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The Watercraft Journal By The Numbers: August 2016

Features

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September 1, 2016

The Watercraft Journal By The Numbers: August 2016

We’re going to come right out of the gate with the biggest news that we’ve ever shared here in By The Numbers, and that is that The Watercraft Journal has eclipsed the total readership of its 2015 within the first 8 months of 2016. That’s right folks, the massive (and continual) influx of new and returning readers has pushed our total readership beyond last year’s incredible and industry-leading 230,000-plus readers and it’s only September 1st. That means we have another four months left to continue expanding its total readership to a projected 300,000 for the year. Let that sink in: three hundred thousand diehard personal watercraft enthusiasts choose The Watercraft Journal as their go-to resource for all things PWC.

Amazingly enough, there are still companies struggling to expand their reach within this industry without a presence on The Watercraft Journal. Be it through hyperactive social media campaigns, diminutive advertising programs, or doubling down on other media outlets that fail so miserably to reach an active and engaged audience that their ad dollars are all but wasted. Or worse off, these companies fail to recognize the sheer power that advertising on The Watercraft Journal can bring. Our average reader is 44 years old, male, speaks English as their primary language and self-identifies as a watercraft enthusiast. All of that sounds pretty much like your ideal customer, right? And if you advertised your company on The Watercraft Journal they very much could be your next customer.

The purpose of our monthly By The Numbers performance reports is not to brag, browbeat or berate (yay, alliteration!) companies into spending their hard-earned ad dollars with The Watercraft Journal, but to clearly and boldly outline how this magazine – far more than any other in our industry – truly delivers each and every day, Monday-through-Friday, and in doing so has grown into the largest resource for industry news, product reviews, event coverage, technical how-to’s, and interviews. And while that’s all well and good for entertainment’s sake, know that every advertiser receives professionally-written, unique and engagement editorial content each month that is read by the single-largest PWC magazine audience in the world.

January-December 2015

January-August 2016

A Consistent Rate of Growth
Some might look at the two charts above and be a little confused, and that’s OK. While 2015’s chart shows a lot of peaks and valleys, this year’s chart appears predominantly flat (besides a steady climb until August’s explosive month), so how could it be better? A look at the vertical axis will show that last year’s biggest peaks never eclipsed 4,000 readers, with an average daily readership of less than 1,000 unique visitors. Compare that to this year, and you’ll see that the peaks surpass 10,000 and the average daily readership is 150-percent over the previous. Following our projections, we expect to reach over 300,000 unique readers for the year. That’s truly an astounding number for a content based web magazine within this industry. And as our end-of-year performance data will show, future charts will illustrate that our growth is a steady, consistent rise, not filled with sporadic peaks and valleys.

January–December 2015
Total number unique readers: 232,459*
Total number of articles read: 614,870
Percentage of new readers: 63.3%

January–August 2016
Total number unique readers: 238,215*
Total number of articles read: 552,963
Percentage of new readers: 64.6%

*This number is considered equal to an individual sale of a single copy of a magazine.

A Consistent Schedule of Publishing
Admittedly, we had one helluva a month this August. Not only did we have the fastest reporting from two major Pro Watercross race weekends (as well as plenty of other event coverage), but we also had the single-most comprehensive coverage of the new 2017 Yamaha WaveRunners, the entire 2017 Sea-Doo lineup, and, oh yeah, being first in the world to publish the teaser video of Kawasaki’s soon-to-be-revealed 2017 SX-R 4-stroke standup. Toss in some world exclusives like the first look at RIVA Racing’s one-of-one RXP-X 350 and soon-to-be-released Limited Edition GP1800R, and you’ve got the making for one popular month. Frankly put, PWC enthusiasts have come to depend on The Watercraft Journal for new and interesting content every single day. And as the numbers here prove, we deliver.

News articles published in July 2016: 25
Feature articles published in July 2016: 11
Total feature word count: 10,409 words*

News articles published in June 2015: 21
Feature articles published in June 2015: 16
Total feature word count: 15,676 words*

*When this number is translated to print publication standards, it equals a 168-page magazine. Please note that this number does not include an average of two uniquely-written news articles published daily.

Consistently Bringing WCJ Before The Masses
Many companies chose to use their social media accounts (be them personal or for business) as their sole outlet to accessing new customers. In all honesty, this isn’t working (and most know it). Why? Because the people following those accounts already know who they are, and unless they are feverish return customers, you’re not getting the influx of fresh, new customers that a company needs to thrive. You’re quite literally preaching to your own choir. That’s why these companies need The Watercraft Journal. By offering our content freely and easily – whether it’s via a desktop, a laptop or a portable device, anyone can read our content. And with our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and weekly newsletters, we bring our content directly to them. And that’s a huge part of our success!

June Facebook likes: 18,045
Top Five countries: United States, Australia, France, Canada, United Kingdom

Isn’t it Time to Join The Winning Side?
OK, OK. That might be taking things a little too far, but in all seriousness there are many companies benefiting from advertising with The Watercraft Journal for the very reasons listed above. Yet, conversely, there are just as many (if not more so) yet to enjoy the ease of access, and the immediacy that working together with The Watercraft Journal brings them to a whole new audience of personal watercraft enthusiasts. Getting the word out about your product can be difficult, and relying on a few sponsored racers is only speaking to a tiny demographic. Put your products in front of more enthusiasts faster and easier by joining The Watercraft Journal as an advertiser today. To inquire more about advertising with The Watercraft Journal, please email [email protected]

Flyboard To Title Sponsor HydroFlight World Championship

News

Blake Ellestad

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September 1, 2016

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Flyboard To Title Sponsor HydroFlight World Championship

With the introduction of Flyboards in 2012, this new sport has become very popular. Rental companies are renting them out to their customers and people are buying them for their own collection. The amount of Flyboard sales has been growing drastically.

Zapata Industries is proud to announce that Pro Watercross and HydroFlight will be managing this year’s Flyboard World Cup Championship in Naples, Florida. This event will have tons of spectators watching the best 52 competitors who represent 16 different countries. This Championship is an invitation-only event so you are sure to see new tricks executed perfectly. Along with this three-day competition, the prize money for the Pro Rider Category is; First: $5,000, Second: $3,000, and Third: $2,000. The prize money for the Female and Veterans Category is; First: $1,500, Second: $1,000, and Third $500. These riders will be judged on 4 categories during their ride: Diversity, Technicality, Energy and Showmanship.

If you love flyboarding this is a must-see event, boasting the best riders in the world it will surely make you want to go try one out. Unlike other watercraft races, this competition will be a Zapata Flyboard sponsored only event. With their new patent assembly, the strength of this company will only grow larger. This company is backed behind Frank Zapata, who was a world champion jet ski racer who first started out inventing his own aftermarket product to create some of the world’s fastest jet skis ever. In 2012 Zapata introduced to the world the legendary Flyboard. In 2016 Zapata achieved his goal of creating the safest, lightest, most reliable, and least expensive with the unveiling of the Flyboard Air.

Save Big With Cycle Springs’ Prepaid Maintenance

New Products

Kevin Shaw

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August 31, 2016

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Save Big With Cycle Springs’ Prepaid Maintenance

There’s few things more vexing than trying to plan for the future. That is where purchasing the proper maintenance insurance comes into play. While you can do your best to predict how things will go, chances are you’ll be wrong more than half of the time. That’s where Cycle Springs Prepaid Maintenance plan comes into play.

With the purchase of Prepaid Maintenance Card, Cycle Springs Powersports will “double your investment for scheduled maintenance.” That’s right, Cycle Springs will match what you put into your Prepaid Maintenance Card (up to $1,000), effectively doubling your investment. According to Cycle Springs, “The card may be used for all parts and labor related to maintenance or service required. Prepaid card is valid for 2 or 4 years from date of purchase. Prepaid Maintenance Plan is valid on any new or used vehicle and must be purchased the day of sale.”

This, combined with Cycle Springs’ “5/50/500” warranty program is a surefire way to keep your PWC on the water longer. Good for 50-percent off any repair for 5 weeks or 500 miles, whichever comes first, on any used vehicle purchased makes this particular warranty a way to hedge your luck in a big way. The 5/50/500 covers “any manufacturer defects that would normally be covered by any standard extended warranty. Wearable items, tune-ups, scheduled maintenance or cosmetic repairs are not covered. Personal Watercraft and Boats are covered up to 5 weeks or 5 hours of operation.”

Quick Tech: Blacktip Jetsports’ Great Elite Spark Seat Cover-Up

Upholstery

Kevin Shaw

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August 31, 2016

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Quick Tech: Blacktip Jetsports’ Great Elite Spark Seat Cover-Up

If we’ve learned anything, it’s that even our best laid plans typically go to pot about a quarter the way through them. It’s so common that we typically plan for a contingency for when things to awry. It’s not pessimism, but rather preparation. In the case of our two-year-old Sea-Doo Spark project, we initially had hoped to perform both the Blacktip Elite Traction Mat kit installation and the seat cover all in one Saturday morning. Such was not the case when we struggled into discovering that we had ordered the wrong seat cover. What would be a harmless mistake, and easily amendable by the customer-friendly staff at Watercraft Superstore, became a tangled mess that needed unraveling.

Our travel schedule made it impossible to perform the second half of our Blacktip transformation any time soon, and the next possible window would be literally a day before officially closing out our long term project for the year, and returning the Spark back into Sea-Doo’s hands. This meant we’d have to load up the Spark into our pickup truck’s bed and drive 11 hours down to Clearwater, Florida to perform the seat recover, snap all the pictures and hand the lanyard back to BRP. We’re never one to shy away from a “down-to-the-wire” scenario, but man, do we have to always cut these things so dang close?

Above left: With our Spark’s original discolored and worn out seat already off and the foam left out to dry properly, we sought about preparing it for the new cover by flipping the seat upside down, wedging a screwdriver in-between and ripping out any lingering staples. Above right: WCSS used a heat gun to soften the thick seat cover material to allow it to stretch a little more freely. It also helps to work out any wrinkles that might’ve appeared while being shipped. We didn’t have such problems.

Above left: Stretching the cover over the seat by pulling it down by the edges is the only successful way to get the seams into the contours of the foam and around the edges of the seat base. Continue this process until it is aligned properly and lying flat on the foam. Above right: Spin the seat around, align the back center of the cover (marked by the customary Blacktip emblem) with the center of the seat base.

In an amazing feat of customer service, the Watercraft Superstore’s staff said that the Blacktip Jetsports replacement seat cover would be handled by their own staff (once I handed over the seat) and returned the next day. In talking with other satisfied customers and racers, we found WCSS’ commitment to delivering, even when under the gun, is absolutely flawless. Every. Single. Time. That is an incredible statement to be made and thus far, Blacktip and the WCSS has earned it many times over. So what began as a frustrating waste of a Saturday, became unexpected road trip, and a far more unexpected delivery of a gorgeous, hand-stitched seat.

Thankfully, ordering a Blacktip Jetsports Elite seat cover has been made sublimely simple thanks to Watercraft Superstore’s search engine optimization feature. By plugging in the year, make and model of your PWC, all of WCSS’ suggested parts and accessories will be automatically filtered for items specific to your vehicle. Once there, Blacktip’s page will provide you a predetermined template with a variety of color and texture options. Remember, Blacktip’s arsenal of materials is second to none, so you can go really crazy here. Once satisfied, submit your order and a confirmation will be sent back to you with an estimated time of shipping and arrival. It’s really that simple.

Above: Stretch the seams to the appropriate edges of the foam and base, and put a couple staples into the base. Again, repeat the process of lining up the seams and stretching the cover to match the edges of the foam and base, and stapling it. Turn the seat to the other side and repeat this process. Repeat the above steps of aligning, stretching and adding staples to your new cover while making sure everything is lined up properly with the edges of the base and contours in the foam.

Above left: Fold the corners of the cover together with the bottom portion of the cover under the top, and the top portion overlapping the bottom approximately a half an inch. Pinch the excess seat cover material together with your fingers and carefully trim it with scissors. After trimming off the excess material, staple the cover again on the corners with the top portion of the cover overlapping the bottom. Trim off the remaining excess material along the line of staples. Above right: The only thing left now is to install your brand-new, custom-looking Blacktip seat back on your ski and enjoy!

Although unnecessary, as installation is pretty straight-forward (especially as we’ve illustrated the process here for you), you can have WCSS simply ship the cover to you. Or, if you’d prefer a master’s touch, you can ship your seat to WCSS directly – and they will walk you through the process as well. Since we recently made a trip to Watercraft Superstore headquarters, we shadowed Blacktip’s expert installer who walked us through the process to help make your ski look its best when finished!

Above: Although we’re sad to see our Sea-Doo Spark HO 2-up go, we had to make room both in the garage and on our trailer for all of the new 2017 products we have coming for testing. We’re satisfied that our little bumblebee Spark will be in good hands back with Sea-Doo.

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Gallery: Inside Brian Baldwin’s Pro Open R/A SVHO-Powered Yamaha VXR

Watercraft

Kevin Shaw

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August 30, 2016

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Gallery: Inside Brian Baldwin’s Pro Open R/A SVHO-Powered Yamaha VXR

“Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday” is an old turn-of-phrase that was coined back in the heyday years of NASCAR when stock car racing was actually done with “stock cars.” Since falling out of mode decades later, it was later rehashed with jet skiers during the late ’80s and early ’90s, as so many championship-winning skis and runabouts weren’t very far from the stock craft available on any showroom floor. That, and as jet ski racing was so prevalent, the results of such races actually swung trends in new sales purchases.

Moreover, the manufacturers relied heavily on the research, testing and results acquired by such race teams to help test, prove and develop future components (because what harsher environment is there than competitively racing?). Many would presume that such patterns in research-and-development have gone by the wayside, but not so with Yamaha. The brand continues to rely heavily on the efforts of privateer and sponsored racers to provide feedback and insight on how to improve its product.

Most recently, Yamaha announced the retirement of the FZR (and FZS) from its 2017 lineup. The news didn’t sit well with many, particularly those who doubted the replacement runabout, the VX-based GP1800, had the handling prowess to fill the FZ’s shoes. Little do they know that Yamaha Factory Racing/Dean’s Team racer Brian Baldwin has been actively campaigning a clandestine GP1800 all this year in Pro Open class. Although the factory product is only slightly altered from Baldwin’s prototype, the GP1800 soon arriving at dealers across the globe is essentially the same as the runabout featured in this article.

Few racers are willing to draw back the curtain and let the powersports media comb through their championship-winning machines, choosing to hold back a few secrets that they can keep to retain their competitive edge. Gratefully, Baldwin’s smooth Southern charm and willingness to let us crawl all over his modified VXR affirms his North Carolina upbringing. While much of our conversation took place at the 2017 Media Press Introduction earlier, WCJ photographer Alie Block caught up with Baldwin between motos at the Lake Hartwell, Georgia stop of the Hidden Trails Pro Watercross Tour a little over a week ago.

The longtime Dean’s Team, factory Yamaha racer waved at his ski, “You are looking at a stripped-down 2016 Yamaha VXR with a SVHO engine package. The engine is bone stock (other than a set of RIVA valve spring retainers), and it uses the SVHO stock pump with a twin impeller, a modified venturi and stock steering nozzle.” Built strictly for closed course racing and competing in the New Jersey, Georgia and West Virginia stops of the Hidden Trails Pro Watercross Tour, Baldwin did tease that this ski will be racing in Chicago at the Pro Sprint round of AquaX this coming September 10-11.

“The setup is pretty mainstream,” Baldwin shrugged. “It’s all IJSBA Limited class modifications. RIVA Racing and Dean’s Team can supply the parts needed to build a replica of this monster. I built the ski with the help of RIVA parts and a Dean’s Team ECU reflash, that’s it.” Although Baldwin’s modesty is appealing, it belies some other custom work that his racing class allows. He admitted, “We lightened the hull and deck.” Although he wouldn’t disclose the final weight, he did note that it was “close” to what the upcoming GP1800 weighed.

Grabbing the handlebars, Baldwin noted, “I built my own steering system since nothing was available at the time. RIVA has a killer steering system coming out.” When it came to other handling tweaks, Baldwin was a little more mum. “Sponsons? These are custom sponsons that we made.” Information regarding the ride plate and intake grate was withheld. Final alterations included a Jettrim seat cover fitted to the stock seat, and “stock mats over the custom blue paint.” The new GP1800’s brighter blue caught the racer’s eye at the press intro, vowing, “That’s gonna be next year’s color. I love it.”

In its current form, the ski is blistering fast. “0-to-60 times are well below the 2 second mark and top speed is mid- to high-80s depending on the handling setup,” Baldwin noted. Baldwin’s performance on the SVHO-powered ’16 VXR has been enough to frustrate even Dustin Farthing on his 600-horsepower, all-carbon fiber RXP-X in several motos of the ‘Tour. “If it can keep up with a $60,000 exotic like Dustin’s [Sea-Doo],” Baldwin laughed, noting the considerable cost difference between the two builds. “I think it’s doing great.”

With the release of the upcoming 2017 GP1800, for which Baldwin’s build was modeled around, the hull getting its origin from the ’15-’16 VXR, Baldwin attests the new GP1800 will be a top contender on any racing circuit. “Just look at my ski if you want to know if the new GP is up to the task.” Baldwin will continue campaigning the VXR SVHO with the support of his sponsors Yamaha Factory Racing, Dean’s Team, RIVA Racing, Champion Powersports, Jet Lift, and Fly Racing throughout the year, and will return next year on a new GP1800.

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Truckboss Decks Congratulates Sponsored Rider Blair Hull on WCWA Wins

News

Kevin Shaw

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August 30, 2016

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Truckboss Decks Congratulates Sponsored Rider Blair Hull on WCWA Wins

Across the continent, jet ski racing is running strong. Recently, the Western Canadian Watercross Association (WCWA) hosted its 7th and 8th rounds of racing this past August 20th and 21st at Crane Lake and enjoyed not only a fantastic turnout of both racers and spectators, but also some great Flyboard lessons and demonstrations. Although the weekend concluded the season for the WCWA, there was still plenty of reason to celebrate.

One with reason to celebrate was Blair Hull, sponsored racer of Truckboss Decks, the industry leader in personal watercraft truck decks. Hull’s weekend not only capped off his first year or riding and racing, but did so on a high note, finishing third overall in Beginner and second overall in Novice Stock. Hull makes stellar use out of his Truckboss Flexx Loader deck on a lifted Dodge Ram 2500, as he tows a camping trailer behind as he’s joined on tour by his wife and two children.

“A huge thank you goes to my wife for putting up with my new found love for jetski’s and supporting me through all this,” Hull wrote in a Facebook post recently. Congratulating Hull on his season, Truckboss’ Kent Natrass wrote, “A huge congratulations to our newest sponsored rider! Way to go Blair Hull, you will be force to be reckoned with!” If you like Hull’s setup as much as we do, it’s easily replicated using ! For more information on this and other Truckboss Decks, visit HERE.

Real Review: Jet Renu Stank Away

Products

Kevin Shaw

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August 29, 2016

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“So what do you have in the way of a wetsuit cleaner?” we asked Jet Renu a few years ago. “Oh, our Purple is great for that too,” was their reply. “Purple” is the brand’s all-purpose watercraft cleaner. When mixed in a slightly concentrated form, it’ll definitely do the job, even so far as to knock off salt residue and waterspots when scrubbed with a wash mitt. But for gloves, boots and vests (not to mention wetsuits and rashguards), Jet Renu didn’t have much not in the way of cleaning (“Purple” worked fine in that realm), but in deodorizing these items.

Riding can be a workout and people sweat when they workout. Neoprene (much like Spandex) collects pretty much everything and can leave a pair of riding boots or gloves pretty rank, especially if left to dry. At the behest of so many sponsored riders and general consumers, Jet Renu answered their pleas with its new “Stank Away” wetsuit and neoprene cleaner and conditioner.

While cleansers and even dish soap (still one of the most commonly used cleaners for neoprene riding gear by PWC riders) strip away residue left by sweat and dead skin, it also manages to breakdown the neoprene’s elasticity. Jet Renu managed to formulate a cleanser that not only penetrates the porous neoprene and extract bacteria left by human contact, salt residue and other deposits, but also leave the neoprene intact, without stripping the material; and leaving it smelling fresh with a gentle hint of citrus.

Having just returned from the 2017 Sea-Doo Media Intro in Tampa, Florida, and making the 11-hour drive home, our Jettribe riding boots were not only caked in white, sugary sand, but thick with salt deposits and well, being on our feet, which is worse enough. The boots were rank, crunchy with salt and sand and as bad as a pair could possibly be.

We doubled up Jet Renu’s recipe for 1/2 oz. and squirted in what we estimated was a whole ounce into 2-to-3 gallons of water, churning the mix into a whipped foam. We also put our nozzle on high and tried to knock off as much debris from the boots and neoprene socks as possible before soaking them in the mix. Letting it soak for a few minutes (5 to 10), we started kneading each item individually to break up the dried-on stuff and loosen up the materials. Once done, we hosed each boot and sock off (making sure to turn the socks inside-out and rinsing again) before letting them dry.

Although clean, we still could detect some odor, so we repeated the process a second time. In a few hours’ drying time, our boots and neoprene socks were fresh and odor-free. Obviously, neglect was the culprit here and proper maintenance of our riding gear wouldn’t have required a second pass of Stank Away, but we wanted to push the product as far as we could – and again, Jet Renu came through with flying colors.

As is with many of Jet Renu’s products, it’s a fantastic tool to keep in your arsenal of cleaners, waxes and maintenance chemicals (we personally can’t live without their “Yellow” degreaser). “Stank Away” is still very new and not found on the official Jet Renu website, but comes in a 16 oz. bottle and is priced at $14 a bottle. For more information contact Jet Renu HERE.

Case of The Mondays: Shark Nearly Nibbles Jet Skier’s Leg

News

Kevin Shaw

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August 29, 2016

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Case of The Mondays: Shark Nearly Nibbles Jet Skier’s Leg

Humans are soft, slightly haired mammals with negligible physical defenses. No claws, no mandibles, rows of razor-sharp teeth, thick coats of hair or armor plating. The only true defense we’ve got going for us is our massive brains, most of which we fill with movie quotes, random trivia, and lyrics to bad songs. And yet, we dominate the world as the planet’s most advanced species. Ironic, isn’t it? Well, that is save for a few times when humans push their luck a little too far and venture into territories where we’re so far outside of our element.

[Update] An eagle-eyed reader forwarded us a report published in The Brisbane Times giving further detail on the interaction between two riders aboard a Yamaha FX with what has been confirmed as a “juvenile Great White shark.” The pair were off of the coast of Fraser Island, near Ungowa Creek, when they spotted the shark and steered towards it to get a better look. This was clearly too close for the shark, which turned around and struck at the ski. “So this just happened,” wrote Libby Williams, who had filmed the event from her GoPro. “I literally had to move my leg so it didn’t get mauled!”

According to the report, “Sunshine Coast shark conservationist and diver Tony Isaacson said humpback whales visited areas around Fraser Island from May to about November, where they gave birth to their calves and said the shark in the video was likely a great white shark in the right place at the wrong time.” He was quoted as stating, “We know great white sharks will follow humpback whales on northern migration and will take any opportunistic feed associated with that calving and whale migration. What interests me about this jet ski and this large shark is that it is the right place but the wrong time of the year for that shark to expect any kind of substantial feed.”

“It has made an error of judgment, instead of navigating south, and I would say it would stay there for no more than a day or two,” he continued. “It is perhaps a sub-adult, which would add to the idea that it has made a mistake because it lacks experience.” Mr. Isaacson concluded saying that the shark’s “torpedo shape” and the distinct grey and white coloring indicated it was a “juvenile” great white.

Again, this is an illustration that nature is one to be trifled with, even if you think you’re smarter that a big dumb fish. Nature didn’t equip you with rows of regenerating saw-like teeth and nigh-impenetrable skin. This video was shared by The Chive’s Facebook page (via ViralHog).

Kevin Shaw: Being The Useful Idiot

Editorials

Kevin Shaw

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August 25, 2016

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Because I’m too lazy to look up an actually credible source, according to Wikipedia, the definition of a “useful idiot,” and at least in modern political jargon, “is a term for people perceived as propagandists for a cause whose goals they are not fully aware of, and who are used cynically by the leaders of the cause.” And while this idiom has been bandied about quite frequently in this, possibly our nation’s most hotly contested and almost unilaterally disappointing election season, it also has applications well beyond the sphere of the politik.

These past two weeks have been particularly stressful for the editor of this particular personal watercraft enthusiast magazine. Not only have we launched two full-length feature articles on the 2017 reveals of both Yamaha and Sea-Doo, but were first on the planet to publish an article with the 2017 Kawasaki SX-R JetSki teaser video as well as publishing a world exclusive on the RIVA Racing Limited Edition GP1800R, all within the space of a dozen days. Toss into that traveling to a media exclusive hands-on event with the aforementioned ’17 Sea-Doos, and I’ve barely had time to breathe.

Above: Predicting the future isn’t easy. None of the PWC media saw Sea-Doo Trixx coming.

While penning the articles is by far the easiest part of the above, the months and weeks leading up to the public unveilings have been brutal. At no time has holding a secret from our readers been so difficult. Moreover, minding what I say in public and to friends has been equally unnerving. Yet, such is the nature of the job. If I want to be trusted with certain information and pictures, I need to abide by the established rules. I sign “non-disclosure agreements” vowing that I will not leak any information, images or other data prior to an established date and time.

Yet, many don’t abide by these tenets and consequently lose their privilege, and are left to wait for outlets such as The Watercraft Journal to “info dump” everything into the public arena (thereby making us not only a resource to our 300,000 annual readers, but other media outlets too, as it were). Yet, as many of you are keenly aware, we also publish quite a few predictions, leaks and teases that would contradict the above statements, right?

Above: Greenhulk.net’s Jerry Gaddis mastered the tailstand on the new ’17 Trixx at the Sea-Doo media intro in Tampa, FL this week.

The answer is yes, every now and again, we pick up a loose rumor or a bit of gossip that is very likely given other intel that we have. And typically, we share those in our “Vicious Rumors and Vile Gossip” columns. They’re titled as such because often, the likelihood of any published rumor is at best, 50/50 of actually wielding any sort of validity. Sometimes, it’s just the internal chatter and gossip within a company, or a persistent rumor being spread by overzealous dealers (although we try to take that with the subsequent grain of salt). But at times, the information shared has come directly from a manufacturer, and while you’d reason to believe that that information would be gospel, it often is the exact opposite.

In 2013, I was fed “inside information” that Kawasaki’s newest machine would be a “KX for the water.” That year, Kawasaki had made quite the fanfare of introducing the new KX450F with electronic “Launch Control.” The feature was essentially an ignition retard that dialed back throttle enough for the back tire to bite. Interestingly, aftermarket ECUs such as MoTec had such an option for watercraft, helping scrub cavitation when launching from a standstill. I, considering myself quite the sleuth, had deduced wrongly.

Above: Former “Watercraft World” staffer and “Boating” contributor Jeff Hemmel proved he still has the skills to knock off some sweet tricks (*”sweet tricks” not shown).

In my first “Vicious Rumors” article on the subject, I ballyhooed the idea of a 310-horsepower, traction-controlled machine, ideally based on the STX-15F with the Ultra powertrain. It was lightweight, nimble, already loved by racers, and characteristically in line with being the closest comparison to the KX in question. A second phone call from my source acknowledged my story, thanked me for it and shared another morsel of information, never once offering to correct any bit of my erroneous conclusion. This process carried on for a couple more weeks until the big day of the dealer meeting in San Diego.

The ski that came out was the Ultra 310R, which as many know, is a standard Ultra 310X with a short, stainless steering neck, an exposed set of motocross handlebars, and a textured seat cover. And as you know, no launch control. I was, effectively, irate. I clearly was being baited for several months, winding me up and letting me run loose to spew excitable tales to my audience, and believe you me, people were as excited about the news as I was to share it. Rather, upon the true reveal, the disappointment was palatable. And not just resulting in me being lambasted for my shoddy work as a prophet.

Whether I was being played as an inside joke, a type of litmus test providing the brand useful market research, or just an outlet to beat the drum for the brand for a few months is really immaterial. It was still on me to report on what I was given as best as I could. Not every putt sinks, nor does every shot hit the target. But I would rather share what I’ve got, try to extrapolate what the future meaning might be, and present it to you to judge. Heck, it’s why I call it “rumors and gossip” for a reason.

Go Get Wet,
Kevin

Karujet Joins IJSBA As Part of International Competition Program

News

Kevin Shaw

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August 25, 2016

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Karujet Joins IJSBA As Part of International Competition Program

What is the “Karujet,” you ask? It’s only the toughest, more daunting offshore PWC race in the world. Held in the cul-de-sac harbor of Guadeloupe Island situated between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic, the 4-day event welcomes best national and international pilots racing the biggest brands of the world (Yamaha, Kawasaki, Sea-Doo) over 400 miles of open ocean.

With over 45,000 spectators, the Karujet is also one of the most popular in the world. And now, as the Karujet has been welcomed into the fold of officially-branded IJSBA international events, the race that takes over the island nation of Guadalupe has even more reason to be celebrated. Together with the IJSBA, the Karujet will continue elevating its prestige and challenging the toughest races in the world.

Here’s the original press release:
IJSBA Welcomes Karujet to IJSBA’s world wide competition program. Karujet’s joining of IJSBA comes as part of IJSBA’s continued emphasis on growth in the Caribbean, South American, and Central American regions where we expect some of the strongest amount of organized racing to grow over the next couple of years. IJSBA is honored to be selected to assist in this very prestigious event and we will be bringing the race community specific news, shortly, regarding the 2017 plans for the Karujet World Championship as well as a greater plan for the Caribbean along with our other partners in the area.