The Sunshine Coast Jet Sports Club put on a great event for its riders earlier this year (which The Watercraft Journal covered in detail here). SBT was the main sponsor of the first annual “The King of Freeride 2016.” This event showcased some of the best freestyle riders around. The club encouraged all riders no matter age or skill level to come out and enjoy this great two day event.

With skis ranging from older stock hulls to full carbon fiber hulls with bored over motors, lightweight handle poles, and high pitched impellers, the audience knew that the king of the competition was sure to turn some heads. It was good to see such a huge turnout for this event, the more people who are able to get exposed to events like this will definitely make this sport grow. While there were some excellent performances by riders doing all sorts and insane tricks and flips, Zane Taylor was crowned the 2016 King of Freeride.

SBT was the title sponsor of this event but there were plenty others such as Jet Pilot, Gold Coast Jet Ski World, Krash Industries, 701 Industries and many others. These companies want this sport to grow and provided parts, tools, advice and guidance which really make this huge event a great success. While it can be expensive to sponsor an event, it can be worth it because you can help grow the sport you love while still getting your business exposure to a new audience. Sunshine Coast Jet Sports Club is a club that has one mission; to grow the sport by providing a safe area, proper riding conditions and to mainly just have fun!

OK, you’ve heard all of our rumors, gossip and blatant lies – now its time to see the real thing. Sea-Doo is willing to give you a very personal and unique sneak peek at Sea-Doo’s 2017 lineup before anyone else – including The Watercraft Journal. Starting yesterday (oops!), you can enter to become not only some of the rare few to take a look at what Sea-Doo’s got coming for next year, but also enter to win one of the newest machines from the industry leader in PWC!

All you need to do is enter your name and contact info HERE, and you’ll be automatically entered as a contestant – plus you’ll also get a snapshot of one or two of Sea-Doo’s 2017 personal watercraft. It’s really super easy and what you get in return is the chance at a brand new Sea-Doo. What’s there to lose?

Here’s the original press release:
Valcourt, QC, Canada – BRP is preparing to launch the 2017 Sea-Doo watercraft line and is offering fans the opportunity to register to unlock spy shots of the highly-anticipated new models and a chance to win a new 2017 Sea-Doo watercraft° of their own.

BRP is the world leader in watercraft sales, a result of continual industry leading innovation to improve the Sea-Doo watercraft owners’ riding experience. In 2017 BRP will introduce more of what people want to make good days on the water great. The 2017 Sea-Doo watercraft line will be launched Tuesday, August 16th and fans will be able to see the new models live from CLUB BRP in Orlando, Florida through an exclusive Facebook Live video broadcast on the Sea-Doo brand Facebook channel starting at approximately 9:30PM EST– www.facebook.com/seadoo.

Watercraft fans and water lovers alike can go to sea-doo.com/coming-soon starting Wednesday, August 10th to register to unlock spy shots of the new models and get a chance to win a 2017 Sea-Doo watercraft. Plus, get information on the Facebook Live feed.

The excitement builds as the launch of the next line of Sea-Doo watercraft fast approaches. Follow Sea-Doo social media channels as visitors are offered a sneak peek starting on August 12th up to the August 16th launch.

Connecticut resident Chris Kyttle is getting quite a bit of internet fame with a video he shared earlier this week. He wrote, “My buddy threw an 1100 in his Jet Mate this weekend. Little test run before taking it 60 miles to Atlantic City…” Let’s let that sink in for second, shall we? Classified as a “passenger boat,” the Kawasaki Jet Mate was originally powered by a 650cc two-stroke – the very same plant powering the brand’s 650SX JetSki.

First introduced in 1989, the unique, flat-bottom design featured an open cabin that sat three, with two passengers sharing a rear bench and the pilot occupying a captain’s chair controlling the boat via an articulated joystick. Kawasaki integrated molded-in side ladders for easy re-entry. Under ideal conditions, the Jet Mate was estimated at a top speed of roughly 30 miles per hour.

Because of its low draft and quickness, several Jet Mates found use as patrol and rescue boats, but never high-end performance machines. In addition to the big Kawasaki triple, the Jet Mate was fitted with a 650 pump with a “huge ocean pro nozzle” with a SX-R prop, according to Kyttle. Although some re-shaping went into the hull prior to the build, Kyttle joked, “[It takes a] lot of leaning to make it turn.”

Whether the modded Jet Mate has made the trek to Atlantic City yet remains to be answered, but we look forward to seeing some future video with this machine ejecting riders in the surf.

When the mass production of flying drones started generating a huge amount of attention, people started using them as a way to get a new angle in shooting videos. Now most of the videos you see now have shots that have been taken by a drone. HDscreenerX used his DJI P3P Drone to take a video of him and his buddies riding in the dark of night.

With distress flares hooked up to their craft, the video starts off seeming like a the beginning of a horror film, with eerie music and the audience left wondering what is going to happen next. The flares shine quite bright since it is completely dark out. The riders quickly get on their craft and start carving up the lake. The filmmaker must have a very good eye to be able to capture all three riders without seeing where the drone was up in the night sky. The water does look very cool with the red reflection and thankfully all of the riders remained safe while making this video.

While this video may be like no other and makes you want to go try to ride at night, always remember that riding in the late evening and at night is extremely dangerous, and also, y’know illegal without the necessary boating lights. The chance of hitting a floating log or any other object is much greater when your visibility is decreased. So, please be safe while riding and if you do ever need to ride at night, have a bright flashlight and travel at slower speeds. The riders in this video shot their video in a controlled environment where they were able to greatly reduce the chance of being harmed.

Winter will be here before you know it and that means a large majority of PWC riders will be putting their skis in the garage. For those of you who may have one last planned trip or are looking to better equip your ride, Kool PWC Stuff is now offering free shipping on all jet ski cooler and fishing racks. This is a big discount since shipping can cost anywhere from $35 to $70 per unit. These racks are extremely sturdy, built from stainless steel and professionally powder coated allowing them to stand up against the harshest conditions. Don’t worry, these racks require no drilling into your craft and will fit any type of ski you have! Great for fishing and/or cruising you will enjoy your new rack.

Additionally, KPS has marked down their EZ Throttle Extender from $34.99 to $24 now. This extender attaches to any model of finger throttle to provide comfort on long trips. Riders from all levels boast how big of a difference it makes in controlling the craft. It makes rough riding, racing, and cruising much more enjoyable because the rider never has to worry about their hand cramping. This is a throttle extender that you must have.

If you are already planning on buying a rack, think about this. With this great sale going on and the money you will save from free shipping on your new rack, you could buy the throttle extender and still come out on top! Getting two for less than the price of a normal priced rack is unheard of. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a few new additions before the season is over. These prices won’t last long.

The Watercraft Journal received a very interesting report from East Coast Watercross’ Christopher Yates who wrote the following: “At the time of our opening rounds of racing in June 2016, and our marine permit being approved by the local Sheriff’s Department, we were made aware that due to budget cuts they had no on-water presence for us, and while they granted our permit, they had no boats or watercraft to patrol the area (only in case of a emergency would they be able to be on site).

“A few weeks later this department, the Fulton County NY Sheriff’s Department, had unexpectedly received funding for a marine patrol unit to get back out and be able to patrol the 44 lakes in their county (the first time in over a decade). With this great news, also came the use of the NYS Parks & Recreation’s Kawasaki PWC.

“Shortly after this news, an unfortunate drowning victim was their first call to action. While a knowledgeable group on their Chris Craft Patrol Vessel, many of the Marine Patrol Unit had very little or no PWC experience beyond their initial brief training, deeming the PWC somewhat ineffective in an emergency. Several of our local racers are Law Enforcement in the area and word traveled fast that the department could use some further PWC training.

“East Coast Watercross quickly coordinated with Sheriff Richard Giardino to organize a group of volunteers to assist the Marine Patrol and get their entire unit up to speed, and quick. East Coast Watercross brought in a team of experienced PWC experts including Kevin O’Flaherty, a US Power Squadron member. O’Flaherty has been a PWC Safety Consultant for over a decade and was able to provide US Coast Guard BARD (Boating Accident Report Database) statistics in the classroom as well as real world knowledge to the Marine Patrol Unit. In addition, Matt Adalain and Jim Dwyer attended the session to cover the mechanical aspects of watercraft.

“The class was held at the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department and on the Sacandaga where the Marine Patrol Officers were able to ride and experience not only the department’s machines, but several different types of watercraft bought by East Coast Watercross for a broader knowledge of the different types of, handling characteristics and safety features of the many machines they may encounter on the lake. This intensive training session lasted over 4 hours and left all involved feeling more prepared when the next on water emergency occurs.

“The best part of this training was not only did the Sheriffs get more on-water training on their own patrol units, they also jumped on board a few of the PWC that East Coast Watercross provided, from runabouts, to Sport class PWC and even standups. We are proud to partner with any first responder organization that needs help on the water. If you know of anyone that could benefit form this kind of volunteer training please contact us at [email protected].”

A few months earlier, The Watercraft Journal announced that through a partnership with Sea-Doo, Monster Energy and Mountain Motorsports, multi-time national and world champion, Dustin Farthing would dust off his riding gear and rejoin the ranks of the Pro Watercross Tour for 2016 – all for the benefit of the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta non-profit organization. As part of his efforts, Farthing will donate all of his prize earnings to the charity.

Thus far, Farthing has accrued just over $13,000 as he competes in both Pro Stock and Pro GP Runabout classes on the Hidden Trails Pro Watercross National Tour, but Farthing won’t be ending when the season concludes in September. He’ll be continuing on participating in several AquaX stops along the way to this year’s IJSBA World Finals taking place in Lake Havasu City, AZ in early October. Make sure to follow along at The Watercraft Journal.

Here’s the original press release:
Atlanta, GA United States– August 3, 2016 – Sea-Doo X-TEAM watercraft racer Dustin Farthing has collected $13,050 in prize money as of August 1, all of which he is donating to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Farthing from Marietta, GA is enjoying strong success on his Sea-Doo RXP-X 300 watercraft leading the National Pro Watercross Tour overall points in two classes with the biggest races still to come.

Farthing has leads both the Pro GP and Pro Stock class on the Pro Watercross Tour, winning 23 out of 30 individual motos with fellow Sea-Doo RXP-X 300 mounted rider Tim Ducat in the second spot in both classes. Farthing, part owner of six BRP dealerships under the Mountain Motorsports brand is racing, aboard his Monster Energy backed Sea-Doo RXP-X 300 watercraft and donating 100% of his prize money to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

“This sport has given me so much and I want to leave the sport by doing something special for the kids of Atlanta and their families whom are facing incredible health challenges. ” exclaims Farthing. “Family is the most important thing in my life and I am humbled to be able to use my talents riding a Sea-Doo watercraft to help families challenged to take care of their children.”

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is a not-for-profit organization that provides specialized care to children from all walks of life. They rely on donations to provide the best possible care to young patients and their families now and in the future. Farthing is donating 100% of the prize money he earns during the 2016 watercraft racing season plus all racing contingency funds from the Sea-Doo X-TEAM Bounty program that includes over $25,000 of additional funds available to winning Sea-Doo watercraft riders.*

“This sport has given me every opportunity to have an incredible life and now it’s my opportunity to give back,” said Farthing. I’m having fun in my final year racing on a Sea-Doo watercraft and giving back in the most positive manner possible. With the biggest races coming up, my goal is to reach the $60,000 mark for the kids of the Atlanta who need it.”

Farthing will be competing in the final three Pro Watercross Tour events with the next event in Lake Hartwell, GA on August 23-24 as well as the P1 AquaX series and IJSBA World Finals taking place in Lake Havasu City, AZ in early October. Fans can contribute to Farthing’s donations to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta by visiting CHOA.ORG.