If you’re a regular reader of our content, then you’ll know we’ve covered the Rip‘n Ride event over the years. But what you may not know, is that Yamaha Motor Australia, along with Marina Bayside, Yamaha Motor Finance, and Yamaha Insurance, have once again teamed up with the folks at Rip ‘N Ride as the premier sponsor for this year’s event.
As part of their ninth consecutive year in partnership, this year’s event is expected to bring the biggest turnout yet – with some of the world’s best performing freeriders for around the world attending. Since the event was announced earlier in June of this year, more than one hundred entries were sold in mere minutes. If that’s not enough to get you excited to travel to Cronulla, NSW, this October 21-22, then get ready to be even more hyped.
“Yamaha has been involved with the Rip’n Ride since it’s conception nearly a decade ago,” said Grant Binskin, National Marketing Manager for Yamaha Marine Products in its press release. “It has proven to be the perfect platform for riders to come together and showcase their unique talents in a fun, safe and controlled environment. It’s also a great way for Yamaha to promote our unique Superjet model, a watercraft that has been the backbone of stand-up and freestyle sport-riding for over 20 years.”
Just like previous years, the event will conclude with its famous after-party, where you’ll have the chance to witness the award ceremony for the event’s winners – including a sponsored prize for each entry, and a Yamaha SuperJet valued at more than $11,3300 as the grand prize. Hyped enough yet? Then checkout Rip ‘N Ride’s Facebook page here for more information. You’ll be glad you did.
Whether you’re a watercraft enthusiast, a motorcycle enthusiast, or both – the Kawasaki Good Times World located in Kobe, Japan, is a real treat to visit in your lifetime. In short, it’s a spectacular display which boasts more than one hundred years of engineering marvel throughout Kawasaki’s history in the making; and in this century, we are fortunate to say it’s been reopened in honor of its craftsmanship.
Beginning this month, enthusiasts can once again revisit this iconic maritime museum in Japan, to experience some of the most exciting machinery that Kawasaki has to offer. Alongside displaying some of the company’s greatest motorcycle offerings reveals the ‘Heritage Zone’, a spectacular treat for enthusiasts looking to receive a broad and in-depth history lesson on how Kawasaki started.
Speaking of history, Kawasaki has added an all-new exhibit on display at the Good Times World museum. In celebration of the 120th anniversary of Kawasaki, a special event will take place where enthusiasts will have the visual pleasure of examining an authentic Hien Type 3 fighter place on display (which was recently restored at the Kawasaki Gifu Works). While the main focus of the exhibit is on the fighter plane and its restoration, its secondary purpose is to introduce enthusiasts to the evolution of supercharger technology.
For those of you looking for more of a ‘hands-on’ experience, check out the museum’s RideEX riding simulator – where you can take two laps around a circuit on a Ninja ZX-10R sportbike. For more information on the reopening of the Good Times World, including ticket and parking information, head over to Kawasaki’s website, and checkout the dates for availability.
Yeah, you read that right “summer” because those residing in the Southern Hemisphere are just starting to enjoy the rising temperatures that come from this time of the year, while we in the Northern Hemisphere are preparing to winterize our boats and weather through a depressing few months of not riding (or at least as much as we’d like to).
Jetsport Australia, the largest reseller of personal watercraft parts in the world, recently shared a pretty impressive video but one that may require a little explanation. The massive 40-foot container showed at the beginning of the video has already been unloaded three-quarters of the way when we first see it, as Jetsports employees have been busily unloaded, categorizing and restocking their shelves prior to filming.
Pallets of new crankshafts, pump rebuild kits, props, gaskets and much, much more came flooding into to Jetsports’ warehouse preparing the retailer for what is promised to be a very active season. The container marked a special occasion as it was the single-largest order ever placed by an Australian company and sets the tone for the rest of the market.
As a specialist in premium WSM aftermarket powersport parts, engines and accessories, and the premier Australian distributor for WSM Performance Parts, Jetsport stocks everything you’ll need for all brands and models of PWC. And if you’re looking to ramp up the performance of your machine, Jetsport Australia is also an authorized online dealer for Riva Racing, the industry’s biggest manufacturer of class-leading performance parts as well as the top OEM part supplier in the world.
And remember, Jetsport Australia is Australia’s number one source for used and reconditioned parts with over 1000 dismantled PWC to choose from. So don’t fret if you’re in need of anything to keep your PWC on the water, Jetsport Australia is just a phone call or email away.
There are ways to cultivate the owner experience. When Dodge first launched its open-roofed, V10-powered Viper roadster, marketers sought to make the purchasing experience far more inclusive by issuing owners a unique jacket, a subscription to an exclusive monthly newsletter and invites to Viper-only track days and driving schools. The result was an immediate customer-satisfaction rating that Corvette quickly needed to bridge.
While this level of owner inclusion is more often found within the sphere of supercars, one company inside the personal watercraft industry has taken this challenge to heart, well above its competition. Sea-Doo has striven to not only provide its customers with the latest in innovative features and a top level riding experience, but also integrate them into a more inclusive experience by offering social media campaigns to win great accessories and gifts, as well as unique experiences.
The biggest of which has been the Sea-Doo Ultimate Owner’s Ride. Celebrating its sixth consecutive year, the Ultimate Owner’s Ride takes place during the main event weekend of the annual IJSBA World Finals held in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. While watching the world’s greatest PWC racers compete for gold might not be everyone’s particular cup of tea, several dozen riders have flocked to historic Site 6 early in the morning to join fellow Sea-Doo owners for a one-of-a-kind ride.
“This is easily one of my favorite rides,” beamed Look Marketing’s Tim McKercher, who hosts the annual ride. “I’ve ridden all over this country (and some pretty amazing places worldwide), and this is still one of my favorite rides. You just don’t see stuff like this anywhere else.”
Leaving from the westernmost tip of Lake Havasu Island, the ride begins southward, circling back east around the island, past the Island Inn where the World Finals called home for decades (before relocating to the northern side of the island), and beneath the world-famous London Bridge that was first erected in the 1830s over the River Thames in London, England prior to being dismantled in 1967 and relocated to Arizona. From there, the tour journeys north past the racing and up into the Colorado, all the way up to the Pirate’s Cove resort.
This year saw the event moved back to Friday, welcoming over 75 individual Sea-Doos and nearly 100 riders (as many rode two-up). In the mix were nearly a dozen Sparks, and no shortage of brand-new 300-horsepower RXP-X, RXT-X and GTX Limited machines, with a blend of everything else in-between (we had hoped for at least one 3D or LRV, personally). A handful were heavily modified supercharged machines, with their open exhaust cackling in the early morning air.
McKercher and the Sea-Doo team even rolled out several 2017 units for many to oogle at, including the new GTR 230 and RXP-X inspired GTR-X 230. While many inquired about it, all available Sea-Doo Spark Trixx models were being used at the Trixx Experience happening on the other side of the island at the Crazy Horse Campground. Leaving a little after 9am, the flock of Sea-Doos cruised back and around into the No Wake Zone leading to the back of the London Bridge Resort and infamous Kokomos nightclub for a photo opportunity beneath the bridge.
While trying to link 75 runabouts together sounds a lot easier than it really was, we managed to get everybody into frame before heading back through the channel and into the lake. Clearing the No Wake Zone, we throttled up the Sea-Doo 230 camera boat with a field of runabouts in our wake and the grand stands of the World Finals in the background. Wind was mild and churned the lake slightly, producing patches of 1-to-2 foot rollers between the wakes of the usual boat traffic.
At the mouth of the river we passed through the narrow channel, flanked by groves of underwater grass waving just below the surface. With none needing to be rescued from clogged intake grates, we sped off to the infamous Havasu Sandbar for a break. The location has been nefarious for some rowdy behavior over the years, but local patrols have helped to clean up the spot throughout most of the year (Spring Break is still a zoo and definitely not “family friendly”). From there, the ride north enters through the rolling sand dunes occasionally dotted with the wild burro native to the area.
Regathering at Topock Gorge, the group idled through one of the most pristine portions of the Southwest’s painted desert. The river is rife with native species of rainbow trout, largemouth and striped bass as well as catfish, carp and crappie, as the canyon’s walls reach as high as 500-feet overhead. Interestingly, the Gorge retains significant archeological history with ancient petroglyphs from the Mojave people.
Through the Gorge and pass Topock, we cruised to the mouth of the Pirate’s Cove Resort. There, riders filled the beach and docks with a full spectrum of colored Sea-Doos, overtaking the patio for lunch provided by Sea-Doo. Catered to by the courteous staff and sufficiently filled, we gathered for a quick trivia game where prizes and gifts were rewarded, prior to taking a group shot and releasing all to navigate back to Site 6 at their own pace.
While the ride was expertly scenic and the meal provided refreshing, it was the company that made the trip for all. Smiles beamed and laughter was heard echoing through the canyon, people traded tales of high speeds and adventure while ashore, and tech tips exchanged among the speed demons. It’s the kind of camaraderie not often found in groups of strangers elsewhere but inside the sport, and its well worth being a part of in future years. All it takes is owning a Sea-Doo and you’re living the “Sea-Doo life.”
Bringing extra fuel to the lake or along with you for a long ride can be daunting. Even with the best in today’s portable fuel cans, refilling your tank while afloat (in those places were on-the-water fueling is permitted) or on the shore can often be a messy experience. For those stand-up riders, this experience is all too common, as replenishing your ski’s spent tank happens quite often while you’re enjoying the day with friends and/or family. Nobody wants spill-over and cutting off the flow of fuel before it bubbles over isn’t as easy as you think.
Simply point the swivel-mounted spout at the bottom of the can directly into your ski’s filler neck, and depress the trigger to control the flow of fuel! It’s really that easy. And when your tank starts to fill to the top, release the trigger. No more spills on your ski, the beach, into the water, on your trailer or even on you!. The SureCan is 100-percent American made and can be purchased for 2.5- and 5-gallon sizes, and also is available for Diesel and kerosene applications.
Lastly, the SureCan is also one of the most awarded products we’ve had featured on The Watercraft Journal, earning the “Most Innovative New Product” Award 2014 by The National Hardware Show, “Retailers Choice” Award Winner 2016, Edison Awards Silver Winner 2016, Lawn & Garden/Outdoor Living “Best In Show” Award Winner 2016 and featured on DIY Network’s “I Want That” show. Expect to sure more from SureCan in the coming weeks and months as we make this amazing product part of our regular repertoire.
With the 2016 IJSBA World Finals completed, it looks like Yamaha prevailed. In nearly every class that a Yamaha Watercraft participated in, they won a title. Titles were won in Women’s Runabout, Pro Runabout Stock, Pro Runabout Spec and Pro Runabout Limited. These classes are not easy and it showed that Yamaha’s Research and Development team has created many different crafts to suit all of their racers needs.
With Chris MacClugage and Abdullah Al-Fadhel having record-breaking years aboard their Yamaha FZR WaveRunners, they were able to win gold this year. It had been a long year but winning was all that mattered. MacClugage dominated the closed course Pro Runabout Stock class and was accompanied on the podium with Al-Fadhel and Aero Aswar.
Dean’s Team Racing gained more recognition with Al-Fadhel racing in the Pro Runabout Spec and winning the world title. This established him as the “one of the best riders ever to compete on the International stage,” according to Yamaha’s press release.
Shante Bukes, Yamaha Racer in the Women’s Runabout was the champion this year. While this is a predominantly male sport, the women are turning in some fantastic times. Mohammed Burbayea came out as the Pro Runabout Limited Champion.
As many of you have heard, the 2017 GP1800 is definitely going to give the FZR a run for its money and be chasing it for new titles. While there is most likely going to be a few FZR’s at the starting line next year, Yamaha’s Race Director Scott Watkins is very excited to see how well the GP1800 will perform in the closed course racing that Yamaha has dominated for so many years.
Yamaha had a terrific year and would like to thank everybody who has helped the Yamaha Racers get to the top of the podium!
Havasu isn’t the mecca of personal watercraft racing for just any reason. Dreams are made and crushed all in one week’s time. Nothing can compare to a year’s worth of work that leads to the jubilation of a world title for anyone in the personal watercraft racing community, but there also many fires fueled for the next season by missed opportunities. If there was one word to describe the racing in the past week at the 35th annual IJSBA World Finals in Lake Havasu City, Arizona it would be “electric.” Electric because of the importance placed on a one weekend shot at a world title.
In the ski classes there was a triple log jump to navigate which humbled many competitors. In Pro-Am Ski Stock, a familiar face stood on the top after Moto 1: Mike Klippenstein from Canada. He has been a staple at World Finals for much of its 35 year history. Marten Manni Saku from Estonia took second in the first moto and looked to keep Klippenstein honest in Moto 2 on his quest for a world title. But it wasn’t enough, because in Moto 2 Saku finished third and Klippenstein got the win. This gave Klippenstein another world tile to add to his mantle with Saku in second. Rounding out the top three and playing spoiler in Moto 2 was Bousselmon LLias Brueller from Belgium making it an all-international top three.
Sport GP – a class that was for the most part dominated throughout the year by Broward Motorsport’s Sam Nehme – turned into one of the best battles of the week. After being T-boned earlier in the week in Sport Spec, Nehme shook off some injuries to put in a flawless Moto 1 and grab the victory. Moto one had a three-way battle all along that went back and forth between Andrew Bezan, Tyler Hill and Denny Janeway. After a big battle, Moto 1 ended up with Bezan, Hill, and then Janeway, respectively.
The finishing sequence was very important because in Moto 2, Nehme once again pulled the holeshot but as the race went on, his injuries caused him to fade allowing Hill to make the first pass and grab the Moto 2 victory. Bezan also got by Nehme and grabbed second. Janeway, in a mad dash to secure a podium spot, got by Nehme at the end but it wasn’t enough to get him on the podium. Hill’s big time performance landed him on the top spot and secured the world championship. In second it was Bezan and third was Nehme.
Pro-Am Runabout Stock turned into a Yamaha display of power. The Top 6 spots all went to Yamaha watercraft but that didn’t mean there wasn’t some drama in finding out who finished where. All-time watercraft legend Monster Energy rider Chris MacClugage out of Naples, Florida, decided this is the class that he would make his mark on for the week. In Moto 1, after a bad start, Macc moved through the pack methodically on his way to a huge win. Just behind him was young superstar and fellow Dean’s Team rider Aero Aswar out of Indonesia; following him was another Dean’s Team rider Abdullah Al-Fadel from Kuwait.
In Moto 2 things would shake up a bit and add some intrigue to the podium for the overall. Al-Fadel grabbed a big Moto 2 win beating a second place Macc in a upset with Yamaha rider Brian Baldwin playing a bit of a spoiler finishing third. In a bit of strategy to oust Macc from a first overall, Al-Fadel attempted to slow him enough to permit Baldwin to pass, giving the Kuwaiti the win. The plan failed, and after tallying the finishing scores, Macc stood on top and added another world title to his resume, with Al-Fadel falling just short in second place. Aswar finished up the podium with a very respectable third place finish.
In what was widely regarded the most exciting class of the week, Pro Ski put on a show. The triple log jump crushed some championship dreams for more than one rider in this class. Last year’s champ Jeremy Poret out of France had one thing on his mind and that was to repeat. He came out of the gates in a fury and grabbed two early moto wins to start his weekend off quickly. His consistency was not mirrored by the rest of the class which led to some serious battles. Moto 1 log jump victim was Hidden Trails/Judge Motorsports rider Jimmy Wilson, who broke all three motor mounts after a tough hit on one of the log jumps.
After that bad luck, Wilson used the log jumps to his advantage passing multiple people and looking like he was the only that had seen a log jump before. This lead the way to a Moto 2 and 3 third place overall but wasn’t enough to compensate for the bad luck in Moto 1 to get Wilson on the podium. Shotaro Kokumun from Osaka, Japan was the only other rider to have two Top 3’s in the three moto format, with a second in Moto 1 and a huge Moto 3 win. Quinten Bossche from Belgium turned in a seventh, second, fourth on his quest for a podium. After some big time moto math, Poret once again reigned supreme with Kokubun in second and Bossche in third overall.
As for the indisputably fastest class of the weekend – Pro Runabout Open – a repeat championship was once again on one rider’s mind. Gyorgy Kasza out of Hungary looked to repeat and continue the Sea-Doo domination of this class. Kasza did things that were almost superhuman while making more than one outside pass on the famous front straight horseshoe turn and that ignited the crowd into a frenzy. Kasza did not disappoint on his way to two moto wins and another championship. After a solid Moto 1 for class favorites James Bushell and Dustin Farthing, ski issues removed them for the running in a podium spot.
As for the Sea-Doo domination of the class it was in full effect in Moto 1 with two Kawasaki’s and one Yamaha rounding out the last three spots. Mohammed Burbayea out of Kuwait had some amazing holeshots on his was to a third and second place finish respectively in the two motos giving him second overall. Jun Ikoma from Japan used consistency to earn himself a third place finish in the prestigious class.
Upsets abounded in Runabout GP, as a world championship was just out of reach for Dustin Farthing, who merely needed to finish Moto 2 mid-pack to best UK’s James Bushell. His and several other breakdowns (including Gyorgy Kasza) rearranged the podium with Waleen Alsharshani in first, James Bushell, and Erminio Iantosca rounding out in third. Pro Freestyle was a sight to behold with tricks never before seen on flat water being dished out by surf rider Mark Gomez, and the UK’s Jonathan Kavanagh filling his entire routine in nearly one single unbroken procession of tricks. Fatefully, the title went to Lee Stone for a third time, with Japan’s Taiji Yamamoto in second and Kavanagh in third.
Overall, the week was a success for many riders while others look towards next year. We look forward to a great 2017 and cant wait to see what that brings.
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35th annual quakysense IJSBA World Finals results (Top 10 per class):
Novice Women Ski LTD: 1. Thidapach Srivaurai, 2. Anna Glennon, 3. Morgan Jones, 4. Camilla Herfindal, 5. Casey Leech, 6. Trinity Klecker, 7. Meg Conroy, 8. Laura Trevizo, 9. Reanna Wilson, 10. Kori Zabala; Expert Vets Runabout: 1. Pancho Marjak, 2. Antonio Claros, 3. Chris Saxon, 4. Adrian Wilson, 5. Leonel Morelli, 6. Enrique Chia, 7. Eidner Rainer, 8. Anthony Radetic, 9. Eric Senko, 10. Pichet Settura; Masters Ski Stock: 1. Yukiko Kume, 2. Deri Attica, 3. Alejandro Playan, 4. Gerry Wong, 5. Marshall Brown, 6. Scott Benson, 7. Michael Prodanovich, 8. Robert Hyde, 9. Aaron Sanchez, 10. Take Ohara; R/A Naturally Asp Stock: 1. Tyler Hill, 2. Abdulrahman Al Omar, 3. Eduardo Lopez, 4. Nawaf Al Farhan, 5. Dylan Puglisi, 6. James Alamillo, 7. Zaid Al Zaidi, 8. Brad Rickaby, 9. Barak Al Qabandi, 10. Bill Wilson; Novice Ski Stock: 1. Kadidit Teeraprateep, 2. Salman Alawadhi, 3. Chaudic Rivarola, 4. Paul Harding, 5. Colin Raisig, 6. Kyle Disney, 7. Davi Prado, 8. Preston Matzdorff, 9. Harry Robinson, 10. Trinity Klecker; Amateur Runabout 800 LTD: 1. Thipmongkol Khemart, 2. Abdulrahman Al Omar, 3. Tapatarawat Josannusont, 4. Kevin Nitschke, 5. James Alamillo, 6. Bart Muerrens, 7. Jonathan Rivera, 8. Nawaf Al Farhan, 9. Larry Letke, 10. Ryan Willows; Novice Runabout Stock: 1. Feetu Rajajarvi, 2. Ali Allanjawi, 3. Pichet Settura, 4. Enrique Chia, 5. Kelly Church, 6. Jason Lester, 7. Jonathan Ariel, 8. Bendrioch Badr, 9. Kristiyan Kirov, 10. Thanarit Sathauorn; Novice Ski LTD: 1. Theo Beaumer, 2. Kadidit Teeraprateep, 3. Christopher Steenbock, 4. John Gasperone, 5. Pasha Kolotovkin, 6. Duane Bascom, 7. Laura Milone; Novice Runabout LTD: 1. Abdulrahman Al Omar, 2. Zaid Al Zaidi, 3. Kristiyan Kirov, 4. Feetu Rajajarvi, 5. Antonio Claros, 6. Jonathan Ariel, 7. Jason Lester, 8. Jordan Lilley, 9. Kevin Sullivan, 10. Raymund Dela Vega; Classic Ski 2 Stroke LTD: 1. Anna Glennon, 2. Ryan Mifflin, 3. Scott Benson, 4. Branden Edwards, 5. Todd Valentino, 6. Jeff Wright, 7. Lauren Conroy, 8. Billy Shaw, 9. Tyler Riibe, 10. Lauren Jones; Am Runabout 1000 SS: 1. Attapon Kunsa, 2. Ekachon Kinachansjlp, 3. Teerapong Khunjeng, 4. Jonathan Rivera, 5. Tanapat Thipprapai, 6. Larry Letke, 7. Kevin Sullivan, 8. Permpon Teerapatpanich, 9. Robert Clowe, 10. Cory Dickson; Expert Ski LTD: 1. Jesper Hermansen, 2. Dardillat Valentin, 3. Maximiand Martinelli, 4. Bousselmon Ilias, 5. Deri Attica, 6. Tasahong Saenguthai, 7. Robert Langley; Expert Runabout LTD: 1. Marcus Jorgensen, 2. Supak Settura, 3. Teera Settura, 4. Matt Brunt, 5. Eidner Rainer, 6. Jonathan Ariel, 7. Holdin Stockman, 8. Ian Jensen, 9. Thaweephol, 10. Gergely Jaranyi; Masters Ski Open: 1. William Haig, 2. Daniel Martinelli, 3. Troy Armstrong, 4. Dave Davidson, 5. Matt Legerski, 6. Shigeharu Yamamoto, 7. Yuji Shiroki, 8. Graham Leeh, 9. Steven Chestolowski, 10. Aaron Sanchez; Amateur Runabout Spec: 1. Travis Zielasko, 2. Ali Allanjawi, 3. Daniell Wagner, 4. Pancho Marjak, 5. Biondi Sebastien, 6. Abdulrahman Al Omar, 7. Yahya Rammah, 8. Zaid Al Zaidi, 9. Jason Lester, 10. Holdin Stockman; Amateur Ski Lites: 1. Kole Cramer, 2. Sultan Alhammadi, 3. Vegard Liseth, 4. Goncalo Rodrigues, 5. Viljar Berntsen, 6. Phil Segers, 7. Gabe Hooper, 8. Oliver Liseth, 9. Colin Raisig, 10. Salman Alawadhi; R/A Naturally Asp Limited: 1. Nawaf Al Farhan, 2. Zaid Al Zaidi, 3. Renee Hill, 4. James Alamillo, 5. Jasem Alrujaib, 6. Eduardo Lopez, 7. Barak Al Qabandi, 8. Gergely Jaranyi, 9. Fabio Incorvaia, 10. Robert Gladecki; Amateur Vets Ski LTD: 1. Gerry Wong, 2. Billy Shaw, 3. Steven Chestolowski, 4. Kim Richardson, 5. Flyin Brian Smith, 6. Vesa Salonen, 7. David Fekete; Pro Am Ski LTD: 1. Mike Klippenstein, 2. Curtis Pitman, 3. Kacper Kania, 4. Tim Ottesen, 5. Jesper Hermansen, 6. Bousselmon Ilias, 7. Glenn Powell, 8. Marten Manni; Junior Ski 13-15 Stock: 1. Marten Manni, 2. Kadidit Teeraprateep, 3. Theo Beaumer, 4. Davi Prado, 5. Viljar Berntsen, 6. Gabe Hooper, 7. Ben Morris, 8. Aj Luinstra, 9. Brady Courson, 10. Harry Robinson; Amateur Vets Ski Open: 1. Peter Zernik, 2. Daniel Martinelli, 3. Rick Trevizo, 4. Troy Armstrong, 5. Shigeharu Yamamoto, 6. John Gasperone, 7. Jeremy Poper, 8. Ian Benson, 9. Jason Carlton, 10. Matt Legerski; Pro Am Ski 2 Stroke Lites: 1. Tayne Lemon, 2. Phil Segers, 3. Mike Klippenstein, 4. Mike Wendricks, 5. Vegard Liseth, 6. Goncalo Rodrigues, 7. Quinten Bossche, 8. Ulrik Berntsen, 9. Benjamin Scharff, 10. Curtis Pitman; Pro Am Runabout Spec: 1. Abdullah Alfadhel, 2. Teera Settura, 3. Aero Aswar, 4. Chris Saxon, 5. Aqsa Aswar, 6. Waleed Alsharshani, 7. Mohammad Al Baz, 8. Supak Settura, 9. Yahya Rammah, 10. Roland Soos; Amateur Freestyle: 1. Justin Sylvain, 2. Evan Krefski, 3. Vaclav Zacek, 4. Hassan Abudawood, 5. Luke Stocks, 6. Taylor Kress, 7. Albert Van Heijningen, 8. Michael Demauro, 9. Kelsey Albert, 10. Michael Bevacqua; Expert Runabout Open: 1. Mohammad Al Baz, 2. Jonathan Ariel, 3. Marcus Jorgensen, 4. Adrian Wilson, 5. Dan Silva, 6. Leonel Morelli, 7. Ryan Smith, 8. Roland Soos, 9. Andros Lutt; Amateur Ski Open: 1. Kole Cramer, 2. Daniel Martinelli, 3. Yoann Tollemer, 4. Kacper Kania, 5. Maurin Raphael, 6. Mateo Juarez, 7. Nuttakorn Pupakdee, 8. Blake Wicklund, 9. Curtis Pitman, 10. Jeremiah Marino; Amateur Rec Lites: 1. Jon Hoffer, 2. Tapatarawat Josannusont, 3. Tanapat Thipprapai, 4. Andrew Bezan, 5. Abdulrahman Al Omar, 6. Bart Muerrens, 7. Vandersteegen Dennis, 8. Bendrioch Badr, 9. Pasi Vuorela, 10. Attapon Kunsa; Junior Ski 13-15 Lites: 1. Theo Beaumer, 2. Kole Cramer, 3. Salman Al Awadhi, 4. Gabe Hooper, 5. Sultan Alhammadi, 6. Davi Prado, 7. Viljar Berntsen, 8. Oliver Liseth, 9. Carson Hughes, 10. Preston Matzdorff; R/A Naturally Asp Open: 1. Brandon Warner, 2. Tapatarawat Josannusont, 3. Fabio Incorvaia, 4. Josh Janeway, 5. Jon Hoffer, 6. Nawaf Al Farhan, 7. Zaid Al Zaidi, 8. Abdulrahman Al Omar, 9. Barak Al Qabandi, 10. Robert Gladecki; Pro-Am Runabout LTD: 1. Mohammed Burbayea, 2. Eric Francis, 3. Mohammad Al Baz, 4. Marcus Jorgensen, 5. Waleed Alsharshani, 6. Leonel Morelli, 7. Ian Jensen, 8. Jonathan Ariel, 9. Cory Rarick; Junior Ski 10-12 Lites: 1. Mattias Reinaas, 2. Julien Beaumer, 3. Corban Farnley, 4. Nantawat Singurai, 5. Abdalla Alhammadi, 6. Dag Martin, 7. Jake Pearce, 8. Revin Harris, 9. Haden Skellett, 10. Dominic Cannady; Pro-Am Ski Stock: 1. Mike Klippenstein, 2. Marten Manni, 3. Bousselmon Ilias, 4. Claudio Rivarola, 5. Alejandro Playan, 6. Steven Chestolowski, 7. Justin Treder, 8. Vegard Liseth, 9. Tim Warner, 10. Jesper Hermansen; Ski Open Slalom: 1. Shotaro Kokubun, 2. Toshi Ohara, 3. Rui Sousa, 4. Tera Laho, 5. James Wilson, 6. Tiago Sousa, 7. Jeremy Poret, 8. Ulrik Berntsen, 9. Brock Austin, 10. Villat Vincent; Sport Spec Slalom: 1. Thipmongkol Khemart, 2. Tapatarawat Josannusont, 3. Ekachon Kinachansjlp, 4. Abdulrahman Al Omar, 5. Mohammed Burbayea, 6. Hunter Dunn, 7. Kelly Stone, 8. Derek Lofftus; Runabout Open Slalom: 1. Gyorgy Kasza, 2. James Bushell, 3. Jun Ikoma, 4. Dustin Farthing, 5. Mohammed Burbayea, 6. Erminio Iantosca, 7. Mohammad Al Baz, 8. Waleed Alsharshani, 9. Marcus Jorgensen, 10. Permpon Teerapatpanich; Ski Stock Junior 10-15 Slalom: 1. Salman Al Awadhi, 2. Viljar Berntsen, 3. Kadidit Teeraprateep, 4. Dag Martin, 5. Julien Beaumer, 6. Nantawat Singurai, 7. Theo Beaumer, 8. Mattias Reinaas, 9. Tallon Chambers, 10. Mitchell Farnley; Pro Am Runabout 1000 SS: 1. Nopphadon Sapmunsaem, 2. Teerapong Khunjeng, 3. Jayme Cheney, 4. Danai Viviyasahakit, 5. Larry Letke, 6. Eric Lagopoulos, 7. Permpon Teerapatpanich, 8. Cory Dickson, 9. Attapon Kunsa, 10. Robert Clowe; Sport GP: 1. Tyler Hill, 2. Andrew Bezan, 3. Sam Nehme, 4. Denny Janeway, 5. Aaron Dellinger, 6. Glen Jung, 7. Johnny Smith, 8. Justin Laczynshi, 9. Tony Martinez, 10. Tommy Bonacci; Vintage Ski: 1. Michael Prodanovich, 2. Tommy Bonacci, 3. Mark Gomez, 4. Wyland Reden, 5. Michael Demauro, 6. Jason Tebbutt, 7. Cory Vancleave, 8. Chad Zeman, 9. Aaron Sanchez, 10. Becky Cooper-Powell; Pro Freestyle: 1. Lee Stone, 2. Taiji Yamamoto, 3. Jonathan Kavanagh, 4. Mark Gomez, 5. Jace Forest, 6. Tanner Thomas, 7. Justin Sylvain, 8. Jason Widdes, 9. Chris Anyzeski, 10. Jason Bleasdale; Junior Ski 13-15 LTD: 1. Salman Al Awadhi, 2. Marten Manni, 3. Theo Beaumer, 4. Carson Hughes, 5. Brent Disney, 6. Oliver Liseth, 7. Troy Van Niekerk, 8. Reanna Wilson, 9. Harry Robinson, 10. Aj Luinstra; Pro-Am Runabout Stock: 1. Chris MacClugage, 2. Abdullah Alfadhel, 3. Aero Aswar, 4. Brian Baldwin, 5. Pancho Marjak, 6. Yahya Rammah, 7. Brad Rickaby, 8. Teera Settura, 9. Phil Pope, 10. Travis Zielasko; Junior Ski 10-12 Stock: 1. Tallon Chambers, 2. Julien Beaumer, 3. Peyton Chestolowski, 4. Abdalla Alhammadi, 5. Corban Farnley, 6. Mattias Reinaas, 7. Nantawat Singurai, 8. Dag Martin, 9. Haden Skellett, 10. Stevie Bascom; Vintage X2: 1. Daniel Ortega, 2. Masao Ikeda, 3. Greg Sommers, 4. Doug Wolff, 5. Charles Sims, 6. Steven Girling, 7. Jackson Rod, 8. Brian Toline, 9. Lauri Ortega, 10. James Gagnon; Women Runabout: 1. Shante Bukes, 2. Tammy Rarick, 3. Renee Hill, 4. Ildiko Vasari, 5. Evelyn Managan, 6. Leslie Nadeker-Adams; Pro-Am Women Ski LTD: 1. Julie Bulteau-Poret, 2. Kazuko Mukai, 3. Thidapach Srivaurai, 4. Yukiko Kume, 5. Lauren Conroy, 6. Tracey Lathwood, 7. Morgan Jones, 8. Anna Glennon, 9. Sophie Perrin; Pro Runabout: 1. Gyorgy Kasza, 2. Mohammed Burbayea, 3. Jun Ikoma Funabashi, 4. Waleed Alsharshani, 5. Eric Francis, 6. Craig Warner, 7. Phil Pope, 8. James Bushell, 9. Dustin Farthing; Pro Ski: 1. Jeremy Poret, 2. Shotaro Kokubun, 3. Quinten Bossche, 4. Toshi Ohara, 5. Brock Austin, 6. Villat Vincent, 7. James Wilson, 8. Tiago Sousa, 9. Tera Laho, 10. Yoann Tollemer; Endurance: 1. Mike Klippenstein, 2. Aero Aswar, 3. Yahya Rammah, 4. Ali Mohammad, 5. Aqsa Aswar, 6. Ahmed Al Dawas, 7. Dean Harrison, 8. Zaid Al Zaidi, 9. Filipe Filipe, 10. Barak Al Qabandi
Back in June, The Watercraft Journalshared the news that Arctic Cat Inc. had won a massive multi-million dollar lawsuit against Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP) over their “controlled thrust steering system” patents. Originally, Arctic Cat was awarded $15.5 million in damages over the patent lawsuit. Shortly after, the jury ruled that because the patent infringement was done willfully, BRP was ordered to pay triple the damages in the amount of nearly $47 million dollars! That’s not where the hurt to BRP’s pocket book ends though.
In August, Arctic Cat Inc. also put in a request to the courts for supplemental damages claiming that because BRP had sold around 5,000 patent infringing Sea-Doo units since the original court verdict. This request for damages totaled $1.5 million dollars. It was granted on August 12th, according to a report in American Snowmobiler.
With that decision, the court also ordered both companies to sit down and negotiate a royalty rate for future sales of infringing Sea-Doo units until the expiration of the 545 patent. A royalty amount of $102.54 per unit was given by the courts as a basis to negotiate off of. Arctic Cat Inc. had requested that the court set the royalty rate, but that request was refused with the courts explaining that it was better for both companies to negotiate themselves.
Now that the dust in the pits has settled and the waters of Lake Havasu have calmed, people are just starting to get back into their regular daily duties as “respectable” members of society. So while trailers are being unloaded and loads of laundry being washed, many are waiting for the full recap and results from this past week’s 2016 IJSBA World Finals. While The Watercraft Journal will have its full report in a day’s time, we do want to congratulate our friends at Dean’s Team for an absolutely stellar showing.
As per our most recent publishing, multi-time World Champion Chris MacClugage took home the overall in Pro-Am Runabout Stock aboard a Dean’s Team-built, Broward Motorsports/Monster Energy-supported Yamaha FZR. But Chris was not alone in his victory and was joined on the podium by two other Dean’s Team racers Abdullah Al-Fadhel and Aero Aswar. In a celebratory post on Facebook, Dean’s Team own Dean Charrier wrote:
“Congratulations to Chris MacClugage for winning the Pro Runabout Stock World Title at the 35th Annual IJSBA World Finals jet ski Competition at Lake Havasu City, AZ on his Dean’s Team Yamaha! It’s always great working with Macc and watching him race as he keeps proving he’s the best to ever do it. Congrats to Abdullah Al-Fadhel and Aero Aswar for rounding out the podium finishing 2nd and 3rd on their Dean’s Team Yamahas! All three racers ran hard every moto and stepped up the pace in the most biggest and most competitive runabout class of the week.”
That means that Dean’s Team Yamahas swept all three podium positions in Pro Runabout Stock class at IJSBA World Finals, with MacClugage taking the title, Al-Fadel taking silver and Aero Aswar bringing home the bronze. Yet, for the latter two racers, these weren’t their only titles. The Dean’s Team racers dominated Pro-Am Spec class, with Abdullah Al-Fadhel in first, Aero Aswar in third and Aswar’s younger brother Aqsa in 5th. Additionally, Travis Zielasko crushed it in Amateur Spec taking first, and impressively, Jeff Dyckowski claimed World Championships in Vet Box Stock, Pro-Am Limited and Pro-Am Box Stock.
The title of this article undersells the absolute dynasty that the Sea-Doo RXP-X holds over the Pro Open IJSBA World Championship. In its sixth year in a row, the RXP-X has swept the title from any other contender. Moreover, the RXP-X has almost dominated the Pro GP class for the past six years, making it the runabout of choice for the world’s fastest, most aggressive racers bar none.
Hungary’s György Kasza and Waleen Alsharshani of Qatar brought the heat to the Pro Open and Pro GP classes, respectively. In Pro Open, Kasza was not the only Sea-Doo racer, but was joined by both Mohammed Burbayea of Kuwait and Jun Ikoma Funabashi of Japan, who also piloted RXP-X’s through the finish line ahead of a field of the world’s most impressive runabout contenders.
Here’s the press release issued earlier today: The Sea-Doo X-TEAM continued the domination of world finals watercraft racing, claiming 11 championships*, nearly double that of the closest competing brand. György Kasza of Hungary continued to build the Sea-Doo RXP-X watercraft dynasty with his repeat win in the premier Pro Open class bringing the total in that class to six years running. Kasza was joined on the podium by RXP-X mounted racers Mohammed Burbayea of Kuwait and Jun Ikoma Funabashi of Japan for a Pro Open clean sweep for the Sea-Doo X-TEAM.
Also adding to the dynasty is the sixth consecutive PRO GP championship win with Waleen Alsharshani of Qatar, taking the top spot on his Sea-Doo RXP-X followed by fellow X-TEAM riders, James Bushell of the UK and Erminio Iantosca of the US filling out the podium. The event, attended by the top riders in the world, proved the dynasty of performance dominance lives with the Sea-Doo 300-HP watercraft models. The 2017 Sea-Doo RXP-X 300 and RXT-X 300 come equipped with a new ROTAX 1630 ACE engine, that together with the new Ergolock system, allows riders to enjoy more performance, confidence and greater control to push limits even further.
“Congratulations to Chris MacClugage for winning the Pro Runabout Stock World Title at the 35th Annual IJSBA World Finals jet ski Competition at Lake Havasu City, AZ on his Dean’s Team Yamaha! It’s always great working with Macc and watching him race as he keeps proving he’s the best to ever do it. Congrats to Abdullah Al-Fadhel and Aero Aswar for rounding out the podium finishing 2nd and 3rd on their Dean’s Team Yamahas! All three racers ran hard every moto and stepped up the pace in the most biggest and most competitive runabout class of the week.”
