One of the best qualities of the Yamaha FZR is the potential for big speed. A slick, lightweight hull and a 1.8L engine make for a ski capable of speeds far beyond the 80mph mark once modified. Some FZRs are even running in the upper 90s! Here’s a showdown between a couple of modified mid-80s Yamaha FZRs: The camera is on a 2013 FZR SHO and the ski he is racing is a 2014 FZR SVHO.
The modifications on the 2014 SVHO were a Dean’s Team reflash ECU, Jim’s cut ride plate, Fizzle intercooler, ribbon delete, Kanaflex intake, RIVA through-hull exhaust outlet, and a 13/18 Solas impeller. The 2013 SHO at the time had a V-Tech ECU tune, ET Low Boost supercharger wheel, Fizzle intercooler, Jim’s cut SVHO ride plate, Kanaflex intake, ribbon delete, through-hull exhaust, and a Skat-Trak 13/17.5 impeller. As you can see, that wasn’t quite enough to get around the 2014 SVHO.
After a tough loss like that, you can do one of two things; either admit defeat and take the loss or get to wrenching and arrange a rematch. The SHO rider chose the latter. After adding boost with an ET 15.5 supercharger wheel, installing larger injectors, an R&D billet supercharger shaft, a Solas 13/18 from an SVHO, and larger pump and steering nozzle, the SHO was ready to take on the SVHO yet again.
In the first rematch, the revised SHO pulled away at the hit of the throttle and never looked back. In the second race, they seemed to be pretty close in acceleration, and the SHO walked away in the top end. So what’s the moral to the story? If you have an SHO and get beat, don’t get mad. Get wrenching!
“As a kid I always liked playing in the water, the 36-year-old stated. “I surfed. I wind-surfed. I water-skied. Water is the great equalizer out there. (After the accident) I had to get on a Jet Ski and try it out to see if I could do that. (Now) I feel equal with everyone else on the water … except for not being able to stand up.”
Radetic doesn’t remember the 15 minutes before or the 40 days after the 2004 accident that left him paralyzed, when a car hit his motorcycle as he was riding home near Fort Rucker, Alabama. After the accident, he needed three years to come to terms with his new handicap. After a period of depression, Radetic turned to the only remedy he knew: activity. Surfing, sadly no longer called to him, so he returned to skydiving. Now requiring a tandem partner, he passed, and learned to ski and cycle.
“None of it is quite the same as being out on the water,” Radetic said. The Herald writes, “Maybe, it’s because the experience reminds him the most of the motorcycles he used to love to ride. Mostly, Radetic thinks, it’s because he doesn’t need a special class or a laundry list of accommodations to race water scooters.”
Radetic races on the Sea-Doo team and maintains ties to Florida’s “Operation Second Chance,” an organization devoted to helping wounded veterans. “He’s just devoted to being incredible — everybody that meets him feels the same way,” said local coordinator Kevin Kenney, who met Radetic at a hunting trip for veterans last year. “There’s nothing he won’t try.”
America celebrated its Independence Day this past weekend. Independence Day across the country is known for barbecues, family gatherings and fireworks. Yet, in the Sunshine State and specifically the city of Sarasota, it also meant racing. Touted as a week-long event the racers got to sign autographs and partake in the boat parade. P1 was definitely showcasing their series to the locals and out-of-towners that came out to enjoy the races.
Sarasota hosted their annual Grand Prix of the Seas event. This year, there was a new spin on it. P1 AquaX and P1 Superstock were added to this year’s festivities. This was the third round of the series for the P1 AquaX. As with the other previous rounds of Daytona Beach and Jacksonville the line up for this location was jam packed with a total of 62 riders.
With that many riders it was determined to break up the starts and have the 300 class start first and then have the 250/200 class stagger their start after there was safe enough distance. With the beach jammed packed with spectators and numerous boats anchored on the outside of the course the racers were sure to have a captivated audience and they didn’t disappoint. The first day of racing ended and the racers along with thousands of people were treated to one of the best firework displays for the fourth of July festivities we have ever seen.
As with previous rounds, it was going to be the battle of the Aswar brothers in the 300 Class. They have dominated the previous two rounds and the question this past weekend wasn’t which racer would knock them off the podiums but which brother would be number one. After three rounds this weekend it was the younger brother Aqsa who would take the overall win for the 300 Class, and teammate Mike Klippenstein edged out Aero Aswar to take the number two spot.
In the 250 Class, Brian Baldwin has been consistently good. He has outpaced the competition in every round this year. Who would come in behind him has been the question for the class. In this round it was teammate Paloma Noceda who took the number two spot. She showed that women racers are just as tough as the men. Eric Lagopoulos who dominated the class the previous year came in third place and was the only Sea-doo rider to get on the podium for the entire weekend.
In the 200 Class the question was whether reigning champion Rob Greenwald would finally put teammate Travis Zielasko in the rearview and get back on top. The two battled the entire weekend with Zielasko taking the win and the top podium spot followed by Greenwald and Chad Saxon who rounded out the class.
P1 Aqua x definitely impressed the organizers and it looks like Sarasota may be one of the great location for the series. The riders, staff and fans all loved the location. Another weekend came to a close and all had fun. Next stop is St. Cloud, Florida for Round Four on August 1st and 2nd. We’ll see you at the next round.
For all of the results from this past weekend’s AquaX Series in Sarasota, FL, click the hyperlinks for the 300 class, 250 class and 200 classes.
We’ve been getting one of two replies when we tell people what we’re up to; “Wow! That sounds fun!” or “Wow. That sounds…fun.” (Sarcasm is hard to type.) Nevertheless, the germ of the idea was moronically simple: try to cross the entire State of Florida both ways (West-to-East-to-West) in one day. We knew riders and clubs had performed the feat before – in fact, it was in direct response to an article we published a few weeks ago of two clubs doing exactly that – but at a far more accelerated pace.
The question was whether the logistics of weather, fuel consumption, traffic, mileage and most importantly, timing the locks, would actually make this feasible. The answer we came up with was a definite maybe.
The first piece of the puzzle to fall into place was locking in one of the best ride logistics planners in Florida, and someone who knew the route backwards and forwards (quite literally, it would seem), and that was Jetski Junkies’ Kev Hemingway. Hemingway was immediately able to pinpoint the trouble areas in our route, provide alternatives and develop a ride plan and schedule that would put us within the porthole-sized window of “possible.”
Although the round trip mileage is only 280 miles, the route is littered with No Wake and speed restricted zones, and five locks which we will have to cross twice (one of which – the St. Lucie – operates at a timed schedule regardless of traffic).
So here goes: Unless we post otherwise on The Watercraft Journal’s official Facebook page, we will be leaving from Punta Rassa Landing, Punta Rassa, FL at 6:30am in the morning of Wednesday, July 8th. From there, we hope to be pulling into the Riverwatch Marina in Stuart, FL at noon, and returning back to Punta Rassa just before 6pm. If you are interested in following our progress, we will be tracking our progress using Glympse, a fast and free smartphone app that shows our location in real time, and posting a link on our Facebook page for everyone to follow first thing that morning.
Hey, are you a procrastinator? Of course you are. There’s no shame in getting all of your Christmas shopping done at the 24-hour drug store down the street on Christmas Eve, and there’s nothing wrong with cashing in on a sweet 4th of July sale the Monday after the holiday weekend.
Watercraft Superstore’s BlackTup Jetsports line of awesome traction-enhancing seats and mats not only improve the grippiness of your runabout’s seat and footwells, but can radically change the look of your staid and boring stock ski into a customized creation of your own design! Not only does WCSS stock a full line of OE-style replacement kits, but they also offer their Elite traction mats and seat covers. For those looking for the more top-of-the-line materials previously only found with one-off, made-to-order designers, BlackTip’s Elite series are perfect for you!
BlackTip’s Elite traction mats come in a vast array of colors, patterns and designs, that can effectively replicate teak wood decking, diamond plate flooring and many, many more cool and never-before-seen precision-cut patterns. Likewise, BlackTip’s Elite seat covers provide brighter, more complex colors and textures, patterns and details that would otherwise cost you months of waiting and up to double (if not three times) the cost!
And because we hate to wait when there’s new parts to be had, WCSS’ overnight shipping rates start at $24.98! And there’s no reason to put off changing up your PWC’s look – shop online or give ’em a call!
Welcome aboard! Your captain today is Mr. Scott “Hollywood” Watkins.
It was only last week that The Watercraft Journal introduced you to five new graphic kits from IPD Graphics – with applications ranging from top-of-the-line supercharged runabouts to old school Yamaha SuperJets. Now, with Yamaha leading the boating industry market with an impressive lineup of jet-powered boats, it’s more appropriate than ever that IPD Graphics branch out into a new marketplace.
With an eye targeting the the high-level wakeboard enthusiast – and even the “luxury boating connoisseur” – IPD’s new kits for the Yamaha AR240, the Yamaha 240 and 242 Limited, and entry-level SX240 offer enthusiasts of every level, school and taste some new styling for their class-leading boats. As IPD Grpahics states, “Our line of graphics for these sporty models offers a wide array of styles to appeal to all of these boater types.”
AS is with all of IPD’s industry-leading graphics, each kit is a full color printed graphic package, using high quality vinyls and laminated for impressive durability. Moreover, all kits permit for optional logo placements (for sponsored riders or brand enthusiasts), and are incredibly easy to install, requiring very minimal skill level. So if you’re in the market to splash on a new racy look to your Yamaha 242 Limited, SX240 or AR240 Yamaha jet boat, IPD Graphics Kit will help you “push the limits of creative design.” Check ’em out HERE:
In January of this year, the founders of Jetski Junkies USA, rolled out a few new pilot programs to help build relationships between dealer customers and club members. Due to the amount of ride time the JJ Club sees specifically here in Florida, the members tend to put a lot more hours on their PWC than the average rider.
These programs are specifically designed to get the dealership customers actively riding, meeting new people, learning from others about the industry, staying interested and of course having access to the best PWC adventures offered around the country. Multiple dealers were approached with offers and in April 2015, the first pilot program was put into action with one of Florida’s oldest, largest powersports dealers, Barney’s Motorcycle & Marine.
Barneys has been in business since 1946 and currently operates three major locations in St. Petersburg, Brooksville and Brandon, carrying every type of powersports toy imaginable along with all three OEM brands of personal watercraft: Yamaha, Sea-Doo and Kawasaki. Barneys covers at least 165 Gulf Coast miles and over two thirds of the Central Region of Florida within just an hour away.
Pride and heritage speaks volumes as the three dealerships are decorated with powersport pieces from the past, vintage watercraft, motorcycles, scooters, etc. all restored to like-new condition. The walls speak of racing history with plaques, articles and trophies adorning every square inch of open wall space giving you the feeling it’s not just about making a sale, it’s truly about making you a fan for life.
The pilot program, spearheaded by KC Wood, President of Barneys Motorcycle & Marine, Ralph Chancey of Powersports Advertising Group and the founders of Jetski Junkies Jet Ski Club, just finalized it’s second group PWC ride with outstanding success. The goal being to offer directly to the customers of Barneys, a World Class group touring experience, a first in the PWC industry.
The first group ride was held in May and took a very lucky 44 riders up the Intracoastal Waterway with a stop for lunch and then out into the Gulf of Mexico along the most beautiful beaches in the world, a stop for shell finding and swimming on a pristine island before ending the day. With nearly a third more signed up for ride Number Two, a storm attempted to shut us out; however, for the nearly 40 riders willing to wait it out, they received the ride of a lifetime with an intimate ride beneath Florida’s iconic Skyway Bridge and around the remains of the original Skyway Bridge which collapsed on May 9, 1980, now used as fishing piers.
From there it was up the shoals along the east side of Tampa Bay to Bishop Harbor for snorkeling and swimming and then to the Skyway Beach for lunch on the north side of I-275 before ending the day. Without a doubt, the riders coming out for these rides are having the time of their life and getting up close and personal with history and wildlife while meeting new like minded friends as well as the dealership owner and staff to help and answer any questions.
Hamburgers, hot dogs, a cold drink and letting off some fireworks sure sounds like the traditional way to spend this nation’s Independence Day, but this July 4th, RIVA Racing would like to entice you to gear up and take to the water for some real freedom! That’s right. Don’t spend your holiday weekend swatting mosquitoes, hanging with the in-laws or gulping down warm soda. Get everything you need to have an awesome couple of days riding your PWC from RIVA Racing at upwards of 50-percent off!
RIVA is offering unprecedented savings on select official Yamaha WaveRunner and Sea-Doo gear and apparel (including life vests, lanyards and riding shirts and shorts), awesome JetPilot and RIVA clothing, towables to haul the kids around the lake from Airhead, and even big 5-gallon VP Fuel gas cans. There are also waterproof phone cases, extra large official RIVA towels (ideal for laying out on the beach or keeping dry in your runabout’s front storage bin – made with an interwoven RIVA logo and from premium soft twist yarns forultra absorbency), and much more.
RIVA’s own Marcos Smith told The Watercraft Journal, “We’ve selected several products throughout our site that people are looking to get. From apparel to handle bars. Items upto 50% off. Plus FREE shipping starting today till Sunday July 5th midnight on domestic orders and non-oversized items with orders over $99. It’s one of the best times to buy from RIVA.”
A four-man team of college students attending Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan built a personal watercraft that looks like something out of a “Mad Max” film. The students, Josh Vanderbyl, Nico Oursema, Ryan DeMeester, and Zak Deveries are in the mechanical concentration of the engineering program at the college.
They built what is dubbed the “Jet Blade”, an aluminum watercraft built for one. It rides on two skis on the bow and one ski on the stern. The students chose three blades in order to increase maneuverability and stability of the ski. As long as two blades are in constant contact with the water while turning, ease of turning for the rider is a breeze. The rear blade is attached to a horizontal jet pump, powered by a 650cc water-cooled engine. Front suspension implements Active Tilt Steering design.
The scary part about this machine is its aluminum hull and sharp edges, which may cause serious injury to a rider falling over. That person will more than likely sustain a major injury as a result of the builders’ failure to use a fiberglass hull.
The students claim Jet Blade is unique because of its fixed steering implemented by turning the front ski, although both skis must touch water at all times for maximum turning performance. Their Design Report states that Jet Blade is “for use on small inland lakes where waves should not exceed 1-2′ in amplitude. Like most watercraft, it is a seasonal vehicle. It is able to operate in water temperatures down to 32F; however this is well below comfortable riding temperatures. Conversely, the liquid cooled 650cc engine allows the Jet Blade to stay cool even on the hottest summer days, operating in water temperatures up to 90F.”
A prototype is complete and fully functional. Currently, the students are in the process of getting Jet Blade on the market by touting the machine’s uniqueness and targeting people with disposable income since Jet Blade is considered a luxury item.
It’s hard to believe that 2015 is already halfway over. There’s only two weekends of Pro Watercross Tour remaining before the debut of the all-new World Championships in Naples, Florida, there’s four more stops of the ever-popular AquaX USA races, and well, still plenty of summertime left for all of us personal watercraft enthusiasts to enjoy on the water. Thus far, the weather has been great (albeit a little hot. Although it likely has nothing to do with Al Gore), the industry is firing on all eight cylinders and there’s some seriously exciting stuff coming from the OE’s and aftermarket.
It all sounds pretty great, right? We sure think so, and we’ll tell you why: With June kicking off the first real months of summer, The Watercraft Journal jumped another 15% in readership, raising its all-time monthly readership to a staggering 25,500-plus individual readers. To put this in perspective, currently, the only print magazine maintains just over 2,400 bi-monthly subscribers, and while serving as Editor of Personal Watercraft illustrated (between 2007-2010) we maxed out at 17,000 subscribers during its peak summer months. Yet, these numbers come into focus when realizing that in 6 short months, The Watercraft Journal has welcomed over 100,000 unique readers.
Considering we have a swathe of new skis coming from both Yamaha and Sea-Doo for 2016, as well as stellar coverage coming from both the Pro Watercross World Championships and the IJSBA World Finals, we are on target to reach over a quarter-million unique readers in 2015. That number not only secures The Watercraft Journal as the single-most popular PWC magazine today, but even pulls ahead of the numbers from industry favorites Splash and Jet Sports from yesteryear.
Like Clockwork
Inconsistency is unreliability. If you promise to deliver, you’ve made a promise. If you can’t keep that promise, you won’t keep your readers for too long. If they can’t count on you to produce fresh, entertaining and informative content each and every day, you’re dead. That is why The Watercraft Journal excels. We publish 100-percent originally-written content from across the whole industry, not just some extreme niche. We speak to more readers, more interests and more enthusiasts than anywhere else. Don’t believe us? Just look at the numbers, because the scoreboard never lies. We’ve never missed a single day in our two years of daily publishing.
News articles published in May: 24
Feature articles published in May: 16
Total feature word count: 14,405 words
News articles published in June: 23
Feature articles published in June: 15
Total feature word count: 12,477 words*
*When this number is translated to print publication standards equals a 108-page magazine. Please note that this number does not include an average of two uniquely-written news articles published daily.
A Useful Resource
Successful magazine content has to accomplish two things: entertain and inform. If you dedicate your efforts to producing fun fluff, readers will quickly learn that your publication is the equivalent to cotton candy. If you’re nothing but dense tutorials, you’ll be a great point of reference, but ultimately no fun to read. Striking the perfect balance between the two adds variety to two very differing tones of content. If the magazine you’re buying ads with can’t seem to find that balance, you know what you’re getting and who they are reaching. The Watercraft Journal prides itself on publishing a wide swathe of content because that’s who our readership is.
May
Total number unique readers: 22,423
Total number of articles read: 47,468
Percentage of new readers: 70.0%
June
Total number unique readers: 25,510*
Total number of articles read: 54,077
Percentage of new readers: 68.6%
*This number is considered equal to an individual sale of a single copy of a magazine.
Where Do You Find Us?
Oh my, there’s a lot of noise out there. Everybody’s sending invites to Reddit, Google+ and even Pinterest. And while there are millions of people there, chances are, you’ve never been there looking for jet ski-related content. Social Media can be distracting (at best) and that’s why we keep our focus on our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and weekly newsletters. By cultivating these avenues with daily updates and links to The Watercraft Journal, we’ve pulled ahead of our competitors without burying our readers in a wave of social media noise.
June Facebook readers: 13,303
June Facebook weekly reach: 8,430
Top Five countries: United States, France, Japan, Australia, United Kingdom
What is Going On Here?
C’mon, you already know the answer to that question! The Watercraft Journal continues to bring the bvery best content from all around the wide, wide world of the PWC sport – be it touring, exploring, closed course buoy racing, drag racing, freeride, freestyle, meets, rides and just about everything else imaginable. We’ve got some incredibly exciting stuff coming down the pike – and we already have the inside scoop on what new skis and products are coming next year (some of which we’ve already leaked), so there’s plenty reason to keep a close eye on the single-most popular personal watercraft magazine in America.
