For the past two months we at The Watercraft Journal have been drifting a little out of our reservation to bring you updates on Cycle Spring Powersports and their Polaris-centered “Slingshot Only” retailer, who organized their second-annual Slingshot Charity Drive or the “Christmas Toy Run.” The event kicked off this past Friday and Saturday, November 11 and 12 respectively, to not only reward Slingshot Only’s loyal customers, Slingshot enthusiasts in general, and people looking to support a good cause.
Central to the annual private event is a charity drive and auction, all with the sponsoring of local children in need. All of the proceeds from 50/50 raffle ticket sales went to purchasing gifts, clothing and other necessities for the families. “Without your help these children won’t have the Christmas that they have been dreaming of,” stated Cycle Springs on its raffle ticket website. Beginning with Friday’s Ride from Innisbrook Resort to Clearwater Beach, Florida, the event concluded Saturday with another ride, a special distribution of children’s gifts with Santa and the anticipated auction.
Attendee Al Marin shared, “[I] enjoyed every moment… Great vendor community makes it even better but most important were the smiles and tears of the kids and their families receiving their gifts of love.” The event was a huge success and promises to return for 2017; and while many weren’t able to attend, Cycle Springs Powersports and Slingshot Only has posted a massive photo gallery on their Facebook page HERE, as well as two videos recapping Friday and Saturday’s rides below:
It wasn’t a month ago when we introduced the readership of The Watercraft Journal to possibly one of the coolest reinventions of possibly one of the simplest items we’ve all got in our garages: the gas can. But sure enough, SureCan has proven itself as not only an easy-to-use, spill-proof gas can, but also an insanely durable one to boot.
Recently, SureCan has put its indestructible gas cans in the hands of Monster Energy Supercross racer Beni Williams as well as a few professional lawn care companies, including B&B Lawn Care, just to illustrate how durable their cans are. And while the abuse illustrated in the video below is a little beyond the pale of what most of us would do with a fully-filled jug of gasoline, it does illustrate a solid point.
And while most of us are far from being a professional landscaper, we can appreciate the durability and clean, no-spill spout and trigger system unique to SureCan. We’ll have a couple of SureCans in our hands soon enough for some extensive testing more in line with the kind of every day use we can expect by the average PWC enthusiast. So hang on tight, and until then, enjoy some senseless pain inflicted on a gas can that surely can take it.
Are you brand loyal? Do you love to wear your loyalty like a badge of honor? Then Sea-Doo has got the perfect opportunity to sport some cool official ‘Doo gear – from baseball hats, hoodies, and boardshorts, to the latest in riding gear for men and women.
Just a quick perusal online shows that the clearance offerings are pretty extensive, ranging from nylon and neoprene lifevests, riding coats, cold weather jackets, wetsuits (both for women and men – with many marked 40% off), rash guards (in short and long sleeve options), gloves, boots, and even beachwear (inlcuding t-shirts marked 25% off).
There’s enough stuff to stock your closet for the next few seasons, so if you’re a loyal Sea-Doo rider and love to show your brand loyalty, then now is the time to jump on these deals.
The P1 AquaX crews made the short trek south on I-95 from their last location of Lake Worth to the city of Fort Lauderdale, Florida this past weekend. The series has traveled all over the state of Florida this year and chose Fort Lauderdale as the venue for their final round of the season. This was the first time that P1 AquaX had come to this location and it wanted to end the season on a big note.
Riders and spectators from all over the world made the trek for this event making it truly an international race. With AquaX expanding to more and more venues outside of Great Britain and the United States there were riders from many different nations.
Starting off the weekend were the Junior racers. It’s always a pleasure watching these young riders battling it out against each other. The Sport class and then the Ski class followed the Juniors. Sam Nehme wanted to finish his season the same way he started it, as number one on the podium. Johnny Smith who had numerous engine issues last weekend in Lake Worth and was looking to rebound this round and give Sam a run for his money. The Ski class followed the Sport class and it was Franco Tobler who would lead the pack and come away with the win.
As the Ski class was wrapping up their first race of the weekend, the Amateur Runabout racers were throwing on their helmets and prepping their skis for entry into the water. Due to Amateurs racing all three classes together it had many racers who had made the trek from Great Britain for the chase of the International Cup. All eyes were on Great Britain’s Joseph Harvey and Chris Saxon from the United States as they were only separated by one point coming into the weekend. Tommy Olswang, who did not race in Lake Worth, wasn’t thinking of either of the other two riders. Tommy came in first for the first race of the weekend and threw a wrench in the plans of Saxon and Harvey.
Next up was the Pro racers and it was going to be an epic battle as Aero Aswar was holding the top spot for the season at 182 points and Chris MacClugage was in second, tied with Eric Francis with 167 points. It was known that these three riders were going to bring their “A” game. The racers did their customary parade laps in front of the fans and headed out to the start line. The green flag dropped and the race was on with MacClugage in the lead. After only two laps completed the red flag came out. It appeared that a sea turtle and a manatee had entered the course. As an avid supporter of the Marine Foundation, P1 stopped the race for the protection of the animals. This was how the first day ended due to the time constraint and the animals not leaving the racecourse. It was decided that racing would resume on Sunday at an earlier start.
Sunday arrived and would start off where the previous day ended with the Pro Enduro Race. With helicopter up in the air and no sign of wildlife, the green flag was dropped and it was MacClugage who came away with the hole shot and a hold on the lead for the entire race. Could a change of number one be coming? Even more so, could we see Eric Francis move up in the standings also? MacClugage would take the win and gain valuable points to get within grasp of Aswar for the overall points lead.
The Amateurs did their second race of the weekend once the Pros finished. Joseph Harvey had his eyes set on taking down some riders to gain some very important points. Chris Saxon was still trying to hold off Harvey and wanted to keep the cup in the good old USA. As the race progressed it was Tommy Olswang who once again came into the mix and would win the second heat of the weekend. Harvey was on a tear as he moved up during the race and would finish second. Chris Saxon would have issues that would knock him out for the rest of the weekend.
The Sport, Ski and Junior classes all completed their second race of the day. As the Pros were getting ready for their second race of the weekend an unexpected guest decided to show up on the racecourse and did not want to leave. A sea turtle again ventured onto the course and racing was postponed with hopes of a quick restart. Unfortunately, the turtle had other plans and the P1 staff started to have discussions on what would be done about the remaining races slated for the weekend as they were on a very tight schedule.
Finally, after a long wait, the Pros were able to continue racing with MacClugage once again winning, giving him another 20 points to add to his overall total. The title was getting away from Aero Aswar and had many wondering if he was still feeling the effects from his collision the previous week with Eric Francis. The third and final race for the Pros took place later in the day had Eric Francis take the win over MacClugage.
Your winners for the weekend were as follows: Sam Nehme (Sport Spec) USA; Harry Robinson (Ski) GB; Eric Gabryel (Spark) USA; Joseph Harvey (Amateur 300 Class) GB; Jason Lester (Amateur 250 Class) USA; Jennifer Nolan (Amateur 200 Class) USA; Chris MacClugage (Professional) USA
As the season has come to an end it gives us time to reflect and come to this conclusion: P1 AquaX has grown tremendously since its very first season and has brought some of the best racers not only from the United States but also from all around the globe to race. The sky is the limit and we look forward to next season to see what the organization will bring. ‘Till next year!
It was bound to happen; the temperature has finally dropped for most of us in the Northern Hemisphere but that’s no reason not to keep the adrenaline going next year’s racing season. And to keep the fires stoked, Pro Watercross just released their 2017 schedule dates (well, most of them, at least) – as well as some big changes additions to the roster!
First, what’s missing: Utah. One of the least attended stops in the National Tour, the St. George, Utah location was just a bridge too far for most racers. Taking its place is the Lewisville, Texas stop. Adding Texas to the calendar is a boon, as its centralized location is far more accessible to potential competitors.
Next, is a bit of political banter. In an effort to encroach on the Pro Watercross World Championships’ usual late-September dates, the IJSBA bumped up next year’s World Finals’ dates by a week. As a direct response to the IJSBA, Pro Watercross pushed its 2017 World Championships to the end of October/early November, leaving September wide open.
Big additions to the tour include the newly branded Pro Watercross Daytona Freeride, Bradenton Riverwalk Regatta, three stops for the Great Lakes Watercross series, four stops for Typhoon Tommy’s series, and the entire Hydrofight Us National Championship Tour. It’s a pretty aggressive roster for next year and we’re trying to figure out a way to cover it all.
Here’s the original press release: With the holidays right around the corner it won’t be long before many of you will be ready to hit the water, whether it is for fun, freestyle or racing. The northern part of the country is being covered with a blanket of white snow and to be honest it just makes us think of the white sandy beaches of the gulf coast and the first two stops of the tour…
Pro Watercross is always working to improve the tour looking for new venues and ways to advance our sport and today we are pleased to announce the tentative 2017 national tour dates as well as the dates for Pro Watercross sanctioned events.
As the 2017 race season draws closer, event organizers; Great Lakes Watercross, Surf & Turf Promotions and Typhoon Tommy’s regional dates will be finalized as well as the introduction of a US National HydroFlight Championship tour.
Pro Watercross has been considering the idea of breaking the National Tour into two individual tours – a West Coast/East Coast tour or possibly utilizing a drop round for the tour. As soon as this decision has been made, we will make an announcement.
The Pro Watercross World Championships will be held at the end of October, beginning of November with Watercross, HydroFlight, HydroDrags and Wakeboard as confirmed competitions. Details will be announced at the beginning of 2017.
Great Lakes Watercross June TBA | Minnesota August 25-27 | Kenosha WI | Surf Ride September 16-17 | Milton, WI
Typhoon Tommy’s June 23-25 | Detroit, MI | River Days July 14-16 | Trenton, MI | Roar of River July 29-30 | Oswego, NY | Harborfest August 4-6 | Pittsburgh, PA
HYDROFIGHT US NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TOUR June | TBA July | TBA August | TBA
Were Roger Penske willing to sell you a ALMS-spec Porsche for less than what it would take for you to build one, would you even blink an eye? That is the argument for Dean’s Team new Limited Edition WaveRunner GP1800RS. Built to exacting specifications, thereby earning its “RS” RaceSpec moniker, every RS is hand-built, tested and fine-tuned by the same hands that have assembled the same skis to rack up dozens of World Titles; including, as Dean Charrier wrote, “the last three years of IJSBA Pro Runabout Stock, the 2015 P1 AquaX Team of the Year with wins in the 200 and 300 classes, wins at the HydroDrag World Championships in Stock, Spec, and SuperStock classes, and many more.”
Only now have many who bemoaned the replacement of the FZ Series Yamahas with the new GP1800 WaveRunners started to come around, particularly through the efforts of Dean’s Team, as well as RIVA Racing and Greenhulk.net. Only yesterday did The Watercraft Journal report that a box stock GP1800 was capable of a staggering 79.2mph with only the aid of an ECU reflash. The GP1800RS sprints comfortably to 82-to-83mph in its closed course arrangement, and when pressed and slightly tweaked, can reach a maximum 84mph. “When we loosen it up for top speed, it gets upwards of 85 mph,” Dean told The Watercraft Journal, with all testing done locally in Orlando, FL.
Again, that is in IJSBA Stock Class trimming, as well as compliant with AquaX Pro Enduro regulations. As Dean continued, “[It’s] the perfect set up for someone who wants to be the fastest on their lake or the fastest around buoys,” continuing, “[When] set up for closed course racing it has great acceleration like the skis we won the World Finals on.” Until recently, Charrier and his Dean’s Team ECU reflash was a well-kept secret. Charrier’s relationship with Yamaha proffered the tuner exclusive access to not only early GP1800 prototypes (confessing, “We’ve had the GP1800 for over a year now and have been developing and tuning longer than anyone for it.”), but also access to sensitive engine mapping software.
Coupled with a uniquely repitched Single Prop, every GP1800RS is tuned and tested to Dean’s specs and standards. Of course, much more is included in the RS than just a custom Dean’s Team Reflash and Repitched Prop; but also includes a custom aluminum Worx steering neck and 32-inch race bars with ODI Ruffian Grips, Worx air intake and filter, a custom-shaped intake grate, a Worx ride plate and special, adjustable “Billet Insert Edition” sponsons, RIVA Racing water strainer, a custom-stitched, grippy Jettrim seat cover with contrasting-colored stitching to match the corresponding red or blue Yamaha, and a unique Dean’s Team GP1800RS vinyl graphics kit to match.
As per our initial review of the factory GP1800 for 2017, the new WaveRunner shines brightest when pushed through the corners. Lightweight and precise, the stock GP handles like a slot car, and the Dean’s Team RaceSpec configuration only magnifies that. The added traction provided by the sponsons, grate and ride plate, combined with the improvements to rider comfort and input thanks to the new steering system and seat, all make for a machine that is all but unmatched on the water. Although Charrier didn’t disclose a cut-off number, the GP1800RS will be a limited edition machine sold for $17,800 – and a quick breakdown of the MSRP of the craft, all of the parts and labor shows that at that cost, you’re paying less than retail.
Even if you’re not pursuing a career in racing, but just looking to get your hands on a race-ready machine that is sure to upset everybody else on your lake, the Dean’s Team GP1800RS (RaceSpec) looks to be the perfect weapon to bring to that fight. But if you are chasing podium finishes, we can’t think of a better watercraft package available on the market today.
“Inside baseball” is a phrase not commonly bandied about within social circles, but is an apropos way of saying “we show you how the sausage is made” (which is also a colorful albeit esoteric turn of phrase). When it came to the reveal of the new 2017 Kawasaki SX-R JetSki, our coverage might’ve skirted that line, occasionally dipping into behind-the-scenes information that the layman couldn’t really care less about. Yet, seeing that we’re a PWC enthusiast magazine, and not some generic powersports publication, we felt it appropriate to dive a little deeper.
That being said, we also wanted to draw the curtain back a little further to reveal some of the inner workings of Kawasaki – in particular it’s mindset regarding the new ski – so we had multi-time Junior Ski and Amateur Ski National Champion AJ Luinstra skulk his way through the 2017 Kawasaki Dealer Business Meeting and bring us back a full report. Mind you, there’s not a whole heck of a lot revealed here (particularly about the new SX-R) that you haven’t already read or heard, but we do get a taste of how Kawasaki is looking to market the new standup:
Above: Kawasaki brought out several top superbike and motocross riders as several new units from the motorcycle, side-by-side and PWC divisions were rolled out for 2017.
“Well, the 2017 Kawasaki Dealer Business Meeting is officially in the books. The Dealer Meeting marked 50 years for Kawasaki in the USA. With this 50th anniversary we knew there had to be some awesome new products; Kawasaki released fifteen new products ranging from side-x-sides, motorcycles, and personal watercraft.
“One of the products that I know we have been waiting for was the all-new 2017 Kawasaki SX-R. This new standup watercraft had its official international unveiling back in October of this year at the IJSBA World Finals. One of the main things we did not know back in October was the price and the full specs for the ski. We now know after a very eventful 2017 Dealer meeting that the price will be $9,999 MSRP. We also now know that the weight is 551.3 pounds with fuel. You can also see the full specs HERE.
Above: Kawasaki displayed the SX-R with some interesting notes, including “Comfort” and “Convenience” as being major proponents of the new standup’s appeal, with easy boarding thanks to a wider, angled tray, easy-to-start electronic fuel injection, storage (!) and a drier ride thanks to the KSD splash deflectors integrated into the bow.
Above: In addition to several new 2017 SX-R units, Kawasaki also displayed what the manufacturer advertised as a unit modified for “IJSBA 2017 Ski Stock Class Racing.”
“One of the cool things that we got to see was all the reactions from the dealers and even the Kawasaki staff. There were many different Kawasaki employees that got to ride it along with some of the top motocross riders for Team Green. There were many dealers that were so happy and ready to sell this product this year. One of the top features noticed by a lot of the dealers is that it is not just for smaller people to ride. Bigger people can now ride this ski too and feel very comfortable on it.
“I got the chance to talk with many dealers and Kawasaki staff about this new standup. There were so many different reactions to the new ski. Some of the people said that it was crazy fast but it also handled very good. One of the coolest reactions was by one of the Kawasaki district managers [who] got to ride it in Indian Wells. He said the ski was so fast that he couldn’t hang on to it but that it was by far one of the best standups he had ever ridden. There was also many top Kawasaki motorcycle riders like Eli Tomac, Tom Sykes, and Johnathan Rea that got to ride it.
Above: Modifications to the Stock Class SX-R included custom stitched Jettrim mats, a blinged-out Sato Engineering billet gas cap, R&D Performance sponsons, a Rick Roy Products (RRP) handle pole and chin pad, a RRP 4-degree racing handlebar and steering system with ODI lock-on grips, and Skat Trak impeller.
AJ concluded, “Overall the 2017 Kawasaki dealer meeting was very eventful and we can’t wait for another 50 years for Kawasaki in the US.” We tried to get Luinstra a chance to ride the new machine but was thwarted at every attempt, saying that media will “get their chance in a few months.” Until such time, we’ll have to live vicariously via leaked video and sporadic social media posts. But fear not, dealers are taking pre-orders currently, including 321 Kawasaki out of El Dorado, KS – so order your 2017 Kawasaki SX-R today to get the special racers discount exclusively through 321 Kawasaki today.
Remember the days when going 60 miles per hour on a stock personal watercraft was outright insane? Yeah, we remember those days too. Well, when today’s stock machines need to be detuned just so that they stay somewhere close to the USCG-mandated 67-ish max speed cap, you know that there’s a lot left to unlock. That has been the theme behind Greenhulk.net’s newest project Yamaha, a 2017 GP1800. Greenhulk’s Jerry Gaddis picked up the blue-and-white GP1800 only a couple of weeks ago and he hasn’t let any grass grow beneath his feet.
After installing a secondary digital tachometer and giving the ski a coat of Velocity Visions ceramic coating, he went right to work breaking in the engine, for y’know, about .8 hours. With his son at the throttle, the GP hit 71 on GPS, but as Jerry writes, “the limiter kicks in and drags it right back down to 69 mph.” Reaching into his bag of tricks, Jerry produced a RIVA Racing MaptunerX ready with a reflash ECU tune ready to be uploaded into the ski. The handheld tuner from RIVA walked him through the different prompts, withdrew and saved the factory tune, and replaced it with the optimized tune almost instantly.
Jerry writes, “Minutes after tuning the ski easily pulled 79.2 mph at 8300 RPM. This is bone stock, no mods and just the tune. The acceleration is brutal! Yes, [it’s] still bone stock, [the] impeller [has] not [been] tweaked, [or the] ride plate. [This is] fresh out the Yamaha crate and only a MaptunerX tune. I’m amazed! [I] can’t wait to see what this thing will do once I start adding mods.” Near 80mph runs is an incredible feat for an otherwise untouched machine and a little hard to believe were it not for the GPS-documented video HERE:
As Jerry teases, “Stay tuned, guys! Much better speeds [are] to come once mods are added. You can follow the build progress of the ski right here on this thread.”
For many working people, it can be hard to wake up each morning for work knowing your jet ski is in the garage waiting for some attention. Although we need to keep working so that we can keep riding, the temptation always lures. One of the greatest inventions that has come about is coffee. Coffee has been one of the most important drinks of the day to become motivated but what some guys are doing to get their own coffee is becoming pretty cool.
World Champions Chris MacClugage, Travis Zielasko and Chris Anyzeski decided that if they traveled by water in the rough Atlantic ocean that they could eventually get free coffee at a local marina. And who doesn’t want free coffee? Thankfully, the designers over at Yamaha have put a coffee cup holder in their Yamaha FX SVHO which makes it the perfect excuse to do some morning riding. Yamaha WaveRunners handle great in the rough water but there is no guarantee that your coffee will stay in when shooting off huge waves.
In these two videos you will see the guys launch off the 10-foot swells of Florida’s Jupiter Inlet and be airborne for what seems forever. (As if the caffeine wouldn’t be enough to wake them up.) To conclude, the question we ask you is; Why aren’t you traveling by water for free coffee? Enjoy:
Charles Bombardier is at it again. This time, with the help of Slovak industrial designer Jan Bujnak, a graduate from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava. And what has he designed, nothing short of a near-fully enclosed canopy on a PWC. Titled “The Oneida,” the personal watercraft (PWC) was designed to be used during “three seasons of the year instead of one,” although we know many diehards continue to ride year ’round. Based upon an existing Sea-Doo platform, the Oneida includes a transparent canopy to shield riders from cold winds and splashes.
The cockpit is designed to incorporate a strong, transparent canopy; a structure that looks similar to that of a helicopter. Bombardier had no suggestions for the kinds of materials his design would employ. He went into further detail, noting: “There should be enough space inside the cockpit so the pilot and passenger feel at ease when riding. The engine’s heat would be used to warm the people inside, and in the summer, an air conditioning system could be installed if the owners wished to keep the cockpit on. A sun shade could be built into the roof, or maybe parts of the canopy could be darkened to reduce sun glare.”
Again, while many more adventurous riders refuse to dry dock their PWC when the going gets tough, Bombardier’s design for the Oneida could open up all-season riding to a vast majority of those who live in colder northern regions. Additionally, he submits: “It could also be used to carry out rescue missions along dangerous coasts where the surf breaks near rocks because the pilot would be more protected from falling off. Even if a series of waves kept rolling the vehicle, the driver would remain safe inside his cockpit.”
Although the instances of a rollover are far more rare today with larger, more stable craft, the fear of swamping the canopy, filling with water and acting like a net might deter many from the Oneida. Of course, only time will tell.
