Gallery: 13th Annual 2017 Hot Products Mark Hahn Memorial Havasu 300 Presented by Yamaha

February 15, 2017

If superstition was at play, it couldn’t have been more evident. The 13th annual Hot Products Mark Hahn Memorial Havasu 300 Presented by Yamaha was rife with grueling conditions and brutally rough water, but no presence of black cats or broken mirrors could keep some of the mightiest offshore and endurance racers at bay. Regional, national and world champions of every stripe showed up in force, with returning French champions Jean-Bruno Pastorello and and Jean Baptiste Botti ready to retain their 3-year-championship title.

Canadian Mike Klippenstein and crew rolled in deep, with North Carolinian Brian Baldwin riding a Klipper-branded Yamaha FX SVHO in Manufacturer Stock class, as Klipper himself partnered with Australia’s Christian D’Agostin aboard a Pro Runabout Open FX SVHO and two other teams including another runabout and a ski class. Other notable returns included Craig Warner, Tony Beck, Chris “The Flyin’ Fish” Fischetti, Nicolas Rius, Cyrille Lemoine, Mark Gerner, Dustin Motzouris and Emi Kanamori. In all, 36 teams occupied the beach waiting for the “go.”

Forecasts spelled dire news for racers, as Lake Havasu suffered under blistering 20-plus-mph winds, churning the massive lake fed by the Colorado River into a swirling cauldron of white caps and crisscrossed swells. The whipping winds dropped the temperature from uncomfortable to bone chilling, and racers glared out at the water dreading every inch of its 10-mile lap.

Promoters and organizers Ross Wallach, Mike Follmer and Jim Russel briefed the riders as quickly as possible, expediting the race’s start from 10 to 9am in an effort to get racers off of the water before weather worsened. With the bark of a shotgun, the racers sprinted down the gravely beach of the Crazy Horse Resort, many doing their best to wholly leap ahead of the shoreline onto the backs of their watercraft. Others fumbled through the surf, clamoring aboard and igniting their starters, and speeding away.

Past a dozen years of hosting the event, this year’s Mark Hahn went off with little to no complaints. To mark the event, Kawasaki hurriedly rushed the production of its long-awaiting 1,498cc 160-horsepower 2017 SX-R JetSki in an effort to satisfy IJSBA homologation standards. With over 800 units purportedly crated and on their way to dealerships across the nation, the SX-R was permitted to participate in the event alongside custom built SX-R 800, Bullet, Trinity and Kommander race hulls.

The agonizing conditions proved a boon for the 8-foot, 7-inch standup, and its 551-pound heft managed the swells deftly. One of The Watercraft Journal‘s on site photographers, John Carter remarked, “[It] was interesting. I saw a number of sit-downs getting passed by the SX-Rs.” Klipper, who spread himself over 4 different classes, joined Chad Zeman and Johnny Smith in Pro Ski Open, earning a 4th place in the class.

Conditions were the name of the game this year, unlike other years where smooth, glassy waters made it a matter of fluid pit stops and keeping one’s ski together over 300 miles. Carter continued, “It was a brutal day for the riders. You could see the difference in riding style as the race went on. In the beginning, [many] were standing up and bouncing on [their] knees with the waves. By the 20th lap or so, they were like a rag dolls just hanging on.”

Klippenstein’s Pro Open craft blew an O2 sensor on the second lap and had to be towed in losing 10-15 minutes before he got back out. Rius, sadly fared little better, nursing the craft in to shore suffering a mechanical. Former Hahn 300 champion, Mark Gerner and teammate KC Heidler – who suffered a debilitating get-off that resulted in a broken fibula – bumped them from contention. In fact, as Gerner explained, “[Heidler] swam for ‘what felt like forever’ – over 35 minutes – to his ski [that] was blown to shore.”

To the relief of all those competing, Pastorello and Botti completed the 300-mile endurance race at just over 5 hours and 30 minutes. Not only did it mark a 4th consecutive win for the duo, but Pastorello’s 6th overall win aboard a heavily modified Kawasaki Ultra JetSki. In fact, the big winner for this year’s race seemed to be Kawasaki, who not only took the top two spots in Pro Runabout Open, but the top 7 places in the 4-stroke Ski class – giving their new SX-R a heck of a christening.

As Klipper split his time amid three runabout classes and one ski team, Baldwin rode 250 of the 300 miles, riding the FX SVHO to a win in Manufacturer’s Stock class. Klipper and D’Agostin managed a third place finish in Pro Runabout Open (and 5th overall after 3 penalties and a long pit stop) with France’s Jeremy Poret taking second place. Havasu’s own Beck and Fischetti rode their GP1800 to a win in 4-stroke Stock class, and Frenchman Jean-Baptiste Botti took home a win in 4-stroke Mod Ski class.

Of course, the big winners were all those who completed the crucible. Many shared echoing sentiments, offering huge thanks to all the sponsors that made this year’s race possible, with special thanks to all the Mark Hahn organizers and staff.

Pro/Am Runabout Open: 1. Pastorello/Botti, 2. Chassier/Poret, 3. Klippenstein/D’Agostin, 4. Ryabko/Prayas, 5. Conner/San Martin, 6. Heidler/Gerner, 7. Warner, 8. Rius/Lemoine; 4-Stroke Runabout Stock: 1.Beck/Fischetti, 2. Conroy/Conroy, 3. Balsaux/Vangansbeck, 4. Leu/Leu, 5. Smith/Samuels, 6. Frame/Frame, 7. Amaya, 8. Kubatzki/Schredl; Masters Veterans Runabout Open: 1.Pham/Diep, 2. Anderson/Wong, 3. Amaya, 4. Truta/Filipe; Manufacturers Runabout Stock: 1. Klippenstein/Baldwin, 2. Stuart, 3. Radetic; 4-Stroke Modified Stand-up: 1. Maurin/Botti, 2. Kanamori/Motzouris, 3. Haig/Luinstra/Luinstra, 4. Klippestein/Zemen/Smith, 5. Kantola/Kantola, 6. Wong/Moraitis/Araiza, 7. Hashimoto, 8. Copenhaver/Gewecke, 9. Phan/Cramer/Ortendahl; Sportsman 2-Stroke Stand-up: 1. Levings/Leberski/Gasperon, 2. Bascom, 3. Aarts/Vinatieri/Fitting, 4. Steenbock/Schiede/Brooks

All photography provided by John Carter and Danyelle Glendenning

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Early Kawasaki SX-R Production Meets IJSBA Homologation For 2017

Ocean Priselac

February 14, 2017

The Kawasaki manufacturing facility located in Lincoln, Nebraska exceeded the goal of producing 500 jet skis for the new International Jet Sports Boating Association (IJSBA) division. The crew in Lincoln built 800 of the 2017 Kawasaki SX-R’s and shipped the first batch of the stand up skis to 321 Kawasaki, a long time dealership in El Dorado, Kansas. The new jet skis will soon be available on the east and west coasts of the United States. The four-stroke stand up jet skis were made in time for entry into the Mark Hahn 300 which took place in Lake Havasu City, Arizona, February 12th.

According to the IJSBA’s announcement, the 2017 SX-R may be used at any IJSBA sanctioned event in any category where the machine is eligible. However, the addition of this division does come with several restrictions listed in the paragraph below:

If the SX-R is used in Ski Mod classes, the watercraft may not utilize aftermarket hulls. If the SX-R is used in Ski Limited classes, the watercraft is required to meet Ski Stock rules. The SX-R are not eligible for use in Junior Ski classes until IJSBA approved speed control measures are announced. For answers to any questions about this new division, please direct them to [email protected]

Real Review: SBT Racing Long Sleeve Rashguard

Kevin Shaw

February 14, 2017

There’s a bit of a vacuum in our industry when it comes to establishing an apparel brand for the mainstream customer that a few have stepped in to try to fill. For the most part, JetPilot was the premier brand to provide both quality riding gear and casual apparel for the jet ski enthusiast for the longest time – and for many diehards, JetPilot remains in that position. Unfortunately, for the mainstream, companies like JetPilot and others – Slippery and Jettribe to a lesser degree – are either geared towards a younger audience or that of strictly hardcore racers – none appeal to the core PWC buyer who trends in their upper 40’s all the way into the mid-60s.

A few months back, industry leader SBT, Inc. announced its own line of apparel and riding gear. The selection consisting of a neoprene tour coat, slip-on laceless riding booties, and a long sleeve rashguard, provided an abbreviated offering of quality, entry-level and budget-friendly items. We got our hands on the whole selection and opted to review each item individually, beginning with the rashguard. Priced at $19.95, the long sleeve rashguard is lowest-priced item in the selection. Wielding the benefits of both a watershirt and a sunshirt, the SBT Racing rash guard protects from damaging UV rays and wicks away water to help keep you warm.

Equally, the rashguard earns its name by providing protection from chafing from a life jacket. The white with navy blue and gray Lycra construction is durable but we found the white difficult to clean when worn in the ocher-red lakes of northern Georgia or the muddy banks of Tennessee (thankfully, we shot these images before testing began). When wet, the white does appear somewhat translucent, which might be a turn-off for many. In light of the unisex sizing (S-XL), it clings rather tightly when wet, despite the shirt’s suitable stretchiness. Thankfully, its water-wicking properties means it dries rather quickly, particularly in the sun.

Stylistically, the pattern and color selection looks good – except for the awkward “racing” script running down the right arm. Many commented on it stating it looked “tacked on” or “last minute.” Our suggestion is that if SBT is looking to launch “SBT Racing” as its own brand, the “racing” ought to be incorporated into the SBT logo itself. As stated earlier, the white can tend to be embarrassingly revealing when sopping wet, so maybe a darker color is in order. With more and more enthusiasts choosing to protect themselves using modern swim shirts (instead of caking on layers of sunscreen), a proper rashguard might be just what you’ve been needing – and SBT’s new long sleeve rashguard might be just the right fit for you.

Third Annual Bradenton Area River Regatta Was a Hit

Ocean Priselac

February 13, 2017

The third Annual Bradenton Area River Regatta scheduled to take place Saturday, February 4th was totally jam packed with events including something for all 100,000-plus who were in attendance! All of the water sports action was set up on the Manatee River. The Jet Action Sports Mayors Cup, which is also the first round of the Action Jetsports Surf and Turf Championships comprised of five classes, was a big deal taking place on the water in the midst of all the other festivities. It featured Runabout Enduro Stock, Ski Stock and GP. And Sport Spec and GP.

All of the happenings at the regatta sounded super fun and exciting with close to 100,000 people expected to show up and watch everything go down from Flyboarding, Wakeboarding, Jet Ski Freestyle, Extreme Pogo, concerts, 5K run, fishing tournament for the kids, fireworks, and many more activities and it was free to attend! All you, the spectator,needed was a portable chair and some money for food and drink since a beer garden and food vendors were offering provisions.

Formula 2 Boat racing was even on the schedule along with a “grudge match” on personal watercraft between Uva Perez and Carlito Del Valle. Perez and Del Valle are the two fastest racers in the world and each rider was given three passes under a radar gun. Of course, the big news was Perez’s shattering of the world speed record on a turbocharged Yamaha FZR at 118MPh. That must have been fun to watch.

The 2017 event was sponsored by Abaco Sunglasses, Action Jet Sports, Blosion, Eco Reco Scooters, Jet Pilot, PWC Muscle, Pro Rider Magazine, Sea Doo, and Yamaha.

Video: Abraham Hochstrasser Freerides The Nazaré Cannon

Kevin Shaw

February 13, 2017

In the past 2 weeks the picturesque village of Nazaré has been shaken by something different; this time it was not the giant wave surfers, enfacing once again the world-famous “cannon”, but rather something unique in world terms: a man and his Jetski challenging the Atlantic in its greatest demonstration of strength and power.

Abraham Hochstrasser, a Mexican professional Freerider, famous for the tricks he performs at high altitude, were in Portugal to surf and fly in Praia do Norte, in a promotional Freeride action, together with a wide team of vídeo capture professionals who will visit during the year various parts of the globe collecting images for a super production about the giant waves and those who dare to confront them.

“It is so scary. The impact of waves on this site is brutal!” – said Abraham on the first day that he surfed at Praia do Norte, a 35-minute journey in which he faced waves of about 7 meters. And that was just the beginning.

As days goes by, the ocean gained new proportions as it entered through February, but the Mexican refused to stay ashore, and wrote a new story to join many others that make these waves the most famous of the World.

Video: Fly Racing’s MIPS Technology Mimics Nature’s Way of Protecting Your Brain

Kevin Shaw

February 10, 2017

Most of you will die at a healthy old age having never needed to wear a helmet while riding a PWC. But for those few who dare to push the limits of their machines (and themselves), proper head protection is a must. Fly Racing has pushed their own limits by introducing their most advanced, best-protecting helmet yet, the F2 Carbon MIPS Retrospec.

MIPS or Multi-Directional Impact Protection System, is a patented technology developed by “some of the world’s leading researchers in biomechanics and neuroscience at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden,” according to Fly. In the image below, you’ll see that with exactly the same speed and angle, the trauma on the brain can be very different.

Fly’s MIPS technology comes after 19 years of studies and testing by some of the world’s top researchers (and brain surgeons), all with one goal in mind: to absorb more rotational force from a multitude of angles. Because the brain is surrounded by a cushion of cerebrospinal fluid allowing it to slide slightly on impact, MIPS imitates the brain’s way of protecting itself by giving the helmet its own low-friction layer between the outer shell and the liner, which also slides to absorb a portion of the energy created by an angled blow to the head. It’s pretty ingenious, actually.

Meets or exceeds the toughest safety standards on the market: Snell 2015, DOT approved for USA
MIPS® low-friction layer can absorb more of the rotational force of impacts, adding more protection than other helmets can offer
Shell is constructed using state-of-the-art, aircraft grade woven Carbon fiber and Kevlar® composite materials, which create superior strength while remaining extremely light
Dual density EPS liner combines two layers of EPS (Expanded Polystyrene), one softer, one slightly harder to provide more progressive impact absorption for different levels of impact
Multi-port air induction cooling system includes 11 intake and 4 exhaust vents that create massive airflow to keep your head cool
Quad-vent goggle anti-fog vents above goggle eye port draw air from goggle to help clear away fog
Custom molded rubber trim with integrated nose guard helps keep rocks and debris away from your nose
Quick Release washable Coolmax® comfort liner & cheek pads absorb sweat, provide plenty of ventilation, and are easy to remove
Flow through EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) and comfort liner air system align to maximize airflow
Constructed using super-strong, lightweight machined aluminum screws, rivets, and stainless steel D-rings for superior strength and years of worry free use
Optional carbon fiber intake vent wing can be added to the helmet for increased direction of airflow on the front vents

In the video below, FLY Racing’s designer Jerry Lathrop walks us through how its new MIPS (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) low-friction layer can absorb more of the rotational force of impacts, significantly increasing protection in angled impacts. It’s pretty informative stuff and worth a watch:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMemSvkrUkY

Watermarks: The Gift of Gratitude

Kevin Shaw

February 9, 2017

“Say, ‘Thank you’,” is a phrase I’m constantly belaboring to my 3-year-old. She’s a lovely little girl who’s inherited her mother’s shyness and father’s stubbornness, meaning that as strangers pay her compliments or offer her treats, she’ll obstinately refuse to show gratitude for the kindness given. It’s not only an embarrassment to her parents, but a difficult lesson to teach. The of topic of gratitude is a particularly sensitive one for me as I too, was much like my own daughter in my early years – although nowhere near as cute. The expression of thanks is both an acknowledgement of charity rendered, but also help or assistance provided. The course of my career – and personal life, for that matter – is one of help and guidance from family, friends and complete strangers.

In truth, this magazine itself owes its name to one friend, Marc Samuelwics, while the initial push to create it goes to several key members of our industry – particularly Jerry Gaddis and Tim McKercher. Over the years, several prominent members of the personal watercraft industry have provided editorial content, event coverage, inside information pertaining to new product or other significant industry news, article ideas, and even built relationships to provide The Watercraft Journal with new and return advertising. Speaking of which, our advertisers – particularly those who have remained constant and true throughout our four-year duration (namely Jet Renu, Yamaha Motor Corp., RIVA Racing, Hydro-Turf, Sea-Doo, Jet Ski Shop and SBT, Inc.) have both blessed our company with their financial support and received returns from our loyal readership for whom we are immensely grateful.

It is because of this value on gratitude that I’ve been so vexed lately – specifically, as it pertains to the persons within our industry looking to cultivate their hobby into a career, and flourish their part-time career into something grander. Albeit irregular, we occasionally publish the full-length feature article on a shop, builder or company who isn’t an advertiser. This of course, can serve as a great boon to their budding sales and can be leveraged to build their brand when shared socially. Typically, content of this type is reserved for our supporting advertisers as they pay to receive a steady stream of editorial content highlighting their products and/or services. So when we publish such a feature for a non-advertiser, it is at our cost and expressly for their benefit, as we present their brand before our 350,000 annual readers whom might not have ever heard of them previously.

Such an instance recently occurred and the resulting story was very well received. My contributor produced some of his best work, and our readership greedily ate it up. Yet, all of this effort and expense to publish such a quality product resulted in the utmost in ingratitude, the shop owner choosing to berate my contributor about some minute inconveniences incurred by the two-man company to assist in providing some additional photography, rather than thanking us for the magnanimous work done on their behalf and at no cost (save for a little bit of time spent). I relayed the sentiment that I would happily take the article down rather than give the ingrate further exposure, but chose rather to exemplify his actions here.

Readers have bemoaned our perceived over-indulgence in one topic while supposedly ignoring another, or vociferously complained about some such nonsense while ignoring the fact that this publication comes to them entirely at no cost or inconvenience to themselves. Former advertisers have growled that their degree of editorial support was lacking despite refusing to pay for a program wherein such expected returns are contractually obliged. Others expect sudden cloudbursts of product sales to come raining down despite refusing to share (or even “Like”) the content we delivered on their behalf, despite third-party content being one of the biggest socially-accepted forms of SM posts. Companies look to press as much free publicity from us without understanding or accepting the costs accrued on our end. But then again, we are not alone.

Retailers constantly struggle with customers threatening to never return if not given a better deal than what is offered. Racers participate in local and national events at great cost to themselves with hopes that potential sponsors will value their loyalty and reward them for their reliability and performance. Transversely, sponsors are regularly abandoned on a whim when a racer is offered as little as a free pair of gloves. Returning customers walk up to the same parts department counters they’ve frequented for decades to find the usual clerk has been replaced, and with them all report erased. Somehow, someway, people have become accustomed to the idea that they deserve more than what they are getting. That their mere presence earns them some imagined special treatment. That, by the sheer task of being present warrants them more than the person next to them.

Perhaps this is the fallacy of celebrity, or the lure of social media. Our parents and better yet, their parents understood that all things worthwhile in life are earned. They are pulled from the earth with bare hands. They are chiseled from rock and stone. They are doggedly worked, hardened, brazed and polished by calloused hands and sweat-soaked brows. Time and energy are greater commodities than gold and silver, and to recognize this fact is to discover wisdom. Be aware of the time, labor and effort that others have given of themselves to boost you up. Recognize the sacrifices that others – some of whom you might never know or meet – have made so that you could live better, more comfortably or in security. Once you realize all that your fellow men have done for you, you will be far more willing to return in like. Why? Because gratitude conceives charity.

Go Get Wet,
Kevin

Video: Spectrum Innovations’ Daytona Freeride Recap

Blake Ellestad

February 9, 2017

When freeriding came into the scene of jet ski riding, only a few ventured out into the rough currents to perform tricks. With custom hulls, powerful motors and superior handling, more and more riders are giving freeriding a chance. Now we see Mark Gomez pulling crazy tricks, Abraham Ho getting higher than viewers kites and Jake Bright continuing to wow the crowd. These riders along with many other are growing the sport at an extremely fast rate.

Daytona, Florida is an iconic city that thousands flock to every year for the Daytona 500 motor race. While Freeriding isn’t as big as NASCAR yet, the Daytona Freeride Competition has been going on for a few years now and it is increasing in size each year. While this is an event many people travel to, work and busy schedules do not always allow for a weekend getaway to the beach. Thankfully Spectrum Innovations was on scene for the event and was able to create one of the best videos featuring freeride.

This video was done excellently as it showed how after a long night of hanging out with the riders, they wake up early and are warming up their watercrafts. Check it out if you haven’t seen it and share it with your fellow riding buddies. They will surely think it’s as cool as we thought it was. If you would like a full recap of the Daytona Freeride check out Mark Gomez’s news story here on The Watercraft Journal.

Nicolas Rius Joins RIVA Racing For 2017 AquaX Season; Partners With Cyrille Lemoine For Hahn 300

Blake Ellestad

February 8, 2017

Life can throw a curveball at you at anytime which has made some people have to give up what their true passion is. Well luckily for rider Nicolas Rius he is coming back! Rius was one of the best European riders to ever race and is quite excited to be coming back for the 2017 race season. Coming back to racing requires a lot of training but Rius is looking to rekindle the competition between fellow rider and world champion Chris MacClugage.

This sparks a lot of excitement as MacClugage has won over 21 World Championships and has proven himself to be one of the best riders. But Nicolas Rius has 16 World Titles and that was back in the 90s when he was racing in Europe. In 2011, he was involved in a high speed crash and decided to retire. So coming out of retirement riding a Yamaha GP1800 will surely make a statement. With the backing of the powerhouse RIVA Racing, it will surely give Dean’s Team Racing a run for its money.

This year’s 2017 race season will be full of jam packed action and it all kicks off at this year’s Mark Hahn Memorial 300 taking place this weekend in Lake Havasu, AZ where he’ll be partnering with fellow Frenchman Cyrille Lemoine to compete for the title. Next, Rius will be charging the AquaX season, beginning at Daytona Beach. Be prepared to hear about Nicolas Ruis and his epic comeback to the racing scene! Let’s hope that all racers especially Nicolas Rius have a great season and are able to remain safe and healthy.

Case of The Humpdays: Mark Gomez’s Perfect Flooded Street Ride

Ocean Priselac

February 8, 2017

The recent flooding in Southern California gave two-time world MotoSurf champion and Hydro-Turf rider Mark Gomez the opportunity to take to the streets of Fullerton, with one of his stand up 550 racing skis. This went down Sunday, January 22nd, in his hometown neighborhood where people along the streets were yelling for him to go faster. They got a kick out of his antics. His brother Phillip Gomez and he had waited a long time for this day and when it finally happened, brother Phillip captured the action on video, which he filmed from his truck. Good times were had by all!

Gomez wrote, “After years of my brother Philip Gomez and I waiting for the rainy day stars to align – that was for us both being home and it to be raining just hard enough to get our street gutters to flood enough so I could try to ride up our street in Fullerton, CA; we tried it before but couldn’t get it going – today, with the help of the neighborhood, I pulled it off! First attempt was filmed from the bottom of the hill, I made it all the way up my street, turned right and had to stop because of a parked car blocking my river! This second attempt got almost as far, until I clipped the curb which sent me into the shallow spot toward a soft abrupt stop, but thankfully my chin cushioned the blow (ha! ha!). Such a rad home experience.”

After checking out Mark’s Facebook page we read that it took two attempts to get the ride he was looking for on Sunday and the guys and the neighbors were stoked! Gomez does a great job navigating his way down the narrow street, and just laughs when a shallow spot shuts down his rainy day ride. Gomez has such a carefree attitude that we all absolutely love. It really shows in his riding and this day was no exception.

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