
The article continued, “It’s the level of dedication and motivation that Radetic displayed in the face of overwhelming adversity that he was selected as the namesake for the award, said Gonzalez. Before a decision was made, there were about six different potential honorees that the unit researched and voted on.”
It’s not often we hear much out of Belassi, but when we do we try to share the news as quickly as possible. According to a recent Facebook post by 88 Motorsport Sweden, the “new Belassi B3R 333hp will be introduced on 4th April in their factory in Austria. We will report detail information of the new unit and their concept. Stay tuned!” Although there’s not a whole heck of a lot to go off of this single post, we do know that the road to the B3R’s release (and that of the B3S standup) has been a rocky one at best.
In June of last year, The Watercraft Journal was the only source to report that the Belassi standup, which was absent from a woefully regrettable demo session during the Top Marques show held in Monaco the previous April 14-17, 2016, was also suffering from hull failures caused by manufacturing issues. And while no word on the ski – powered by a naturally aspirated, multipoint fuel injected I3C16 Marine 3-cylinder 4-stroke, displacing 1602cc and producing 180 horsepower – the post notes that the B3R will be in full display at the Linz, Austria plant in a couple of weeks.
The runabout, which has been honed and tested rigorously by World Champion Gyorgy Kasza who has been serving as a test rider. When WCJ asked Kasza regarding his role as a test rider for Belassi, Kasza remarked that “we will see how [the Belassi runabouts] turn out,” and that the process has been “difficult.” The video below, as shared by Belassi in late December of last year, notes that over 400 hours have been clocked in testing and refining the new B3R runabouts. Until the full reveal on April 4th, we’ll have to wait and see.
There’s the adage of “dress for the job you want” that sort of applies here. Sure, you might lack the talent, physical prowess or literally near-30 years of riding experience of multi-multi-world champion Chris MacClugage, but that doesn’t mean you can’t ride what he rides. In fact, you can do so quite literally as he has recently posted his 2016 Yamaha FZS Pro Stock or Pro Enduro Championship Race Boat up for sale.
The blue-and-white FZS is adorned in a very strikingly similar paint and decal scheme as acclaimed Super Sportbike racer Valentino Rossi – even wielding the same iridescent-yellow 46 on the hood – who is a personal source of inspiration for the 42-year-old PWC racer. Although currently compliant with Stock and AquaX regulations, Macc adds that “This ski can be set up to accommodate closed course or off shore racing.”
There’s something unusually entertaining about popping a wheelie. We all loved it as a kid, and the first on our block who could really get their bike up on that back wheel was the neighborhood hero. As adults there’s still a primal, guttural response in our souls when we see a powerful motorcycle or muscle car yank those front tires off of the asphalt, as if defying gravity was our greatest way of thwarting nature.
We suppose that’s why the new 2017 Sea-Doo Spark Trixx is so much fun. Wheelies are accomplished almost naturally thanks to its radically increased VTS (Variable Trim System) nozzle adjustment. Combined with a pair of thickly-padded foot wedges, and standing on the ski’s tail is a cinch.
Well, maybe not. Sea-Doo wanted to see how truly capable everyday watercraft enthusiasts were, and threw open its doors to all in attendance at last year’s IJSBA World Finals in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. The friendly competition came after over two days of test rides and filming taking place over Friday, October 7th and Saturday, October 8th at Crazy Horse Campground, and resulted in some pretty enthusiastic smiles.
In the end, Sea-Doo ended up with a lot of PWC fans looking at the Sea-Doo Spark and Spark Trixx in a whole new light, as well as some pretty great video – including a “bloopers” reel included below.
Brand loyalty is an emotional response. Certainly it comes from a sense of satisfaction with the quality of product or degree of customer service, but the sense that a buyer will only purchase from one brand against all others is entirely emotional. It’s a dyed-in-the-wool sentimentality, and the stuff that companies would give their all to cultivate in more of its customers. Because of the value in brand loyalty, we wanted to know more from the readership of The Watercraft Journal; what brands were they loyal to and why. And while opening up the discussion to a topic like this is essentially equal to lobbing a cup of gasoline onto an already blazing fire, we thought it useful to hear from the readers themselves.
Apart from the typical name-calling, slander and general nastiness that breeds like ragweed on social media forums (which we’ve done our best to filter out in this article), we have left some grievances – be them factual or not – to illustrate the word-of-mouth circulating in the “core” personal watercraft communities. We were surprised by how many diverse answers we got, the variety of different units owned by our readers, and the general levels of interest and engagement that they have in our industry. Truly The Watercraft Journal‘s readership is the single-largest audience of any PWC publication, but also one of the most diverse.
Honda
JT Jeffrey: “Honda hands down. Then they stopped building them so I settled for a Yamaha until I changed to a Sea-Doo speedster.”
Anthony But: “Gotta love Honda. Still have my first ski. My ’06 R-12X. 615 hours, and going strong.” Anthony continued, “The ’06 R-12X has 615 hours. The ’14 RXP-X has 183 hours. Both have been completely reliable. [I] love them both equally.” (See image above.)
Kawasaki
Parminder Deol: “I’ve had Sea-Doos. I’ve had Yamahas. There’s a reason why I’m riding a Kawasaki now. [They’re] simply the best ski out there. For those complaining about it being a gas guzzler, probably shouldn’t should be on the water in the first place? Out of the hole, this 300 kills any of the ‘Doos running 300, stock vs stock.”
Jason Gwillim: “[I’ve] always been a Kawasaki man. First ski bought at age 18 1993, got a ’91 worked sx550 race proven (hole shot speed caught at 55mph @ round 4 OLD titles in ’92) and always wanted 750 or 800 since they came out. Now at age 41 I have a box stock ’96 750SXi and loving it, but in my opinion, it is noticeably bigger and heavier and less stable than the 5fitty. [I’m] seriously thinking about engine swap 750SXi engine to the 5fitty hull.”
André Desmeules: “I like Kawasaki for the look. The sound of the supercharger is cool but they are behind in terms of technology and they burn gas like a Boeing! Also [there are] very limited accessories in Canada!”
Bob Stanley: “I’ve had a ’97 GTI, ’98 GTS, ’14 ‘GTS, a ’15 Spark and now a ’17 STX-15F. Great ski. [The] Sea-Doo dealer is a 3 hour drive. The Kawasaki dealer is 15 minutes. Plus it came with a 3 year warranty and $250 fuel card.”
Above: Matti Wriedt-Eriksen wrote, “Kawasaki [is] my one and only jet ski since 2011.”
Sea-Doo
Tim Berland: “Sea-Doo because they have real innovation. Yamaha has switched to 3-cylinder recently for a reason. Sea-Doo has done wonders for the market, new grips that don’t look like they are off of a 1990 bicycle like Kawasaki and Yamaha. iBR for convenience. Ergolock seat and foot wedges to ensure your body is in the correct position. Kawasaki and Yamaha have their pro’s as well and we always need competition in the market place to keep things fresh and to see the innovative ideas that come with. Hell, BRP also makes watercraft that don’t look the same as the previous models. Always keeping it fresh. Gotta do your research. Yamaha and Kawis are just a reason for Sea-Doo to be better than the rest. Yamaha gauge clusters are out dated, finally they did something about their cheap-looking Hydro-Turf.”
Jennifer Frank: “Sea-Doo since the late 1990s. Always at the forefront of innovation, pushing the industry in design. The Rotax motors have been good to me. Back then I tried Tigershark, Polaris, and Yamaha. The first two couldn’t hold a candle to the Sea-Doo and the Yamaha (while had definite power) just didn’t seem to carve as hard and let you play in the water as much. Been a Sea-Doo/BRP fan girl ever since.”
Matt Lackore: “I love my Sea-Doo. Everyone else in my riding club is moving to a Yamaha and seems to get a new ski every couple of years. I’m still on my now 11-year-old Sea-Doo RXP and it still looks and runs great and keeps up with almost every ski I ride with. It does a solid 75mph (not a stock ski) which is plenty fast for the riding I do. It’s comfortable, playful, and gets about 80 miles on a tank so I can comfortably go on the long club rides. I had a ’98 XP before the RXP and it treated me very well too. When the time comes to replace the RXP, I’ll be looking at a Sea-Doo.”
Josh Glendenning: “I have one of each in my garage. So I’m not brand loyal, but my Sea-Doo is the best of my three to ride.”
Robert Stacy on his Yamaha FX SVHO.
Yamaha
Julien Bédard: “Yamaha! 1800cc. Reliability, strong, fast. [They] don’t look like a plastic toy. Nice color set. Always ahead of the market for performance and reliability. Supercharger doesn’t need maintenance (way before the new RXP-X). Rings are in aluminum, more steel then unnecessary technology. They have nothing to complain about and it annoys the other brand. Proof? There was a bad timing chain batch on some model in 2014 and that’s the only thing we hear about when talking about Yamaha. Most of the Yamaha owners have really tried a Sea-Doo or a Kawasaki but rare are those who have a Sea-Doo and who already tried a Yamaha. It’s my choice but I like the malleability better on Yamahas. And what about the racing championships? They %$^&ing win them all! And the team riders” Klippenstein, MacClugage, Rius, Aswar. I don’t like Sea-Doo’s colors, toy shape, seats, sound, and the fact that Bombardier steal jobs in my country in my domain by building them in Mexico and by taking advantage of government subsidies.”
Jim Lueck: “I had a [Sea-Doo] in the ’90’s, the ski was always in the shop. My parents had a [Sea-Doo], it was always in the shop. When I go to my local dealer and look in their service area, I see a ton of {Sea-Doo] waiting for service. I switched to Yamaha and haven’t looked back until lately. I’m not a fan of the new materials they use for the hulls. The new hulls seem to get damaged extremely easy.”
Hogan Whittall: “If you check your history, you’ll see that Yamaha produced 3-cylinder engines for the WaveRunner back in the 1990s. Sea-Doo does innovate, their skis are more complicated and are more prone to problems. Just goes with the territory. Yamaha focuses on reliability. Who cares if the gauge cluster is outdated? It functions and I spend most of my time looking where I’m going and at the scenery than at the gauges. So, yeah, I’m a Yamaha loyalist because they’ve earned it by never letting me down. Can’t say the same about my Sea-Doo riding friends, seems they all have a horror story, usually relating to engine failure.”
Stephen Kresko: “Yamaha loyal. 18.5 gallon gas tank means more time on the water. No (or less) supercharger maintenance. And more reliable than other brands. Very happy with dealer service department. I’ve had every brand. Ridden for 30 years.”
Jamie Chalmers: “Yamaha. All the hire mobs (rentals) and surf clubs in my area have them for a reason.”
Well, it’s official. There’s simply too much stuff going on this year to cover it all. Thankfully, we’ve done our best to get the news releases out as quickly as possible (and to the widest audience), but whether we can provide coverage of each and every event is becoming more and more unlikely as new events spring up across the nation.
Thankfully, the West Coast Round of 2017 P1 Racing Fuels US Freestyle Championship, taking place in Lake Havasu City, Arizona on Saturday, April 29th falls under the “very likely” category.
Here’s the original release from FPWCA: Freestyle Personal Watercraft Association (FPWCA) is happy to announce that IJSBA sanctioned event, the West Coast Round of 2017 P1 Racing Fuels U.S. Freestyle Championship, will take place in Lake Havasu City, Arizona on Saturday 29th of April 2017.
This is a second year for the freestyle only tour in USA after crossing over from Europe where tour started 6 years ago.
Freestyle competition will be held at Rotary Park in front of the Skate Park at 1:30 PM for the Best Trick Of The Night competition will move to the bridge-water channel under famous London Bridge.
This part of the event is scheduled to start after dusk at 7:30 PM.
Competition classes are: Freestyle Beginner Open Freestyle 800 Freestyle 900 Freestyle 1200 Best Trick Freestyle Beginner Open Best Trick Freestyle 800 Best Trick Freestyle 900 Best Trick Freestyle 1200
Event is free to spectators.
Competitors should register for the competition via official website: www.PWCfreestyleUSA.com
The KV997’s cylinder is made from A356 high pressure die cast aluminum with pressed-in 88mm bored steel sleeves. It features four auxiliary ports, one boost port, two auxiliary exhaust ports with one main exhaust port per cylinder. “The air and fuel are feed into the intake through the side of the cylinder at a 30-degree angle and wrap around the crank as the piston plunges from TDC to BDC,” Nick continues. “The cylinders are 150mm apart to increase the inner auxiliary ports area for improved bottom end punch.”
Biloxi, Mississippi native 
