Behind JetSkiShop.com’s Custom Sea-Doo Spark

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August 4, 2015

With the introduction of Sea-Doo’s Spark into the arena of today’s supercharged, pony chasing, adrenalin pumping machines – everyone waited in anticipation. Would the Spark really bring back the nimble fun of the nineties as Sea-Doo claimed?

Jetskishop.com was among the curious, although the Spark didn’t quite fit into the mold of skis usually favored on their tour rides, they couldn’t pass up the opportunity to test one out for themselves. James Tod from Jetskishop.com stated, “At the time it was a new product, so different to what’s currently on offer, that the industry didn’t know where it would fall in the marketplace.”

James Tod and his team at Jetskishop.com set out to expand their own knowledge on the Spark and what better way than to prepare one for the race season. Starting with the basic two up 90HP model, they wanted to focus on three major factors – improved handling, better hook up and of course more power.

The standard handle bars on the Spark proved too narrow for an effective racing posture, so WORX steering was installed, complemented with a set of blaster bars, ensuring a lower, broader stance over the ski for racing. WORX racing components were also the weapon of choice to guarantee better hook up, both out of the hole and throughout the race. Using WORX ride plate, intake grate and stainless pump liner, coupled with a Solas prop the Spark was actually starting to act like a race ski.

Although the power to weight ratio of the Spark is impressive the 90HP just wasn’t going to cut it, so a rear outlet exhaust and re-flash, both by WORX racing saw an extra 20HP boosting the max speeds up to 81kph.

By this stage the Jetskishop.com Spark really felt like it wanted to race, so the team had to make it really look the part. One of Jetskishop.com custom seat trims was prepared, providing extra grip to the seat and custom graphics ensuring that this ski was not to be missed on the water.

After completion, the Spark was taken on the Jetskishop.com Fraser Island Adventure – where its lighter weight proved an asset for beach launches. James Tod from Jetskishop.com stated “Although the Spark was a lot of fun it’s not ideal for longer ocean rides, which is the shops main focus for tour/adventure rides.”

It was finally ready for the Queensland Personal Watercraft Club (QPWC) ‘Tropical Heat Tour’ which hosted the first series for Spark racing here in Queensland. Wade Clucas, who is usually seen sporting the number 216 Sea-Doo RXP-X in Amateur Stock, was thrilled about racing the Jetskishop.com Spark in rounds two and three of the season.

After placing second overall in his first round Wade was hooked on racing the Spark stating, “It’s cheap, easy, simple racing, its quick but not so fast that you’re going to get into any trouble, you literally spend the entire race without releasing the throttle.” Round Three saw Clucas in third place for the day after popping the lanyard mid race, not once but three times but it’s all in good spirit.

After the final checkered flag for ‘Tropical Heat Tour’ was waved the team at Jetskishop.com were back to work, improving on the lessons learned from the first race season of the Spark. Their focus is now on modifying the lanyard, it seems that both the lower positioning of the post and claw style of the connection interferes with the positioning of the rider.

The second issue needing attention is the air intake, after a couple of laps the engine compartment heat soaks and subsequently looses a couple of hundred RPM. Wade is all too keen to get back on the track, “After these two issues are sorted, we will be back on the start line for the next round of racing”.

It was abundantly clear to those at the Tropical Heat Tour that the Sparks bring about a refreshing new band of racers, nothing too serious. Racers who were seen heckling at the start line, would come back after every moto laughing and joking with each other; proving that Sea-Doo has brought nimble fun back to the racing scene at the very least.

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Gallery: AquaX USA Round 4 St. Cloud, FL

By

Kurt NgSaye

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August 4, 2015

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The city of St. Cloud, Florida was home to the P1 AquaX tour this past weekend for the fourth round of the race series. Lake Tohopekaliga was a buzz with activity. Due to the increasing popularity of AquaX series, St. Cloud was moved to a regular race site instead of the Finals race site this year.

At the beginning of the day the racers and the race staff were rearing to go and the weather looked pretty good. The first race of the day was the new format of racing that was previously used in Sarasota. It was a staggered start due to the high volume of skis on the water at the same time. This allowed the 300 class to start their race as they normally would. Then there was a 15-to-20 second break before the 250 and 200 class racers started their race.

In the 300 class, the lead was taken by Jason Russo and followed by Blaine Spooner and Eric Francis. It finally looked like the Aswar brothers had their work cut out for them. This trio ran the entire race with Francis and Spooner swapping positions and Russo holding the lead. Then due to mechanical issues, Jason Russo ended his race and the rest of the weekend.

This left the door wide open for Eric Francis to get back on top for the first time this season. Blaine Spooner wasn’t having it and on the final lap of the race and charged hard to overtake Francis for the last 200 feet claiming the first win. The finish was by far one of the closest in the three-year history of the series.

In the 250 class, the usual group of Brian Baldwin, Eric Lagopoulos and Ron Levy battled it out with Brian Baldwin taking the win. Travis Zielasko along with teammate Rob Greenwald battled in the 200 class as they have all season with Zielasko coming away with the win.

While the racers took a break for lunch and prepped for the second race of the day, Mother Nature decided to dampen the event. Florida is known as The Sunshine State but this past month it has been known as “The Rain-Soaked Month.” Since the racers typically get wet while racing, it isn’t an issue but the horn was constantly blaring advising everyone that there was lightning in the area. Central Florida is known as the lightning capital of the world for valid reasons.

Finally, the racers were able to get back out there for race Number Two and get down to business. The Aswar brothers decided to regain their winning ways and got back on top for the second race of the weekend. The real battle was in the 250 class for the second race thanks to Paloma Noceda and Brian Baldwin going at it to end the first day.

Sunday started off with the standup skis and Sport Spec racers going at it. This was the first time that AquaX has allowed the two classes to race at a lake location. It had looked like Kirk Britto was going to come away with the win in the Standup Class easily, but due to mechanicals, Broc Harris took the win with Johnny Smith coming in a close second. In the Sport Spec class, David Gorie was king of the hill and showed that not only does he know how to battle it out in the 250 class but also in the Sport class.

The final race of the day saw Jason Russo, Eric Francis, Erminio Iantosca, and Jeffrey Thorton sit out of the round due to mechanical issues and damage to their skis from Saturday. This left the 300 class in the hands of Aswar brothers and Blaine Spooner.

The Watercraft Journal talked with 250 class racer Ron Levy who said, “[The] third moto, we all missed a buoy, but Baldwin ran out of gas on the back on the last lap putting Paloma in first me in second [in] a photo finish.” Sea-Doo’s Anya Colley finished the podium in third.

The weekend was a total success and all had fun. Now the racers head back home to fix skis, get practice time in and prepare for the next round, which is Cocoa Beach in September.

For all of the results from this past weekend’s AquaX Series in St. Cloud, click the hyperlinks for the 300 class, 250 class and 200 classes. The Ski class and Sport Spec class are also available by clicking the respective hyperlinks.

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Video: Jet Skier Helps Extinguish Burning Boat

By

Ocean Priselac

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August 3, 2015

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This is a really cool video that was featured on YouTube at the beginning of last year. A jet skier in Honolulu, Hawaii noticed a boat near shore engulfed in flames with thick black smoke billowing from it. The fire department was having difficulty extinguishing the flames because they were working from the shore on higher ground. The fire fighters were also hampered by quite a bit of scrub that were unable to get through in order to get closer to the boat.

The firefighters were working from higher ground and there was also quite a bit of scrub hampering their efforts to get closer to the boat. The force of water coming out of the hose was pushing the boat further away, making it almost impossible for the water supply to reach the boat. When the jet skier realized that the firefighters were having difficulty putting the blaze out from their location, he immediately sprung into action, creating a sizable wake with his ski.

He managed to do this by positioning his ski close enough to the boat so that by performing deep turns, he could produce enough wake to cover the boat with water. His actions also pushed the boat closer to the shore and the firefighters were able to reach it with their fire hose again. The flames were extinguished and the boat eventually sunk. A salvage crew showed up about five hours later to retrieve the boat and haul it away.

The video was shot with a Samsung Galaxy S4 and was high quality considering it was filmed with a smart phone. The footage of the jet skier and fire department was amazing, considering the way that they worked in unison to successfully manage the flames that had completely taken over the boat. You can view the video here:

https://youtu.be/vFAzFgdIkZs

The Watercraft Journal By The Numbers: July 2015

By

Kevin Shaw

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August 3, 2015

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“Why do it?” I was asked at the beginning of the year. “Why keep letting your competition know the magazine’s numbers? Why let them know how you’re doing?” These were fair questions, and frankly, convincing enough to keep me from publishing “By The Numbers” reports for this past November, December and even January. Openly publishing our performance numbers for each month could be seen as blatant bragging, and there are some who’ve accused me of exactly that. Others applaud this monthly tradition as it is so overtly transparent, and transparency is what is so widely lacking in the personal watercraft industry particularly when it comes to its relationship with new media.

This year alone, two publications traded ownership from sole-proprietorships to privately-held publishing/marketing firms. This move changes the paradigm of how content is created, published, and distributed. Do not be surprised when subscription rates increase, content begins to sway from the core of the sport, and how often these sites are updated. Why, you might ask? Because the personal watercraft industry is incredibly small, and larger publishing firms will want to expand the range of their latest acquisitions to access a larger market. Standup paddle boards, wakeboarding, diving, and surfing are all on the table, and poised to dilute these publications.

The Watercraft Journal, on the other hand, will remain solely focused on personal watercraft. All content will remain relevant to our industry. This is a promise. This is our commitment. Sure, it means we’ll remain a niche publication that is both free to the reader and without any sort of passwords, log ins, or downloads in order to read. Oh, and you can also expect that The Watercraft Journal won’t double as a storefront, fraudulently praising products in sham reviews to best hock its wares. And yes, we’ve even given less-than-glowing reviews to products supplied by own advertisers. You can bet they weren’t too happy about it, but at least we’re honest.

Today is a big day because this installment of “By The Numbers” is – as we see it – a huge milestone not only for this publication, but for our whole industry. Not only did The Watercraft Journal reach a massive number of readers this month, both new and old, but has secured itself as a resource of information found nowhere else. Our readership reflect that public interest in personal watercraft is at an all-time high. We know that new watercraft sales are mounting, and the aftermarket is flush with product – far more so than in the last 5 years. Our exorbitant (and continued) leap in readership is an indicator of this growth as whole, and data coming from throughout our industry echoes this. These are truly exciting times.

July 2015

Who Is Reading The Watercraft Journal?
If you own a company in the PWC industry and are not yet advertising, you are literally robbing yourself access to the single-largest audience in our industry. Just because you have an active Facebook page or a few sponsored racers that tag you in Instagram posts does not directly translate into sales. Yes, you’re “brand building” to a select group of followers, but you’re not reaching everyone that you could. And yes, readers of The Watercraft Journal buy the products we review. We have the testimonials to prove it. Imagine what access to an additional 30,000-plus potential clients could do for your business!

June
Total number unique readers: 25,510*
Total number of articles read: 54,077
Percentage of new readers: 68.6%

July
Total number unique readers: 31,543*
Total number of articles read: 67,887
Percentage of new readers: 68.5%

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

What Are They Reading?
Advertisers on The Watercraft Journal aren’t just buying ad space, because digital ads simply aren’t enough. No, our advertisers receive a comprehensive package that includes ads and uniquely developed, professionally-written content found nowhere else. This level of editorial support provides our readers fresh, entertaining and informative content about your products. Don’t dish out your hard-earned money for a half page ad in a dwindling print rag, hoping that it’ll grab the eye of a would-be customer – put your company in front of more potential customers more often with The Watercraft Journal.

News articles published in June: 23
Feature articles published in June: 15
Total feature word count: 12,477 words*

News articles published in July: 24
Feature articles published in July: 14
Total feature word count: 13,065 words*

*When this number is translated to print publication standards equals a 112-page magazine. Please note that this number does not include an average of two uniquely-written news articles published daily.

Where Do They Find The Watercraft Journal?
Yes, there are Facebook pages out there with a lot more “Likes” than ours. There are some pushing really hard to catch up with ours as well. But here’s the cold reality: “Likes” don’t equal readers, and they definitely don’t equal sales. And often, the “Likes” that do exist are from persons who aren’t likely customers. Above you’ll see our Facebook page’s “Fans vs. Engagements” percentages. Marketers will vow that “engagements” are the true indicators of your Facebook page, not “Likes.” And you’ll see that our Top 3 targeted demographics (engaged) are primarily 25-to-54 years old, and predominantly male – just like your customers. The Watercraft Journal is read by more likely customers, and our engagement proves it.

July Facebook readers: 13,694
July Facebook weekly reach: 15,084
Top Five countries: United States, Australia, United Arab Emirates, France, United Kingdom

You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
The sharp-eyed reader will note a substantial jump in our June to July readership (of 6,000 readers). While we’d be content to maintain that number for the rest of the riding season, we’re certain that August and September will likely surpass July. Why? Yamaha will be unveiling their 2016 models in a few short weeks – vehicles we’ve already ridden and reviewed. The conclusion of the 2015 AquaX USA series is nearing, as is the Pro Watercross Tour. Sea-Doo will be drawing back the curtain on possibly its most exciting lineup of runabouts yet, and RIVA Racing will have heavily modified versions of Yamaha and Sea-Doo’s latest skis for us to gawk at. And let’s not forget the Grayland Open, Blowsion Surf Slam and IJSBA World Finals in October. There is no time to waste, email [email protected] about advertising your company in the single-most popular PWC magazine since Splash today!

JetSkiShop.com To Host 2015 Hamilton Island Adventure Ride

By

James Tod

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July 31, 2015

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It’s time for the annual Hamilton Island holiday, hosted by JetSkiShop.com. Located in the heart of the Whitsundays, Hamilton Island is a fantastic tropical getaway with an array of activities and restaurants at your doorstep. It also offers a great ‘home base’ for touring the other islands.

On Monday the 3rd August 2015 a total of 16 Jet Ski’s will be cruising from Airlie Beach located on Australia’s mainland to Hamilton Island. The group consists of seasoned riders, new riders, male and female on all makes of skis – the point being – it’s all about the adventure, regardless of age, gender, experience or ski preference.

During the week long getaway we will be enjoying daily rides discovering what this piece of paradise has to offer:

☻Whitehaven Beach – being the largest of the 74 islands in the Whitsundays and winner of Best Beach in the South Pacific – 2015 Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice Awards, this is a must see.

☻Dent Island – is popular with day-trippers and campers, located immediately west of Hamilton Island. The island is predominantly national park and offers an 18-hole championship golf course and clubhouse.

☻Hayman Island – This is the most northerly of the Islands and is possibly one of Queensland’s most recognized. Hayman is internationally famous for luxury accommodation.

The specifics of each day trip is organized whilst at Hamilton, taking weather forecasts into account to ensure the best possible experiences.

The group will return to the mainland on Friday 7th August ready for the drive back to the Gold Coast.
There will be plenty of stories, photos and videos of the holiday so watch this space. Until then, we’ll see you on the water!

Video: Witness György Kasza’s Insane 90-Plus MPH GP1 Doncaster Run

By

Kevin Shaw

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July 30, 2015

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Imagine a racing class where there are no rules. Imagine if all restrictions were pulled, allowing racers and builders to unleash their wildest creations, where technology and athleticism combine to provide the utmost in on-the-water personal watercraft performance. That would be (save for a few restrictions), what is known as the GP class. Alternate hulls, engine swaps, high tech materials and top-of-the-line innovation abound in the GP class, and rightfully so, so do some of the fastest speeds achieved on the closed course.

Now, many of you might not know the name György Kasza, or even watched the culmination of the Freegun Jetcross World Cup held in Doncaster Lakeside, UK. last weekend. What stands out among outstanding performances from Chris MacClugage, Jeremy Poret, Kevin Reiterer and many others, was Kasza’s incredibly fast GP class Sea-Doo. The Hungarian’s turbo Rotax-powered, Jetpower.hu and Servernet.hu-sponsored RXP-X/GTR monster erupted from the line and never looked back.

Producing “north of 500 horsepower,” the Hungarian won the International Runabout Grand Prix (GP), besting James Bushell on his 158 Performance Sea-doo RXP-X, and Doncaster local Brad Rickaby with well-over 90-plus-mph speeds. Kasza is no stranger to championships, earning the Slalom UIM World Championship last year, and racking up 10 Hungarian champions before entering the world arena. The included video below alone is a testament to Kasza’s skills and endurance, as he pulls a significant lead on Bushell and backs off (to preserve this engine) towards the very end.

Exclusive: Kevin Reiterer Unveils Sea-Doo Centre’s SDC Trak 903

By

Grant Packham

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July 30, 2015

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Over a month ago, The Watercraft Journal brought you a whole lot of leaked information on Les Cooke’s all-new brainchild, the Sea-Doo Centre SDC Trak 903 standup ski. As per our article, the SDC Trak 903 debuted at the 2015 Jetcross World Cup in Doncaster, UK. Now, after the race and the Trak’s unveiling, The Watercraft Journal sat down with multi-world champion Kevin Reiterer who raced the Sea-Doo Centre ski and played a major role in its development:

The Watercraft Journal: So what can you tell us about the new Sea-Doo Centre SDC Trak 903? What is it?
Kevin Reiterer: It’s basically a Sea-Doo Spark engine in a stand up hull [that] Sea-Doo Centre created in Melbourne, Australia. It’s a new innovative ski and hull, easy to work on for the everyday person, to just hop on, have a great ride on it. Also developed for the racers for Pro classes to ride at the top.

WCJ: What’s under the hood? Tell us about the motor? How about the pump?
KR: Sea-Doo Spark engine that’s naturally-aspirated which will be available next year for the public. On the GP version, we added the turbo.

We are trying to keep the cost down on the naturally-aspirated ski so that will have the Spark pump in it and for the GP ski we are working with the Solas pump at the moment but we aren’t too sure where we will end up with the final pump set up when we get more power from it.

WCJ: What else is used from the Spark?
KR: Basically as much as we can! So we have the stock ECU in the naturally-aspirated version. We’re using the harness, wire loop, throttle sensor and throttle lever, the start and stop. The dashboard, which is a cool feature on that ski, changes between modes to see the rpm of the ski, like the Spark.

WCJ: What can you tell us about the hull design?
KR: Sea-Doo Centre started two years ago with the hull design on the Hydrospace where they changed the hull itself to make it fit for [bigger] horsepower skis. That was the base of the new concept; they did some major changes to it for the normal public as well and still work for the GP skis.

Then they created a new top deck, with the top deck they did a really great job because you can put in any engine you want, as there is a really big engine space, where you can look in and work on the engine itself. The tray is pretty much equal to the Hydrospace just a little bit wider.

WCJ: How long has this been in development? How long have you been involved?
KR: It started at the end of last year, working all winter on it. I’ve been going to Australia for a few months for final developments in putting all the stuff together and when they were actually ready to put it on the water. I tested with them for a month in Australia and then they shipped the ski to Europe. I’ve been working back and forth with them, giving them feedback on the ski, with handling and stuff we have changed during the last couple of months.

WCJ: How does it feel compared to your Hydrospace S4?
KR: It’s feels pretty different. [laughs] The biggest change is the power on the ski. It really feels snappy like a 2-stroke. It has a three cylinder engine in it so it’s really snappy, [it] has really good power… This weekend we started really testing it for the first time in a race. We still did some major changes to it so we’re still not where we want to be with the ski but we’re going in the right direction. Every moto got better and better.

WCJ: How is the weight?
KR: It’s 60kg (132 pounds) lighter than the original Hydrospace.

WCJ: How’s the handling?
KR: It’s in-between the Hydrospace and the Yamaha, so it has a little bit more stability, drive in the chop and out of the turns. [You] can lean it in like the Yamaha so you can go full speed, sweeping corners and the ski will just stay there and drive.

WCJ: How did you feel it did on the racecourse?
KR: We had some spark plug problems in the first moto, which were really unfortunate. But we fixed the ski, we did some handling changes in-between motos. I want it to handle as good as my Hydrospace (or even better) and we are getting there. So basically, the hull is pretty much the same as the Sea-Doo Centre hull I’m using on my Hydrospace, I want it to be as good as that so we are definitely a step in the right direction.

WCJ: What are the projected production numbers?
KR: It’s hard to say, estimated they will try to 300-400 selling next year. It depends on the request on the market for production but they are planning for the first container to leave Australia around the end of the year; maybe November to Europe.

WCJ: And lastly, how much will it cost?
KR: We’re still figuring out the price but we want to do a kit so any customer can bring the dealer the Spark and say, “Hey I want a stand-up.” The dealer [will have] the parts and everything else it needs to put in the ski to transform it into a stand up, so it should be pretty easy to do. It will hopefully get a lot of new people into the sport as well.

[According to James Bushell’s 158 Performance, prices start from £9,800 ($15,250). – Ed.]

Interview conducted by Lisa Gilbert. Additional images provided by Kevin Reiterer and Daniel McKey

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Yamaha Preps Pro Stock Race Spec FZS SVHO For Sydney Boat Show

By

Kevin Shaw

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July 29, 2015

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Two weeks ago, The Watercraft Journal brought you an exclusive inside look – and interview – with Australia’s Factory Yamaha race team. The unmitigated success of the team brought quite a bit of attention for the Aussie branch of the Yamaha Motor Corporation, so much so that in preparation for this year’s Sydney International Boat Show, Yamaha asked that a Pro-Stock competition spec FZS SVHO be built solely for display purposes.

Of course, this isn’t the first time a race-spec’ed watercraft has graced a show floor, but it is an unusual instance with such popular interest has called for the creation of a completely from-scratch race craft be built expressly for the manufacturer’s booth space. This level of consumer interest paired with factory-level support is something many youngin’s have never seen, but the older enthusiasts among us will recall from decades past.

The replica of the Australian Championship winning-FZS was built by the team at WaveRunner Performance Centre (WPC) using WORX Racing Components and other aftermarket suppliers in accordance to AJSBA rules. Although the image above shows the FZS being crated and shipped, the WaveRunner has since been unboxed and wheeled into position at the Yamaha WaveRunners Australia Stand, ready for this upcoming weekend.

Video: How to Ride Right And Right a Capsized PWC

By

The Watercraft Journal

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July 29, 2015

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If you own a PWC, you are likely to capsize it sooner or later. You are at the highest risk of capsizing when riding with a passenger or when riding aggressively. When you come off, it may stay upright, or it could flip over and force you to quickly upright it before water can get into the engine.

Here are some tips to correctly get the ski back upright and even avoid capsizing altogether.

Don’t Flip it
It may seem obvious, but the easiest way to right a ski is to keep it right to begin with. Today’s watercraft are fairly large and extremely stable, which makes them difficult to capsize, but it is still possible. When riding aggressively, be sure to know your limits. Don’t ride harder than your ability will allow.

When Riding With a Passenger
Be sure to explain to your passenger how to lean into turns before taking them for a ride. Avoid aggressive maneuvers when riding with a passenger. It is tempting to show off for your fellow passenger, but we’re sure they wouldn’t be too impressed if you threw them off. Don’t make any unexpected sharp turns and apply throttle progressively to avoid throwing your passenger off. Keep in mind, they don’t have handlebars to hold on to, just you. If they do begin to fall off, they will probably grab you and pull you off as well.

Don’t Fight to Stay Aboard
If you begin to fall off or feel the craft start to roll, get clear of the craft as soon as possible. If you are going off the side, lose grip, then try to grab the steering again, you may end up grabbing a fist full of throttle and/or make the craft turn sharply. That certainly wouldn’t help your situation any and could send the ski or jet thrust into any passengers that already fell off. If it begins to roll, get off the ski as quickly as possible. You will do nothing but aid the flipping process by staying on it during a roll.

Wear Your Lanyard
It is extremely important to wear a lanyard any time you ride a PWC. If it flips and the engine remains running, you chance sucking water into your intake. If you flip and the lanyard remains connected, pull it as soon as you can.

Right the PWC
If you flip, swim to the rear of the ski and look for the manufacturer’s instructions on how to right the ski. The instructions are likely upside down so you can read them once the craft is upside down. The instructions explain which direction to turn the ski. Flipping the ski back over the wrong way could result in getting water in the engine. You would always want to keep the exhaust pipe down so water does not drain into your engine.

https://youtu.be/ENZD73kep4U

Gallery: Northern California’s DJSA PWC Races 4 & 5

By

Jaime Pirnie

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July 28, 2015

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Races 4 and 5 of the Northern Californian DJSA Racing Series held this past July 18th and 19h was labeled as “Jet Effect,” a racer and family appreciation recognition race. In addition to recognizing the racers, the weekend was special to the DJSA family, providing a tribute to a local restaurant owner and long time friend Jeremy “Lumpy” Sturgill who passed away suddenly earlier last month. Survived by his wife and two young children, Sturgill’s memory was honored with all proceeds going to the family.

DJSA runs 15 classes which are comprised of six stand-up classes, two X2 classes, four Sport/Sit/Runabout classes, and three Junior classes. The Standup classes entertain all skis from 550s all the way up through SXR 1100s. The Sport/Sit/Runabout classes have everything from 800cc boats up through four stroke supercharged 300-plus-horsepower machines. The Juniors class have stand-up and runabout classes that are separated based on rider skill level.

The course was something that nobody was expecting on this lake. The lake was designed specifically for water skiing. It is long with an island that runs down the middle of the lake making for two long waterways on both sides. The course was set up with some really nice box turns and a couple of sharp turns on one side that lead right into a split on the other side that went exactly side by side for well over quarter-mile in addition to a straight leading into the checked flag. This long split created some insane showdowns with riders running side by side through to the finish.

The weekend was kicked off with DJSA’s own versions of race classes like the the 567 Vintage Triple Threat where 550s, 650s, and 701/750s all race together with a delayed start sequence on the larger displacement machines. DJSA also combines Yamaha ‘Blasters with some of the smaller runabout machines that make up the Sport/Sit/Runabout classes.

DJSA’s industry-first horn starting system is used to start all races. This system eliminates the starting band and also eliminates riders from “timing” the band because there is no anticipation of the band. Racers don’t start until they hear the horns. This has almost completely eliminated false starts. The racers love it, the staff loves it, and it’s been an all around favorite concept since the start of the season.

Overall, the racing was extremely intense – battles between Brock Austin, Ian Roberts, Pete Zernik, Chris Wattier, and Jeremy Dixon were nothing short of incredible in the FAST Standup 1100 GP class. The SCXP Runabout class was completely insane with Jesse Wilson and Michael McFarlane running the course at blistering speeds on their high powered machines!

The next DJSA race will be the weekend of August 22nd-23rd and will be combined with RPM Racing Enterprises for a local DJSA and IJSBA race. The action is expected to be fast and intense as racers from Northern California and Southern California compete against each other to see who walks away with the state championship trophy. There will also be one moto race to be run at night “under the lights” to give a more exciting twist for the weekend. The day and night races on Saturday August 23rd are both World Finals Qualifier races.

All images provided by Traci Cottle Photography and all original, unmodified versions can be purchased HERE.

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