One of freestyle’s young up-and-coming riders, Justin Sylvain has already made a huge splash into the freestyle world when he was showcased in a recent video on Youtube called: Days of Brap Episode 3. The video starts off with him fueling up his watercraft, dry firing it few times to make sure that everything is sounding good. Just by looking at him watercraft you can tell that he’s gonna pull of some pretty impressive tricks.
Justin does a few spins and tricks and then his buddies meet up with him in their boat and what comes next is not expected. Another wakeboard boat joins up with the original boat and they are about 10 feet apart so that Justin Sylvain can ride between them. He casually pulls a double backflip in the air and comes out of it like a champion. After that he decides that nothing will stop him so he spins over a guy on a paddle board along with more flips and spins before calling it a day.
This video is extremely cool as he is the second person to ever pull on double backflip with a 900cc motor and he is only 19-years-old! This shows that no matter what age, what your goals are in rider you can achieve anything you put your mind too.
Well, they did it. They finally did it. Remember when we first let you know of this 24-foot long by 12-foot wide, 3.5 to, 500-horsepower (powered by a pair of 250HP gas engines) Jet Taxi last year? Well, it’s real. Built by the Italian Jet Capsule Company, Luca Solla (CEO) and Pierpaolo Lazzarini (Chief Executive Designer), this contraption is like the interior of a yacht condensed into a bubble riding atop a giant runabout’s hull. The video below was first shared on the Florida Jet Ski page and simply doesn’t do the Jet Taxi justice, so after further research on the Jet Capsule website, were our eyes opened to whole new world of jet skis with loaded price tags: The yacht version can be yours for $150,000.
The Jet Capsule shown appears to be the party version, accommodating people inside and out. The machine has a top deck with a ladder leading the way up and it looks like a nice place to lay out and get some sun. A swim platform on the back is also a nice touch. The interior of some of those boats will blow you away! The Jet Capsules are manufactured in Italy and it took engineers only three years to come up with the 2016 models to sale. There are several different models and they come with the buyers choice of customization. The amount of room inside some of these bubble skis is unbelievable. The pictures make them appear enjoyable and maybe fun to have an intimate party aboard.
It is almost time for the 8th Annual Racetech Yamaha Jet Ski Fishing Classic! This event is considered the worlds biggest jet ski fishing competition. Families are welcome and it is a super competitive contest because top anglers from all over South Africa attend. Many new people and novice fishermen show up as well. This year’s event is being held in Ponta do Ouro, Southern Mozambique and it runs from February 22nd-February 25th. The contest will run on the three best days for fishing. A link to the entry form can be found here or you can email [email protected]. Slots are filling fast, so submit your entries so you can be a part of this grand event.
The guys are already having a good time around the competition launch site and are anxious to get out there for some good fishing and camaraderie. This family friendly event would love to have more participants to make it that much more fun! Stay updated through their Facebook page. It’s loaded with great pictures from past events and random fishing photos of the guys preparing for this years tournament.
Awesome prizes will be awarded to the winners. Check out this list of some of the prizes: Winches from Warne Winches, a Coverworx Jet Ski cover, fish-finders, tackle, cash, sunglasses, clothing, lures, holidays, and top of the line cooler boxes. One of the event sponsors even recommended getting larger goody bags! “You have to be in it to win it though so get those entries in. We are even running a series of lucky draws up to the day of registration, so the earlier you enter the better your chances,” wrote Brendon Nolan, the event’s coordinator.
With this new sponsor, it proves that the watercraft racing circuit is growing and tons of boaters who are loyal to Heyday Boats will see the watercross racing and may become fans. Heyday Wake Boats are known for three great qualities: WAKE, TUNES and CREW. These boats put out a huge wake which will definitely have some freestyle riders wanting to get some air.
Heyday Inboards president recently said, “This tour sponsorship gives us great visibility as we accelerate the awareness of the Heyday brand,” While this is a great business opportunity for Heyday Boats, it also is another way to get the personal watercross racing name made known. Boating and personal watercrafts go hand in hand as they are different in their own respects but have the same principle of getting out on the water and enjoying yourself. Heyday will have their wake boats on display for viewers to look at and feature demonstrations all visible on television. The Pro Watercross brings in a large crowd at every event and with the CBS Sports Network channel broadcasted for its national and world championships events, the crowd will be even larger.
There have been so many great companies that have chosen to spend their money to support Pro Watercross so if you are in the market for a new boat be sure to check out Heyday Wake Boats. Their new design, great prices and powerful engine will be sure to surprise you.
Recently, The Watercraft Journal had the pleasure of talking with Josh Bradwell over at California Freestyle. For those that don’t know California Freestyle, they are a full-service jet ski shop in Stockton, California. They are especially well known for building the Phantom hull.
Josh, like most of us, started riding on an old JS440 at the age of 14. Since then, he has been riding jet skis. At first, it was more of a weekend hobby like majority of the stand up enthusiasts. Josh was originally in the Harley Davidson “world.” He was a technician and worked in composites. Later on, he left and started his own composites company still specializing in Harley Davidsons. After Harley switched to using plastics over composites, he went all in the jet ski industry. He started working with Trendsetterz and helped build the original Backie Chans, then later on he actually broke off from Trendsetterz and created “California Freestyle.”
California Freestyle has hit it big with the Phantom, possibly one of the best looking hulls in the industry. The prices are also very “entry level” but, the quality is top notch. The Phantom is offered in four different options. Starting at $3500 is the glass Phantom, which will be the heaviest at 100-pounds. The other options are a $4,500 glass infused, $5,500 hybrid infused, $6,500 full carbon epoxy. The option to build an all out comp ski is on the table as well, but no price tag. All the hulls come with footholds, hood latches, scupper and hood. The typical turn around time has always been two weeks from payment. The nice thing Josh does is that they don’t require a deposit at first, but rather put your name on the list. When it is your turn, then you pay once the building starts. This prevents the long delays that some people have seemed to experience with many other hull builders.
The Phantom is primarily a flat water hull as It is very short and light. Not to mention, it is marketed as one as well. Josh described this hull as their “bread and butter.” However, Josh told The Watercraft Journal that there are a handful of guys on the East Coast and Canada who ride them in surf. California Freestyle offers a longer ride plate measuring six inches.
They also offer another hull that many people do not know about. The “Fix” is an aftermarket fixed steer ski. There have only been four produced. It was designed to be California Freestyle’s entrance into the surf hull game, but they kind of misread the market and hasn’t been much activity with the Fix hull. The Fix starts at $5,000 and comes with steering and everything else the Phantom would come with. Even though four hulls have been made, California Freestyle still offers the Fix if you would like to have one made.
When looking at the future and what Josh at California Freestyle will bring to the table in 2017, things are looking very bright. In terms of riders, Josh spoke about how many pros on other big name hulls were expressing interest in switching to the Phantom. Also, there is a 1200c motor from Engine Tech for a possible pro rider. On the amateur level, you should expect to see about four to five riders from Northern California on Phantoms.
Two names Josh said to look out for are Zach Zylstra and Curtis Riggins. Both of them are just young kids who have been riding only for eight months. They have progressed so quickly that they started pulling 540’s in only six months! Zach and Curtis are on the $6,500 Phantom hulls. As far as changes for the Phantoms, Josh said that the only changes will be on the ride plate and modifications to the hood to accommodate the larger motors. Be on the lookout for great things coming out of California Freestyle in the near future!
The Western Canadian Watercross Association (WCWA) promotes Jet Ski racing in western Canada. This year’s tour consists of eight rounds over four weekends throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan. At each event there is stand-up / runabout racing, freestyle and a v-wake competition which was introduced in 2016.
We offer different types of classes no matter what your experience level. If you’re new to the sport we have a beginner’s class where you can try out the course and have Canada’s top riders teach you the ropes. Or if you want to test your skill you can line up against the 26 time world champion Mike Klippenstien in one of the pro classes.
For 2017 the classes consist of Beginner Ski, Beginner Women’s Ski, Novice Ski Stock, Novice Ski Open, Novice Masters Ski Open, Sport Spec, Freestyle, Pro Am Women’s Ski, Pro Am Ski Lites, Pro Am Ski Open, Pro Am Vet Ski, Amateur Ski Open, Expert Ski Limited and Pro-Am Runabout Open.
Each weekend is filled with hours of high octane fun. The racing combines speed, skill and sheer raw power producing non-stop action. While Freestyle provides improbable feats of artistry and insane aerial acrobatics. Racing typically concludes around supper time but the family time continues well into the evening.
Since 2012 the WCWA has more than doubled its rider entries continues to grow every year. If you make it to one of our races you will notice that we are one big family and everyone is willing lend a helping hand. If someone’s ski breaks, there are always multiple people willing pitch in and figure out how to fix it.
Our events for the year:
June 10th / 11th Rattlesnake Lake, Alberta
June 24th / 25th Blackstrap Lake, Saskatchewan
July 15th / 16th Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
September 2nd / 3rd Crane Lake, Alberta
RIVA Racing has been a powersports business for years and also a world leader in performance parts for various models of personal watercraft. When they started selling Stage 1, Stage 2 and Stage 3 Kits for personal watercraft parts were flying off of the shelves and into machines whose riders wanted them to go faster. Riders enjoyed the kits that RIVA Racing offered because you were able to input what model of watercraft you had and it would give tell you what part packages were available and what speeds they should expect.
When Sea-Doo came out with their RXP-X 300 they knew it would be a great hit and it was! But not matter what horsepower a company can produce there will always be riders out there looking for more. Well, with the Stage 3 Kit and a few extra goodies allowed through the IJSBA Limited class rules, RIVA is seeing speeds of 85mph at 9,100 RPM.
RIVA has made these performance packages because they understand that speed and horsepower is one the most addicting “drugs” on the market. For all of the adrenaline junkies, watercraft racers and weekend warriors this is the kit for you. You will be one of the fastest watercraft in your area and people will definitely try to test you. So be prepared to test it out and blow them away. RIVA’s own ECU guru, Jesus Garcia recently took to the water and provided a veritable info-dump of data showing the performance of the Stage 3 kit:
The moment sunshine hits, riders around the world head straight to their garage and start getting their personal watercraft ready. We at The Watercraft Journal want every rider to stay safe while riding which is why we want to share with you three important things to think about before riding first outlined in a great article on PersonalWatercraft.com.
When kids around the country turn 16-years-old they think that they know everything about driving. While they have been to driving school and had practice, they will continue to learn and hone their skills the more they drive. Riding a personal watercraft is just the same as driving a car because you are in control of a very powerful machine that can pose a risk to others and yourself if not used properly. It is extremely important to earn your boater’s license because in the class it teaches you about countless things many novice riders would not know. Understanding rules and regulations are a necessity when riding especially if riding in unfamiliar waters. A majority of the states require you to have a boaters license so it is a good idea to take the online class, even if your states does not require it.
Another item to think about when you are buying your personal watercraft is insurance. Car insurance gives us the peace of mind that if we get into a car accident we will not have to pay out of pocket or be financially distraught. The same goes for personal watercraft, many owners keep exceptional care of their machines but once they are out riding in the water accidents can occur. Buying insurance is another expense but it can give you the peace of mind and can pay off huge if something were to happen. There have been reports of insurance costing anywhere from $150-$500 but that does depend on your location and amount of coverage.
It is important to ride with the proper gear on. Proper gear varies depending on your location and riding style. If you are going out to practice racing buoys we recommend a life vest, helmet, goggles, gloves and proper footwear. If you are going out for a nice cruise it is still very important to wear your life vest no matter what because anything can happen. We want all riders to have fun but we also want to stress that wearing the proper equipment can save you from serious injuries.
Back in 1952, French motorcycle racing champion Georges Monneret dared such a dream nearly 65 years before Maddison, but did so slightly different. Monneret left from Paris, France for Calais, on Vespa motor scooter, where he was met with a crew who installed a pair of custom pontoons to scooter. From there, Monneret went about crossing the famed English Channel aboard the waterborne scooter, even stopping to pose with the scooter at legendary cliffs of Dover, where Monneret brought the scooter out on beach at Dover, Kent before a reception committee.
Of course, crossing the Channel was only one of Monneret’s many feats, as the French motorcycle racer won 499 wins and 183 world records during his career, including winning the Circuit of Orleans in 1935, the Motorcycle Grand Prix of France in 1936, and placing second of the 1939 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Over the past year, politics has managed to poison much of everyone’s lives, seeping into entertainment both on TV and outside of our Monday-to-Friday rigamarole. The over-saturation reached a breaking point this week when former Kawasaki USA Public Relations Manager Kevin Allen told Reuters Wednesday during a telephone interview: ““Once we understood the concerns of American citizens, we have taken the approach of agreeing not to participate in the show in the future as long as Mr. Trump is involved as an executive producer.”
While “Kawasaki products appeared in the third episode of the series, as part of a placement deal brokered with MGM, which produces the series,” writes a report in entertainment magazine Variety – Allen’s words both misrepresented the truth of Trump’s near-nonexistent role in the show (in name credit only) and Kawasaki’s position, as the company’s association with the television program has already expired, presumably having paid “any integration fees it owed the production.”
“Throughout its 50-year history in the United States, Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA, its subsidiaries and affiliates, have remained neutral in regards to American politics. Recently, published comments relating to The new Celebrity Apprentice and President-Elect Donald Trump’s involvement in the show attributed to a Kawasaki employee are a misrepresentation of the company’s position and the employee is no longer with the company.”
The announcement came as many threatened to leave Kawasaki over its partisanship, while others choosing to part ways with the brand for simply getting involved in the political arena. Thankfully, wiser minds prevailed: “The last thing I’m thinking about when I’m riding my Kawasaki is politics. I choose Team Green!” wrote commenter Jeff Knoll on Kawasaki USA’s Facebook page last night – and for the most part, most everyone commenting felt the same.
