I grew up body surfing local beaches near my childhood home in Seal Beach, California. I wasn’t very good, but I was decent in my late teens and came to really enjoy the exercise. Seal didn’t have the hollowed-out barrels of Huntington just down PCH, but it also didn’t have the congestion of territorial surfers proudly riding “Doc” Lausch or Harbour surfboards. I even owned a Jack’s longboard for a while, but never really mastered it. I simply preferred to swim out and ride the small stuff. It was a little more personal, just a more intimate relationship with the ocean. Living now in Tennessee, I sometimes miss it.
But in my 20’s, I met a man who was paralyzed from the neck down. Jack Rushton was confined to a mechanized wheelchair that regulated and monitored his breathing, whirring and wheezing like a wheeled Darth Vader. An accomplished waterman, one fateful day while body surfing, the wave flipped him vertical and he landed directly on his upper neck. Friends pulled his limp body from the water and performed CPR. He was quickly life flighted to Hoag Hospital (the same hospital where my first daughter was born, overlooking Newport Harbor), and put on life support. There his wife and children received the news that he would never surf, swim, walk or breathe on his own again.
Amazingly, he chose to convert his life into one of inspiration, and dedicated himself to professing hope in light of affliction. Unfortunately, my only takeaway was to give up body surfing (at least at Newport’s infamous “Wedge”). So when I spotted this video by Fred David, I immediately thought of Jack, wondering if only he was wearing one of these ridiculous Sumo Tubes would things have gone differently. Sure, this story is far more morose than the raucous fun these guys are having around Hossegor in south West of France, but that’s what came to mind. It’s the very last Friday of 2016 and I’m just phoning this one in today, anyways. Enjoy and have a safe and Happy New Year.
Just because Christmas has come and gone doesn’t mean your holiday shopping has to end. New for 2016 and 2017 and now available and in stock are official Dean’s Team Racing T-shirts!
As seen on the backs of your favorite world-class racers and around the pits across the world, these Dean’s Team Racing shirts are part of the official authorized Dean’s Team apparel line and are now available to purchase!
Sizes from small to XXL are ready to ship; each shirt comes in white with the Dean’s Team Factory Racing logo on the front in blue, and the official sponsors in red on the back.
While you might not be able to ride as well as Chris MacClugage, you can try to look like him by picking up your official Dean’s Team Racing shirt – now available with a special promo price price of $10 (plus shipping) HERE!
The initial post that sparked a massive flood of social media shares, likes, texts and posts was from the Spanish personal watercraft enthusiast Facebook page Motos de aqua, and the post itself was meant as a harmless yet well-executed prank in celebration of the holiday “Feast of the Holy Innocents” or “Innocents Day.” Much like our own April Fool’s Day, Innocents Day is recognized traditionally on December 28 and celebrated conventionally by practical jokes, pranks and the like.
The original post read: BREAKING: BRP Sea-Doo confirms the purchase of HSR-Benelli, and its purpose is to launch in 2017 a spectacular 4-stroke jet prepared for competition. The Canadian firm already tried after the launch of the first Hydrospace, but then Benelli went ahead of the agreement. Sea-Doo’s strategy was to wait for the Austrian-Italian crash to be able to pick it up again later, and finally it was time to see powerful BRP Sea-Doo jets!
Prior to jumping on the band wagon, The Watercraft Journal did some much needed research prior to sharing the news. First, the post’s claim that “The Canadian firm already tried [to purchase the company] after the launch of the first Hydrospace” bared no factual backing. Contacts within BRP/Sea-Doo confirmed that the manufacturer had little to no interest in original 4-stroke standup, all but completely debunking the original post’s validity. Undaunted, we pushed further looking into the acquisition’s claim.
Second, which should’ve been the biggest giveaway, is that the company is no longer “HSR-Benelli” but has changed names twice since then, from “HSR-Belassi” to simply “Belassi” making the original post both incorrect and outdated. Nevertheless, we wanted to pursue this to its bitter end, so we reached out to LOOK Marketing’s Tim McKercher who completely dispelled the claim as a joke, and declined to comment further calling the hoax “not worth flaming.”
So, why did this claim gain so much traction if it’s so clearly wrong? Because of Kawasaki’s SX-R, that’s why. Although still very much behind in market presence than either Sea-Doo or Yamaha, Kawasaki’s decision to ignore the surging trend towards smaller, entry-level runabouts and double-down on a 4-stroke standup cobbled together from an array of existing PWC, ATV and side-by-side parts is a bold move, if not a completely curious “Hail Mary” pass. Yet unarguably, the incoming SX-R has spurred some serious interest in the PWC community and has the other OEs taking notice.
Internal chatter already has Yamaha poised to strike a retaliative blow, but rumor has it that the manufacturer will give the new SX-R until 2019 before releasing its TR-1 powered, 4-stroke SuperJet, which has been verified to exist for well over a year now. The planned delay is two fold: first, to gauge the SX-R’s first year’s sales and its second year “staying power”; and secondly, to ride in on a wave of nostalgia as the SuperJet will celebrate 30 years since its first introduction in 1989. It’s not the answer most enthusiasts want to hear, but it is the most likely to happen.
So what about Sea-Doo? Is a standup in the market leader’s future? We asked PWC Muscle’s Joe Zammataro, who said, “Since standups are making such a comeback […] it isn’t without precedent that Sea-Doo would test a standup. Sea-Doo played with [the] 3D somewhere around 1998-2004, [and] that was an XP hull but able to ride like a standup.”
For many who lived through the campaign and subsequent release of the 3D, it’s often ballyhooed as a dud. It’s wide platform didn’t lend itself to the aggressive “on the rail” handling standup riders expected, and its other formats (“Kart” and “Moto”) didn’t translate well to traditional runabout riders. Yet, the 3D wasn’t a terrible machine – not in the least. It simply failed to find its audience. The Rotax 782cc twin-cylinder, rotary valve engine produced a healthy 110-horsepower, the ride was stable and controllable and featured quite a bit of technology in a small package.
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So could BRP snatch up Belassi? Would they even want to? To the point, Zammataro continued, “I couldn’t imagine [the acquisition] being a good investment for BRP; they don’t have anything to offer. If [Belassi] had distribution chains and fully running manufacturing facilities [then] maybe, but as of right now, [the Belassi is] just a cool looking hull and over-tuned engine that have no real world experience. Realistically, I think [if Sea-Doo was to develop a standup] they’d design it in-house.”
So no, there’s no truth to Sea-Doo/BRP snatching up the remnants of Hydrospace/HSR-Benelli/HSR-Bellassi/Belassi. We hope this helps. Ciao.
In the intimate world of freeride and freestyle jet skiing, the advancement of technology has never had a more palatable impact. Lighter metals and hull materials abound, all with greater strength than anything ever offered by the original manufacturers. Aftermarket ski shapers and builders are marching forward well beyond that of what the OEs could have envisioned only a few short years ago. One such company – Free Form Factory Inc. – has been at the bleeding edge of this movement and recently opened its doors to The Watercraft Journal to reveal a partnership for 2017.
“We’re an advanced manufacturing company,” Free Form Factory’s founder and CEO Jordan Darling explained. “We not only create the technology, but prove it out on the water.” For those unfamiliar, Free Form Factory (FFF) designs and develops unique plastic standup hulls using a patented thermoforming process and proprietary materials. The hull pieces are then mated to an aircraft chromoly, TIG-welded chassis that acts as the ski’s substructure. The result is a never-before-seen modular freeride ski whose external and internal components can be interchanged exceptionally faster than any previous design. The plastics used for the hull and deck, known as HULKLITE is remarkably durable.
The manufacturer has been in business since 2014 , when Darling – then a 24-year-old graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology studying mechanical engineering and material sciences, first developed the idea of the modular design and unique hull material. An active action sports enthusiast (motocross, ski, snow, etc.), Darling first went to work on a prototype in 2013, as he witnessed the athleticism of freeriders surpassing the technology available to them. Although pleased with the prototype, Darling knew he needed somebody who could really push the FFF design to its limits.
It was at the 2015 Wave Daze event in Virginia Beach, where Darling befriended the Lawlor brothers, Brandon and Randy. The two were already established freeriders, having earned championships both domestically and internationally. The two immediately recognized the potential in Darling’s design and came to join on as FFF’s first Factory Team riders.
Since then, FFF has added Bryan Bourassa, as well as Danielle Lawlor and Skyler Darling. “It’s disruptive,” Darling declared. “We’re building something very unique with some very unique technologies. Our team of riders have been crucial to our research and development process. We use them to test the durability of our skis to see what breaks first and then improve on it.”
Now residing out of Sacramento, California – having moved to the Sunshine State in June of 2016 – Free Form Factory is also busy outside of the world of freeride jet ski development, fulfilling several commercial military contracts in the in-between weeks and months. “Our goal is to develop and prove technology that has never been used elsewhere before,” Darling commands. “We’ve got some new amazing, disruptive [there’s that word again – Ed.] products coming out in early 2017.” Yet, one major reveal Darling could go into detail about was Free Form Factory’s recent partnership with industry-leading truck bed deck system manufacturer Truckboss.
“I first talked to Kent at Truckboss at the 2015 Blowsion Surf Slam and then again at the IJSBA World Finals,” Darling recalls.” It wasn’t until I had recently gotten a ticket in California for driving over 55 mph with a trailer (a law which I don’t think exists anywhere else in the country), so I had screwed together a truck deck, for over my bed out of wood, in preparation for the 2016 Blowsion Surf Slam. The two then reunited at this year’s Blowsion Surf Slam. Kent was staying in the same hotel as us, and gave me a bunch of crap about my wooden truck deck. “There, Kent asked if I’d like to become Truckboss’ first dealer in California.” In addition to selling the truck deck systems, Free Form Factory is also building out Truckboss installers and dealers in Northern California for 2017, having become proficient in the various arrangements of the brand’s modular design.
Together, the two companies are aiming to change how freeriding is done by providing enthusiasts and professionals the up-most in technology buillt from quality materials, and providing most intuitive, inventive designs. When it comes to modern warfare, the name of the game is superior technology. He who can come to the field of battle with the superior equipment, more advanced weaponry and wield the most efficiency of time and energy will always reign supreme – and in the pairing of Free Form Factory and Truckboss, no two have ever been more poised for domination.
Cover image courtesy of Denise Knudson Photography
We all know how horribly inaccurate the stock speedometer is on these skis. CandooPRO has the perfect solution: a simple plug-and-play GPS module that simply plugs in place of the inaccurate paddle wheel sensor. With this module accurate GPS speed will be displayed on the dash. CandooPro makes modules for Sea-Doo, Yamaha and Kawasaki jet skis. Now you can radically improve your current watercraft with one of these GPS-correct speedometers through the Greenhulk Performance Store HERE:
Here’s the original release: The GPS Module is “plug and play”, requires no cutting or splicing of any harness wires for the standard unit. Transforms your skis inaccurate speedometer into a very accurate GPS Speedometer. The CandooPro GPS Speedometer uses the latest SirfSTAR IV chipset, which has the best doppler speed algorithm in the market of any GPS chipset.
• The unit is totally potted and sealed for the marine environment. • Uses a patent-applied for method of calibration to your individual ski via magnetic sensors, no external wires or switches to fail. • Uses a unique method to indicate satellite lock, as well as using the same indication to validate calibration. • Uses no power from the battery when not in use, so battery drain while off is not a concern. • Contains a supercapacitor to store the GPS receiver coordinates for several hours after you shut down the ski, so you can expect almost instantaneous acquisition of the satellites when you get back running. • Designed for harsh electrical vehicle noise, with overvoltage protection, and reverse voltage protection. You can even hook up the power connections to the battery backwards without damaging the unit.
Please note: All Candoo products are drop shipped directly from the manufacturer.
Say, do you like to wait until the last minute to get things done? Do you find when you do that the task you’ve been putting off is a little bigger than you think? Congratulations, you’re not alone! Literally tens of thousands of personal watercraft and jet boat owners are faced with the annual chore of winterizing their PWC and boats before the freezing temperatures expand the fluids within their tanks, lines and engine blocks, stress, crack and explode those very sensitive and expensive parts. Thankfully, Ryan Dalli and the Jet X Powersports crew are ready to rock when you finally give in and reach out for help.
Recently, Jet X shared a pair of local jet boat owners who came to them looking for some last minute help. The first being a Sea-Doo jet boat needing the usual pre-freeze service, writing: “Took a ride to Willow Beach! Helped out a customer that really needed his Jetboat winterized!” Located in Woodbridge, Ontario, Jet X services the greater Toronto area, and offers additional services like vacuum-sealed shrink wrapping for long-term storage, like with the second jet boat, a Yamaha 242 Limited, tweeting: “While the snow flies we are still winterizing and shrink wrapping! Beautiful Yamaha 242 Limited!”
Of course, there still is time even in the Great White North to call upon Jet X Powersports. Sure, they might be wrenching on more sleds these days, but they’re more than happy to come out and get your favorite water toy ready to weather the winter’s chill. Check ’em out HERE.
As the year comes to an end we reflect on this past years racing season. This year was especially busy as the USA-held its first P1 AquaX Pro Series. Riders from across the globe flocked to USA to ride and try to win a title. There were a total of five racing rounds that left many people in shock, happiness, and sadness. This will be a brief recap as you can read the full recap on the link provided.
The tour started in the beginning of April in Lake Dora in Tavares, Florida. This race was exceptionally exciting as Yamaha FX SVHO rider Chris Saxon was able to clinch first and second in the two races to ultimately win. With the tour already off to a great start we moved to beautiful Daytona Beach. A total of 24 pro racers were suited up with the rest of the amateurs and put on a dominating performance.The top three winners were no surprise as the crowd heard: “Chris MacClugage, Craig Warner and Aero Aswar.” MacClugage was crowned the victory but the riders behind him were close. There was a scare when Cyrille Lemoine was involved in a serious crash that would leave him out for the rest of the season with a leg injury. Chris Saxon continued to dominate in the 300 class as he won three for three.
The next stop was Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida. The race here was for amateurs and there was a change in the top spot as Sea-Doo rider Richard Lopez was the overall weekend winner. However this would be his last race of the year which would make a difference in the title races. When the pros returned in Sarasota they were made known as MacClugage endured two DNF’s before his final race of the weekend. Even though MacClugage was able to win his final race of the weekend, Aswar was able to be the winner for the weekend overall. Eric Francis and Brian Baldwin put on impressive performances as they were second and third were able to move up in the standings while on the way to Chicago for the third round of racing.
WIth the Great Lakes hosting their first ever event the amateurs put on quite a show while the pros watched. The course was tight but that did not stop any rider from trying their best to do what they do best. Rider Jay Edworthy decided to make the trip from Canada to the Great Lakes and his trip was made all the worthwhile as he wa able to grab the top spot. In the pro races there were mechanical issues, ejections and buoy penalties but that is what makes this sport of racing so much more exciting!
After a quick break for the riders, the Pro Series was back on and in full swing. The final races was a doubleheader that started in Lake Worth and the series finale in Fort Lauderdale. MacClugage went into the race knowing that if he made one small mistake he would not will the title. Well whatever he did to prep for the race paid off as he race three races with no error. Aswar who had a terrific season was involved in a crash in which he fell off of his watercraft and came in contact with Francis. Francis was able to reboard his watercraft and finish second but with some mechanical issues it pulled him down to 12th place in the final event. Joe Harvey who is a UK rider was the runner-up in the UK Series as Saxon was able to clinch the win. With all of the male rider news crowding the air, we can not forget the only female rider in the Pro Series Anya Colley who was able to finish fourth place.
This year was the first year that USA would be hosting and man did they put on a great display to showcase the amazing riders! Huge thanks to all of the countless sponsors who were able to make this event possible.
According to a report in BoatSales.com.au, Australian V8 Supercar driver Todd Kelly is planning a 4 day journal (700-800km round trip) across Bass Strait aboard a Kawasaki Ultra LX JetSki.”…Unlike anything this high-profile V8 Supercar driver has accomplished before, the jet ski odyssey comes out of left field or, rather, the backseat of a road trip with mates.”
Kelly will be joined by friends Robert O’Brienand Bryan Hands, departing from Port Welshpool with a fuel stop and overnighter at Flinders Island, ending at the Tamar River, the four-day trip will average 350-400km each way. The motivation behind the trip is simply the challenge. “It’s a whole new discipline. Not too many have been there and back on a jet ski,” Kelly tells BoatSales.com.au. “And I’ll raise money for the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard… Who knows, I might need them.”
Kelly’s choice of ski is also a smart one. “Going the fastest is no use,” Kelly explains. “We’re going for reliability and economy.” Of course, the units themselves aren’t being left “as stock.” Each Ultra has been equipped with a custom 60-litre roto-molded poly fuel tank on a stainless-steel frame rear rack, with an easily-accessible electric switch to a transfer tank on the dash. Kelly has also added a custom waterproof case to the rear rack for the essential gear; as well as a bilge pump in the hull with float and dash switch.
Finally, each machine has been outfitted with a waterproof Lowrance VHF radio with AIS, a Lowrance Hook 4 chirp sounder and GPS plotter, EPIRBS on board (all mounted on a custom aluminum billet dash panel) and each rider will have a personal beacon, plus a satellite phone, and possibly helmet cameras. “We’ll be wearing full-length wetsuits and PFDs with head support,” Kelly adds.
While a set date has yet to be confirmed, the crew watches the weather for the best window: “We’re not locking in a departure date. We’re dictated by the weather. But it will be in early 2017.” By this account, the “Bass Strait is twice as wide and twice as rough as the English Channel. With an average water depth of just 60m, the infamous Strait is known for its huge swells and storm-force seas.” That being the case, it’s best to play it safe.
There’s no better way to shake off the holiday slump than the annual Daytona Freeride, always happening in the middle of January. Sure, it’s often a wet, chilly couple of days on the beach interspersed with a few hours of Florida sunshine, but it’s also the best (and first) display of freeride talent for the first time every year.
This year marks a very special edition of the Daytona Freeride as it is being presented as part of the Pro Watercross Tour! Add to it the support of big names like Hydro-Turf, Hot Products, Jet Renu and Skat-Trak and you’ve got yourself an outstanding lineup.
Come join the nation’s biggest freeride event on the east coast that kicks off the new year. Riders are able to launch and ride their stand up and sport class jetskis into the breaking waves of Daytona Beach. Surfing and Freestyle Motorcross combine as riders charge in Motosurf/Freeride style, slashing waves and pulling big backflip/ invert variations! Ride with and meet fellow enthusiasts to the top Pro Freeriders from all over the world that will share the waves all weekend. 2 x IFWA World Tour Champion Mark Gomez and 3rd in the world Abraham Ho will be there. Many other Hydro-Turf supported riders will be attending well including, Taylor Curtis of TC Freeride, Jake Bright, Tom Scaccianoce, James Juvet, Brandon Lawlor, Randy Lawlor, Jason Bleasdale, Evan Krefski, David Oski, and many more!
HYDRO-TURF EVENT SALE SPECIAL Chris Williams of JetManiac will be our premier Hydro-Turf dealer on site offering a great event special deal for select sheet goods and all other products for a great deal on site while supplies last! From Jetmaniac: *Buy 1 sheet of turf and get another sheet at 50% off. You save on shipping cost of bulky turf and pickup at the Daytona Freeride. We will have limited stock/colors on hand, so it is best to preorder what you want and we will take take of delivery. *All Orders need to be placed with JetManiac by December 31. *You can also order HT gear bags and hats as well. Visit his sale thread on www.x-h2o.com and or via Facebook. http://www.x-h2o.com/index.php…
EVENT SCHEDULE: *Thursday January 12: gates on beach open around 6am event starts officially 9am riding starts at 9am (noise ordinance) riding ends 5pm car and trucks need to be off the beach 30min before sunset (appox 5:20pm) Go to bar for meet and greet party TBD
*Friday January 13: gates on beach open around 6am riding starts at 9am (noise ordinance) riding ends 5pm cars and trucks need to be off the beach 30min before sunset (appox 5:20pm) Party TBD
*Saturday January 14: (main event day): gates on beach open around 6am (first come first serve) riding starts at 9am (noise ordinance) 12:30pm Surf and Style competition riding ends 5pm. 6pm raffle cars and trucks need to be off the beach 30min before sunset (appox 5:20pm) recommend you have them off before 5pm after party on pool deck w/ sponsored drink specials
*Sunday January 15: gates on beach open around 6am riding starts at 9am (noise ordinance) riding ends 5pm cars and trucks need to be off the beach 30min before sunset (appox 5:20pm) event officially concludes 5pm
REGISTRATION: You will need to register online for the event. Visit http://www.daytonafreeride.com/registration/ Pre register: $50 per person – one ski, $60 one person – 2 skis If you do not register online you will need to register when you get to the event . An additional $10 will be added for not pre-registering Day of event $60 per person – one ski $70 per person – 2 skis 1 ski: $50 $10 extra for each additional sticker (per ski) Included in purchase: 4 days of Riding Full Color Sticker for Ski (per ski) Gel Wristband with logo Free giveaways all day Saturday
Event T-shirts will be available at registration created by Chris Rauen for $20-$23 Small – 2xl while supplies last.
Speed is considered by mechanics across the world as the most addicting drug that is legal. When speed and horsepower mesh together the adrenaline pumps even faster. Whether it be jets, sport cars, speed bikes or personal watercraft, users around the world will do anything to see the miles per hours spike new numbers.
When Sea-Doo introduced their new 300hp RXP-X, people were seen running out and buying them leaving dealers empty handed. The power that Sea-Doo has made is very impressive and has left buyers extremely happy. When Sea-Doo introduced their 300hp RXP-X, executives quoted that the RPX-X would be able to have a faster acceleration time than some modern sport cars. So to put the statements made by Sea-Doo to the test, The Car Guide decided to put on a race with a T-Rex 16S, McLaren MP4-12C and a NASCAR to see what their acceleration times would be. Before we let you see who won let’s break done some statistics.
Sea-Doo RXP-X
1630 cc, 3 Cylinder, 300 hp, 272 kg = 1.10 hp/kg
[actual weight is 386 kg as per Sea-Doo’s website -Ed.]
The Sea-Doo RXP-X 300 looks pretty promising on paper, lets see how it done when the test was conducted. In 1st came the Mclaren, 2nd NASCAR, 3rd T-Rex and last but not least came the Sea-Doo RXP-X. While the RXP-X did have a very quick acceleration due to the power-to-weight ratio but the top speed is limited electronically to 72mph. Maybe if the Sea-Doo had a transmission or a turbocharger application it could have stayed with the pack.
