With the 12th annual Mark Hahn Memorial 300 ready to go (with the iconic firing of a 12-gauge shotgun), racers from across the globe are flocking to Lake Havasu, Arizona’s Crazy Horse Resort – ground zero for the IJSBA World Finals months later. As the shadow world’s longest continuous race looms high overhead, many last minute changes, modifications and entries are being made.

Unfortunately, as we announced that GL Legendre would be participating in this year’s Hahn 300, a last minute eye-surgery benched the PWCOffshore.com Gunz racer, leaving teammate Tom Cruz without a partner. That is, until recently:

PWCOffshore.com’s Tom Cruz told The Watercraft Journal, “I am sorry for GL’s unexpected misfortune at the last minute and we will miss him. That being said, the race goes on and I’m excited about partnering with world champion Emi Kanamuri on the Kawasaki platform that she knows so well. We will do good things on the race course.”

PWCOffshore.com’s Mark Gerner (former Mark Hahn 300 winner in 2009) followed up, saying, “We will miss GL, he worked hard for this race and we are all sorry for his last minute misfortune. My phone started ringing off the hook when people started realizing we had an open slot for the Mark Hahn. We had many options. We actually reached out to the Kanamori’s and we’re thrilled to have Emi on board. As we all know, she is truly world class. We look forward to a great race and wish all competitors a fun and successful race.”

It’s not often that an event within the PWC community can celebrate 20 years of waterborne fun! The annual Tennessee River 600 is doing exactly that in 2016, and will be kicking off a week’s worth of fun this July 23, through July 30th. Riders from around the world have participated in the TN600, and have all praised the event as a “must” – as do we!

Now 600 miles might sound like a herculean feat, but don’t fret! The 6-day ride makes regular stops for breaks, locks, snacks, swimming and good ol’ fashioned playtime, so there’s lots of good times to be had as well as accomplishing one of the longest continual rides in the industry! And this year, the ride is “going back to 1997” and riding from Paris Landing State Park to Knoxville, TN! It’s a change up from the previous years, so it should make things a little more interesting.

According to Dennis Beckley, “We’re already working on getting the hotel rooms blocked off, and we’ll have more information available when they’re ready. In the meantime, why not spend some time browsing through the more than 750 images from our 2015 event! That will get you fired up and ready to ride while waiting for this cold winter to end!

“We’ll have more news and updates coming in the near future so stay tuned. If you’re not signed up for our newsletter or following us on Facebook, go ahead and do that as that is the best way to stay up to date!”

Clearly springtime is upon us (because we’re going riding today without the need of a wetsuit), and that means that you’re going to see business start picking up. In preparation for the big season that we’re expected to have this year, Cycle Springs Powersports, Tampa’s biggest powersports dealership is looking for an experienced PWC technician/mechanic. The pay is pretty good, the benefits are solid and the environment is great. If you’re thinking about a new career or simply relocating to a new company, we think we found the right fit for you!

Here’s the original press release:

Experienced Watercraft Technician / Mechanic (Oldsmar, Florida)

Come work for a fun company with great people. Cycle Springs Powersports, Tampa’s biggest powersports dealership is hiring.

Looking for experienced Watercraft Technician. Must have at least one years experience, valid drivers license and own tools. Preferably Certified Manufacture Tech. Friendly person with great work ethics and available to work on Saturdays.

Possible relocation expenses. Pay is $15/hr and up depending on experience. After one year. Medical insurance, 401K, Bonuses, Holidays and Vacation. Great, fun, casual work environment. Many company parties and events.

Please send resume to [email protected] or give us a call 727-771-1211 ask for Dragon.

The TorontoPWC (Personal Watercraft) Club is hosting its 2016 Jetski Season Opening Cruise & BBQ this upcoming May 22nd 2016. As the announcement reads, “Cruise with us along the waterfront, departing from 120 Lakefront Promenade in Mississauga to our final destination of Bluffers Park in Scarborough. The Toronto Police Marine Unit will escort us through the Toronto Inner Harbor, so we get to see the city like never before.

“Take this great opportunity to come meet everyone involved in the Ontario personal watercraft industry & other riders from the community. This event provides a perfect place to meet fellow PWC related business owners and riders/enthusiasts alike.” The TorontoPWC staff will have the beach prepared for the group’s arrival making this it a worry-free event. And make sure to bring the whole family.

The TorontoPWC club will also have professional photographers, demonstrations of the Jetovator and Flyboard, raffles, aerial drone footage, swimsuit models, BBQ, participating watercraft dealers/companies, group jet ski cruise, and more including a police escort from Toronto Police service through the Inner Harbor! There will also be prizes and trophies for the “Most retro ski,” the “Most modded ski,” the “Most original ski,” the “Loudest stereo on PWC,” and the “Longest distance traveled to attend the event.”

There’s a whole lot more information to be read at TorontoPWC’s website, which you can access HERE, including what to bring/wear, sponsorship opportunities, the itinerary, and lodging information.

OK, so it’s no Body Beach. The Lake Havasu, Arizona, landmark has earned its place in jet skiing infamy as the last sliver of Wild West waterfront. With no access fee, assigned parking, paved entry or pretty much any other rules (besides “don’t be a jerk” – which some people still struggle with), the riverside cove has been a hot spot for testing sessions, training, good times and debauchery since the creation of the JS400.

Last year, we published a news article that efforts were being made to create a similar spot in Southern California’s Lake Elsinore. ThrottleJunkie.com’s Mike Yellich had been hard at work trying to win over the City of Lake Elsinore, explaining to The Watercraft Journal, “There will be a area of land and lake to set up a buoys course just like they do at Body Beach, but they will be charging a lake fee.” It turns out that yes, Yellich succeeded in his effort, but the win came with plenty of strings attached:

First of all, to access the new Lake Elsinore Jet Ski Track, you’ll need to become a “ThrottleJunkie Beach Club Member. Individual membership for the year will cost $25 as family memberships cost $35. And non-members will have to cough up $5 for for daily use. With that cost, you will have to pay $20 at the main ramp: $10 goes to the city and the other $10 pays for running the track site. But wait, that’s not all…

Although the lakeside beach opens at 8AM for parking and tent set up, you’re not allowed on the water until 9AM, so don’t expect any early morning testing sessions. Likewise, the lake closes at 4PM, so you gotta pack up your gear, clean up the beach and get the heck outta Dodge before they they close and lock up the gates. Also, don’t expect to back up and dump your skis in the water, all skis much to be toted to the water, as all trucks and cars must park 30 yards or more from water’s edge. Equally, all skis must be gassed up 20 feet from the water, because we don’t want to spoil the natural, unmolested beauty of Lake Elsinore.

Of course, as the days get longer, Yellich promised that they will be open longer. Additionally, he states, “We are also working on having it open one or two days during the week.” The fun will be starting in May, so you need to email your PayPal payment to Mike Yellich ([email protected]) to get a jump on your SoCal lake testing. And if you don’t like it, remember you voted in Jerry Brown not once, but four times as governor. Just sayin’.

We’ve been focusing a lot on the good that the PWC community can do – particularly in light of all of the bad press and anti-PWC legislation that’s been passed recently. One of the best annual events to ever rise out of this industry is the TELUS Ride For Dad event which raises funds to save men’s lives by supporting prostate cancer research and raising public awareness of the disease.

According to TELUS, “Our goal is for men to continue to be there for their families and friends for years to come. The parade of vehicles grabs the attention of the masses and the media on ride day, the research helps find hope for the future and the awareness has the potential of saving men’s lives today.

“We raise funds through large scale one-day motorcycle, snowmobile, watercraft and ATV ride events and through ongoing public fundraising throughout the year. TELUS Ride For Dad events take place in multiple cities across Canada, representing every Canadian province.”

Since its launch in 2000, the TELUS Ride For Dad has donated more than 13 million dollars to the Prostate Cancer Fight Foundation. This concerted effort to support prostate cancer research and awareness is tremendous, and is done through organized rides each and every year. Most notably is the “Ride for Dad Big Rideau” ride, leaving from and around Rideau Ferry Harbour (110 Coutts Bay Road, Rideau Ferry, Ontario, Canada).

This fun-filled day of riding includes a lunch, poker run, prizes and much more “all while helping to raise money to fight prostate cancer for our local community!” Scheduled for Saturday, July 16th, 2016, this promises to be another memorable event that all should enjoy. Visit www.ridefordad.ca to register!

A press release reported by OZPWC, stated that Minister for Roads, Maritime and Freight Duncan Gay, member for East Hills Glenn Brooks, and Police Marine Area Detective Superintendent Mark Hutchings released a statement to the media about harmful behavior by riders of jet skis.

The announcement declared that the NSW Government would take swift and bold actions to stop the dangerous and anti-social riding of jet skis in and around the Georges River, Botany Bay, and Port Hacking.

The efforts to stop the madness include high visibility of police presence, covert patrols, more restrictions on speed, and personal watercraft exclusion zones. Stringent laws will enable immediate license suspension for ski drivers riding in a reckless manner that may cause harm to others. The law will also make it easier to take the pilots’ watercraft  on the spot and place it in impound.

Many of the new “anti” ski laws are the result of complaints among the local boating community. The proclamation by Minister Gay should make them happy:

“All jet-ski users flouting the law are on notice. We’re putting a stop to this behavior,” Minister Gay said.
Superintendent Hutchings believes the bad behavior will stop with more police presence be. It has worked in the past so it should be a success once again.

The collective force is going after specific rogue riders like the one who was already arrested for knocking a kayaker out of his boat. The boater suffered severe injuries and officers pressed charges against the driver of the ski.

There is also discussion about the possibility using drones and installing more cameras in the problem areas. The low speed zone has been extended by 2 kilometers. A dedicated hotline for complaints was also put into place. These officers and council members mean business!

Brooks said the implementing stricter enforcement was a huge win for the local community. People will feel safer using the waterways knowing that the riders of the rogue pwcs will no longer be able to frighten them without facing harsh repercussions.