Now with the advent of the new Kawasaki SX-R 4-stroke standup (with the official release scheduled for the World Finals this upcoming October) there’s been a massive resurgence of interest in standups whether for recreation or racing. And as Sea-Doo has absolutely zero interest in building a standup (when Spark sales have singularly accounted for 30-percent growth in new product sales), the only way we’ll see a Sea-Doo powered standup is through aftermarket manufacturers like Sea-Doo Centre.
Unfortunately, building a SDC Trak 903 requires the complete evisceration of a Spark, so you’re not just paying for a new ski, but the sacrificial Spark as well. Nevertheless, interest is high for this ski, and Australia’s Newcastle Jet Ski Centre knows it. And according to OZPWC.com, that’s why they recently announced a demo/ride day for interested parties to test ride Sea-Doo Centre’s normally-aspirated 110hp Sea-Doo Spark-powered standup.
The event is scheduled for this coming weekend (September 17-18) at Lions Park off of Macquarie Road in Eleebana (just south of Newcastle). To give everyone the best opportunity to experience the demo, there are two ride days, one on Saturday from 2-to-5pm and again on Sunday from 9-to-12 noon. Riders are event invited to bring their own ski to compare. Newcastle Jet Ski Centre will also provide BBQ and drinks, so for our Australian (or traveling) readers, make your plans now as the ride day will go on as planned rain, hail or shine.
Jet skis, primarily stand-ups, have a bit of a bad wrap. Unfortunately, decades of reckless riding, breaking boating restrictions, blowing through no wake zones, high-speed beaching, collisions, and just generally bad decision making has resulted a bit of a public relations snafu that has taken the OE manufacturers decades to repair. The damage isn’t entirely fixed though, and with videos like today’s springing up on social media sure doesn’t help.
The who, when and where are unknown nor do they truly matter. What matters is that a foolhardy rider aboard a SuperJet dares to venture not mere too close, but close enough to attempt to graze their hand along the hull of the container ship. Of course, the massive displacement (an estimated 10,800 tons given that it appears to be fully laden) is enough to churn a wake so ferociously that the rider almost immediately loses balance and falls off.
Scrambling frantically to reboard and reignite the Yamaha’s starter, the rider is nearly sucked up into the wake and bounced off of the hull several times. Thankfully, the rider survives the fall and near impact with the cargo ship. They manage to fire up the ski and escape before being sucked into draft of the ship’s props, roiling a fan of sea foam behind it. There’s nothing cool about this video. In fact, it only robs the Darwin Awards of another recipient.
“Cacklefest” is a word most jet skiers might not be all too familiar with. In the realm of hot rodding, a cacklefest is the cacophony of open-header dragsters, uncorked hot rods and custom exhaust systems all reverberating simultaneously at a drag race, car show or meet. While the chorus of two-strokes wringing open their throttles at the starting line is something similar, the discombobulating assault on one’s ears just isn’t the same. Well, that is until we heard Shoreline Yamaha’s insane open-manifold Super High Output (SHO) firing off inside the hull of a highly modified custom standup.
Yes, you read that right, a SHO-powered stand-up. The loons at Queensland, Australia’s Shoreline Yamaha working together with the guys out of Racetech Yamaha in New Germany, South Africa, have put together something truly bonkers. The 1,812cc, supercharged Yamaha powerplant appears to be mainly stock, retaining the factory HKS centrifugal supercharger and intercooler arrangement, as well as the cast exhaust manifold. Only modifications to the final exhaust (exiting out of the rear, left gunnel) and air intake (air box) were needed as this machine is shown shredding a nearby lake.
Observant commenters who viewed the video (below) produced by Liquid Cartel noted that the pump clearly doesn’t appear to be able to handle the stupid quantities of thrust that the ski’s new heart and soul is producing, and would likely need some serious prop re-pitching if not a completely new pump altogether. Also pay attention to how the rider continues to blip the throttle like a 2-stroke when clearly, the Yamaha’s throttle control would much rather prefer a smooth, linear acceleration curve. Nevertheless, this thing is a beast and well worth the couple of minutes. Enjoy:
Hey, look at that! No, not those! These! Jetsport Australia, the largest distributor of WSM Performance PWC parts in the world, has recently announced that it is carrying a full variety of JetSki.XXX performance products, oils, cleaners, waxes and more in its massive catalog of products.
Three major items in particular: Extreme Proof, Extreme Condition and Extreme Gleam are worth mentioning. JetSki.XXX’s Extreme Proof (Viscosity Index Booster & Oil Water Proofer) has a “high viscosity index which improves the lubrication properties of conventional oils, especially when contaminated by water.” And helps reduce wear and power loss due to friction, heat generation and gum varnish build up, as well as preventing the loss of oil via air breathers from frothing if water is ingested and preserves the lubrication and protection of the oil at 95% effectiveness with up to 50% water in oil.
Extreme Condition is designed to keep all the surfaces of your PWC like new by protecting all surfaces from fading and deterioration, and has been specifically designed for use in harsh environments. It also protects, conditions and even enhances decals, racing numbers and stickers’ color and gloss. Finally, Extreme Gleam, JetSki.XXX’s professional-grade jet ski polish has been designed to make your ski shine while protecting it from sun damage. Made from a premium blend of polymers, resins and ultra high melting point waxes for maximum paint protection, Extreme Gleam protects from the harsh effects of salt and sun exposure.
Everything seen here (except for the top picture) can be found at JetSport Australia or can be reached at +61 7 55 313 855 or [email protected]. [And for the love of everything holy, don’t do a Google Images search for “JetSki.XXX”. Jeez, some things you can’t unsee. -Ed]
[Below is a blog post about Mark Gomez’s most recent stunt feature filmed, edited, and published by Liquid Militia Clothing.]
“Mark Gomez hit us up the day before he had plans to do a flippy in a backyard swimming pool. His buddy, John Crabb, who owns Performance Fiberglass (one of Mark’s sponsors) hosted the pool party. Since we live pretty close to Gomez, we were down. This Labor Day Holiday Weekend was one for the books as we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into.
“Once we had a chance to check out the pool we were all kind sketched on how small the pool was (15′ X 30′). Keep in mind Marks Ski is about 6-feet long; not much room for error. Mark being the pro that he is was like, ‘I got this,’ so we started rolling the cameras. Without going into to much detail on every single thing just watch the video clip, it’s self-explanatory. Enjoy!”
Gomez wrote to The Watercraft Journal, “I dropped my 1200cc Rickter XFR Freestyle ski into my fiberglass sponsor’s pool to backflip in. I didn’t realize just how small it was until I started riding in it! I am currently on the road to the 5th/6th IFWA Freeride World tour stop in Pacific City, Oregon. I am currently leading the points to defend my world title.”
With temperatures still lingering around the mid-to-high 80s, there’s no excuse why you shouldn’t still be hitting the water every chance you get. Sure, the Labor Day sales have come and gone, but don’t fall for that marketing jargon! You can still scoop up a sweet deal on the 2016 Sea-Doo of your choice at America’s Motor Sports – Middle Tennessee’s most established and largest Sea-Doo dealer! They’ve still got plenty of family budget-friendly GTIs, playful Sparks and supercharged X-series machines at the ready.
Additionally, shopping through America’s Motor Sports (for those of you not in the area) is made all the more easy with their all-new wesbite. Whether you’re looking for the newest models, interested in perusing their pre-owned inventory or wanting to stock up on some essentials through their Parts & Service Department, their all-new website makes shopping easier than ever! And if the time is right to capitalize on a new Sea-Doo watercraft, then America’s Motor Sports offers very simple and stress-free financing. Plus, you can add in all your parts and accessories, a service plan, an insurance and more, all grouped together in one monthly payment.
Scornaienchi was practicing for the upcoming IJSBA World Finals at Body Beach when his stand-up bucked, ejecting Scornaienchi over the handlebars about 60 miles per hour, landing on his head and upper-back. Almost immediately, he lost sensation in his limbs and struggled to float. “After managing to roll from his side to his back, the 55-year-old said he felt himself going underwater and thought he was going to drown,” wrote the article.
“About 20 feet away,” it continues, “Kole Cramer, a freshman at Lake Havasu High School, saw the accident take place and rushed to Scornaienchi’s aid. After using the sit-down PWC to reach Scornaienchi, Kole jumped in, picked up the 55-year-old’s head above water and stayed with him until help arrived.” Kole was onsite the same day by sheer coincidence, Amy Cramer, Kole’s mother, said. “Kole’s father Lance was fixing a friend’s personal watercraft and Kole decided to take it on a test drive. That was when he saw Scornaienchi fly off his PWC and hurried to help.”
Thankfully, 55-year-old Scornaienchi – who is currently at Havasu Regional Medical Center – has regained feeling in his legs and minimal feeling in his arms, and is continuing to improve. Although unable to compete as planned, Scornaienchi wishes to watch Kole, 14, who qualified for his third consecutive IJSBA World Finals in the Junior 13-15 Lites, Amateur Ski Lites and Amateur Ski Mod races.
Obviously, this was met with some curiosity if not outright displeasure as this move only narrows the field of competitive vehicles to participate in these growing classes; consequently prodding several vociferous forum members to question what exactly the sanctioning body has in store for the lauded standup’s return. Nevertheless, the IJSBA has yet to homologate the ’17 SX-R, so there’s nothing to give credibility to the conspiracy theory. Maybe we just like drumming up drama on a slow news day.
Here’s the original press release: IJSBA is giving notice that some previously homologated Personal Watercraft shall have their eligibility restricted effective December 31, 2016.
Beginning January 1, 2017 the following units will no longer be eligible for Ski Stock Classes: Polaris Octane Hydrospace S4 Hydrospace/Benelli S8
Beginning January 1, 2017 the following units will no longer be eligible for Ski Limited Classes: Polaris Octane Hydrospace/Benelli S8
Beginning January 1, 2018 the following units will no longer be eligible for Ski Limited Classes: Hydrospace S4
Hydrospace S4 and Polaris Octane PWC will remain eligible for Ski Modified categories.
For questions regarding this notice, please email [email protected].
Change is often met with resistance, especially big change. With the announcement of the 2017 Yamaha WaveRunner lineup, news that the FZ series (FZR and FZS, respectively) were being retired and replaced with a whole new craft based upon the existing VXR architecture was simply too much for many to handle. Surprisingly, the announcement spurred a rash of online backlash. And why not? The FZR is a well-established performance platform, with literally several hundred podium finishes over its illustrious 8 year run. Not only that, but aesthetically, the FZ models have remained some of the most favored on the market, with race car-inspired analog gauges, telescoping steering and muscular curves.
Unfortunately, the industry crash in 2008/9 was enough for Yamaha to prescribe a time of death for the FZ. Back at the revised VX’s introduction in 2015, Yamaha Product Manager Scott Watkins explained, “We made the new VX to do pretty much everything in case we had to reduce the line down to one platform.” At the time he also hinted at the future of the hull, saying, “We made the VX to accept all of our engines. We’ve even got one with a SVHO. It’s bad ass.” While the idea of a SVHO-powered VXR was tempting (we even published rumors earlier this year that the FZ series were to be phased out, replaced by a VX-based machine), we didn’t think to connect Watkins nod to what Yamaha revealed last month.
The central problem with the FZ series was that even in light of Yamaha’s use of its stacked composite bonded NanoXcel2 hull and deck material, the FZR (and FZS) came in at a dry weight of 791-pounds. Add to that the weight of a single rider, a half-tank of fuel and 5 pounds of gear, the FZR tipped the scales at 1,073 lbs. If Yamaha was going to secure future championships without introducing a 300-horsepower Super-Duper Vortex High Output (SDVHO) [and we want a commission rate for use of that name – Ed.], the route to take was improving their overall power-to-weight ratio. And anyone who has paid attention to Yamaha’s ad materials and T-shirts can attest, the company sure likes to win races.
Making sure that Yamaha’s replacement for the FZ maintained both a top level consistency in its manufacturing as well as superior weight savings is Yamaha’s proprietary two-part compression mold system that uses heat and pressure to compress the “High SMC Compression FRP” into a hull. Watkins detailed the compression mold process: “All WaveRunners are manufactured in a High Compression Molding process. That results in better fit and finish; a smooth, paintable finish (giving us those automotive-grade metallic finishes); controlled tolerances and consistent results each and every time. And the process creates no VOC emissions.”
This process opened Yamaha to develop its NanoXcel2 hulls and decks (first introduced two years ago, supplanting its previous NanoXcel as the go-to performance level material), which not only reduce total weight, but also strengthen the final mold’s bond and tensile strength (that over traditional, or common SMC composites). With this, Yamaha created a lighter vessel (18-pounds lighter than the NanoXcel VXR), and added to it its SVHO supercharged 1.8L four-stroke, and 160mm, 8-vein impeller mounted in a 75mm hub, thus giving us the 2017 Yamaha GP1800 WaveRunner.
As per the plan, the GP1800 comes in at 769-pounds – 22-pounds less than the FZR – yet with all of the dependable power of the outgoing machine. And unlike the FZR, the GP1800 comes heavily-equipped with features previously unavailable to its predecessor: most notably RiDE, the brand’s own on-the-water brake-and-reverse dual throttle lever system. Next is Yamaha’s quick-response electric trim system, a welcome replacement to the antiquated lock-and-twist manual system that was all-but-impossible to adjust on the fly. Yamaha also tossed in its folding swim step for good measure. More importantly, the GP1800 comes in significantly more affordable than the outgoing FZR; the GP’s $13,999 MSRP handily beating out the FZR’s $14,799 pricetag. So to recap, dramatically improved power-to-weight ratio, more performance features, and $800 cheaper.
Beneath the race-inspired “cut-and-sew” two-tone, two-piece bench seat is the race-proven Super Vortex High Output (SVHO) supercharged, intercooled four-stroke. Although Yamaha still shies away from advertising official horsepower numbers, in private dyno testing, the powerplant was rated at 265 brake horsepower. No modifications were made to either the 1,812cc engine or intercooler to fit the SVHO into the GP1800 hull, so all of your performance parts that worked for the FZ will apply (save for some cold air kits and exhaust hardware). Although a knock-sensor will keep you from injuring the engine in case your brother-in-law fills the tank with 87 octane, the SVHO prefers the recommended premium fuel.
Aesthetically, the GP1800 distinguishes itself from its VX-brethren with two choices of livery: Azure Blue Metallic or Torch Red Metallic. The steering system is fixed like the current VX models, meaning no tilt or telescopic steering, but features fun color-matched pistol-inspired hand grips. New CNC-cut traction mats cover the tray and swim platform. As with all VX models, the GP1800 features a 18.5 gallon fuel cell, 24.6 gallons worth of storage (front stowage, glove box and a removable watertight bin beneath the rear seat), and an automatic bilge pump. Although the LCD “multifunction information center” (ie. gauge cluster) is unique to the GP, it’s a little underwhelming in its lack of a boost gauge and other high-end data that gearheads would love to see.
A slight and almost unnoticeable change was made to Yamaha’s RiDE system, as its features “Traction Control,” but not in the way many performance enthusiasts might want. Instead, RiDE’s Traction Control is a counter measure to ensure that when engaged it doesn’t come on too strong, especially with the SVHO-equipped models. Many found that RiDE – particularly with the supercharged units – packed a heck of a punch and could cavitate the ski even while backing off of a trailer. Now, reversing is smooth and concise, allowing for tight 180′ turns even in a crowded dock space. As a side note, while the GP1800 replaces the FZR and FZS, gone too is the VXS and the final SHO-powered FX models, the 9-year-old engine being retired.
In our two-days’ worth of testing, the 2017 Yamaha GP1800 proved itself a worthy successor to the FZR. Being based on the VX, the narrow, scalloped seat allows for faster weight transitions from side-to-side. With the lighter hull, the GP1800 rides high on the surface, yet retains significant pump engagement, even in moderate chop. Top speeds were timed at 68.8mph on a Garmin GPS, but top speed isn’t what this machine is designed to do; snapping breakneck turns is, and it does so really well. Even when purposefully trying to break the tail loose, the GP1800 doesn’t want to let go. Rather, the GP leans hard on a sharpened, swooping outermost chine. Although photography shows it leaning securely on the rail, it feels incredibly flat in corners, giving the rider a slot-car sensation. Power response is immediate yet linear, so you won’t feel jerked around either.
In all, the GP1800 is superior to its forbearer in nearly every single way, which we know might be a very insensitive thing to say to those still in mourning. It is also worthy of its ancestor’s name, although any physical resemblance is negligible. Rather, the 2017 Yamaha GP1800 WaveRunner shows all the promise and potential of being the single-most dominant machine in the realm of closed course racing next year – not to mention countless friend-versus-friend drag races on lakes and rivers across the globe. As mentioned previously, the GP not only comes in at less overall weight (while retaining all of the same performance) despite being packed with more performance features, but also nearly $1,000 less expensive than the outgoing FZ. That alone is significant. If this is what you’ve been waiting for, then today you’re one lucky duck.
With the tragic and unexpected loss of Blowsion founder John Dady last month, this year’s Blowsion Surf Slam (happening this weekend, September 9-through-11th), in Pacific City, Oregon, will be missing quite a large piece of its soul. To honor the man who brought freeride so prominently into the spotlight, all jet skiers and persons willing to participate, have been invited to a special Memorial Paddle Out on Saturday afternoon, September 10th at 4pm.
To quote the IFWA Facebook page announcement, “We will take this time to honor our friend and fellow Freerider, John Dady. This will be a casual time to share stories and memories among friends. At the conclusion of the open mic session, we will join in the water just beyond the surf break and participate in a memorial “paddle out” on skis, boards, and kayaks. Those gathered on the beach can join in the celebration of life by throwing flowers in the Oregon surf and honoring this surfers tradition. We hope you will be able to join us in this time to celebrate the life of a man who meant so much to so many.”
The announcement also included a bit of history as to the tradition of the “surfer’s paddle out,” stating, “The paddle out is the way surfers around the world honor those who have passed on. Gathering on the beach to honor their friend – often at sunrise or sunset – surfers take to the water, paddling out beyond the break. They form a floating circle and hold hands in union with one another and their fallen fellow. Someone speaks words of remembrance, then the surfers send up hoots, whistles or chants. Clasped hands are raised, then lowered to splash the surrounding waters and/or boards. Leis, wreaths or loose flowers are thrown into the center of the circle, followed by a few moments of silence. Finally, pointing their boards to the sky the surfers turn slowly toward shore, flowers swirling in the wakes left behind them.”
