Yamaha is promoting their 2015 V1 series WaveRunners as the most affordable full size personal watercraft on the market, according to their site, www.yamahawatercraftusa.com. A video shows people having a good time zipping across the water and snorkeling in the Florida Keys on the new V1 skis. The piece also demonstrates the easy handing and stability of the WaveRunners due to the deep entry hull.
BoatTest.com gives the V1 Series a good review as an entry-level ski. The boats are affordable, reliable, and available with 1-3 person seating which is a simple one-piece three-tiered seat. The seat also has a handhold on the back making it easy to watch someone towed behind the machine.
The WaveRunners are also equipped with dual rear view mirrors; a fuel injected 4-stroke engine that is naturally aspirated, stainless steel impaler, tow hook, bow storage, and a shiny black scratch-resistant hull. Another great feature is the fully padded steering component with a nicely designed digital readout of speed and RPMs.
The basic V1 comes in at 736 pounds and a flat boarding platform fitted with Hydro-Turf decking. There are only minor differences between the V1 and the V1 Sport. The Sport features better graphics, a reverse bucket, fold down boarding step, and a glove box with two bottle holders. It only weighs 9 pounds more than the V1. Both boats have room in the bow for 15.1 gallons of storage. The engine compartments are roomy and with simple seat removal, the 1052 cc marine engine and battery are easily accessible.
The WaveRunners have enough power to easily tow and go from 0-30mph in 2.7 seconds. Top speeds are 53.7mph and the boats are fairly fuel efficient, using 2.7-4.8 gallons of unleaded fuel per hour, depending on how fast one is riding. Their tanks hold 18.5 gallons of gas so at speeds between 25 and 35mph, you’re looking at about 5 hours of operation.
The Yamaha WaveRunners are assembled in the USA and claim to be the easiest boats on the market to maintain. So check out the video and see why “Summer’s More Fun on a V1!”
The EZ Throttle is targeted, primarily, at long-distance riders or those with joint ailments who find their hands cramping up while maintaining throttle. Holding the throttle steadily open at any extended length of time can cause fatigue in the index finger, hand, wrist and even forearm as lactic acid begins to swell in hand muscles and sensitive joints. The EZ Throttle, by comparison, extends the throttle trigger the length of the hand grip, allowing the rider to use all four fingers (or rotate between them) while riding.
Above left: The EZ Throttle kit is universal, including a small extension screw for those installing on a Yamaha. For those with Kawasakis or iTC-equipped Sea-Doos, disassembly is not required. Above right: All that is required for installation is a 4mm and 2mm Allen wrench.
Above left: The inner piece is precision-cut to fit exactly inside of the larger trigger. Above center: A pair of 4mm Allen bolts tighten the two pieces together. Above right: Installation requires only to tighten down the set screws.
The EZ Throttle itself is comprised of two extruded plastic pieces that clam shell over the trigger and fasten together. The pieces are precisely cut-and-grooved to fit together tightly, and really only need to be separated to fit over Yamaha’s throttle trigger, as the EZ Throttle effortlessly slides over both Kawasakis and all post-2009 Sea-Doos with iTC (or mechanical finger) triggers without needing to disassemble the EZ Throttle. Two positioning screws tighten down on the trigger holding the EZ Throttle in place, machining two pinpricks into the trigger itself.
With the use of two Allen wrenches (4mm and 2mm), the EZ Throttle literally took 4 minutes to install on our Sea-Doo RXT-X 260. The EZ Throttle simply slides all the way up the trigger until the stop. Holding it into position, use your Allen wrench to tighten the inside set screw first. Then tighten the outer screw. When secure, go back and retighten both screws to ensure a firm and secure installation. It’s literally that easy.
One of the two sharpened set screws (shown) digs into the PWC’s plastic trigger making for a firm, secure attachment. The EZ Throttle will not “bite” effectively on aftermarket metal triggers.
Above: The EZ Throttle slides on easily on the factory throttle trigger.
On the water, we found the EZ Throttle required a little getting used to, as it is surprisingly thick, giving you the feel of squeezing a garden hose pistol or trigger-style pepper grinder. But, after a few minutes, we found ourselves rotating through different fingers, taking quite a bit of tension from our index and middle fingers. The extended leverage on the throttle also makes it feel slightly more responsive, which too, takes some acclimation.
We did make two observations: 1) the design of the EZ Throttle can interfere with current factory Yamaha “pistol grip-style” hand grips, as well as the “bump stop” at the outermost edge of several other hand grips; and 2) will not tighten securely on aftermarket billet or cast aluminum triggers (such as from Blowsion or Thrust Innovation, or 2008-09 X-Series 255 Sea-Doos).
Above left: Make sure to retighten the set screws once more to secure the installation. Above right: With your EZ Throttle tightened down, you’re ready to ride without the hand fatigue that comes with long distance rides.
We even used the EZ Throttle while clipping along 2-to-3 foot chop while at this past weekend’s Greenhulk/PWC.life Mudbug event. It slightly mutes one’s ability to “blip” the throttle quickly, but works flawlessly when held at wide open throttle. Priced at $19.99, the EZ Throttle is a worthwhile purchase particularly for those who regularly venture out on long distance rides with their local club or group, or just love to go out alone. It’s incredibly simple and can be installed and removed even on the lake if you bring an Allen wrench kit with you.
Attorney and board member, Jim Ellis donated a Sea-Doo (sic) watercraft to the Louisville Metro Police Departments’ River Patrol. The ski is for use during special events and general patrol duties along the Ohio River. It will provide an extra level of safety when in use at these events and give the officers an opportunity to become accustomed to handling the small watercraft.
The size and maneuverability of the personal watercraft will give rescuers easier access to more remote areas or places inaccessible to larger boats. The Sea-Doo does not have a propeller, which makes it safer to use during rescue procedures. The ski operator will not have to be concerned with someone getting hit and cut by a blade on the ski.
Officers will also use the craft to help with calls in Beargrass Creek, which is a nearby waterway. The ski will not be placed into actual patrol use immediately explained Sargent Jeff Artman.
“We’re not going to use it for basic patrol right now,” Sgt. Jeff Artman said. “We’ll use it for mostly special events like the Mayor’s hike bike and paddle and other events, the Iron Man and triathlons, things like that.”
All in all, having a personal watercraft designated for use within the Louisville Metro Police Department is a great step in moving forward to assist with water related incidents and safety on the river. This should lead to a bigger and better river patrol along the Louisville district of the Ohio River.
At today’s “touring series” level, personal watercraft (PWC) racing is not only becoming a serious sport, it can easily become a business and an investment. It can be an investment in a state-of-the-art PWC, or two, support equipment, a hauler; an investment in team development, crew recruitment and travel to each of a minimum of twelve poorly scheduled geographically divergent race venues per season year.
Even the well-funded teams and riders are considering outside sources to fund their racing budgets. The outside sourcing, and the search for commercial participants (sponsors) and investors, must be done with the same research and consultation as any other business investment or capital expenditure. You and your outside sources have every right to expect a reasonable return; be it in hard dollars to your race team, or the benefits of brand development programs and campaigns that stimulate higher sales volume and increased traffic resulting in subsequent profit to your outside sources.
The point here is that sponsorship is a vital income source. You must develop this source with the same effort you put into your racing program; you must provide a valuable market service and or advertising vehicle in return for the sponsorship dollars. No longer can you attract sponsors or team investors with flashy graphics, creative numbers or smoke and mirrors.
In the PWC racing world of today, your off-water wars can be won incrementally by producing exciting, informative, efficient communications at every level of your marketing and promotional mix. This holds especially true when you are selling PWC racing. To accomplish this requires thorough knowledge of every aspect of the sport and industry; a carefully conceived strategy designed to impact each of your opportunity areas. These subjects are not the absolute function of advertising or sports marketing agencies. You must develop your own marketing and promotions person; someone that is close to or from within your own race team who can effectively and profitably reach each of your team’s targeted opportunity areas.
You must be aware that successful promotion motivates marketers and increases corporate participation; marketing creates the awareness and demand factors; advertising makes your prospective sponsor/commercial participant take that step toward the buying decision; and in this context the buying decision is “buying in” or making the sponsorship investment.
You and your team’s M&P person must follow a logical, step-by-step, approach in making your marketing effort pay off in maximum profitability. You must consider all available industry data, including trade publication surveys and national trade show profiles. This research is your only way to determine the targeted markets’ moods, actions, and emotional hot buttons.
You must maintain constant awareness of your competition off-water as well as on-water; follow their marketing and commercial participant solicitations; make on-site pit visits as well as in-shop visits and when the opportunity arises, use their events and promotions, as well as your own, as directional factors. In this way you will further develop your ability to attract sponsors and produce team income through commercial participation and promotion.
It is imperative that your race team be clearly positioned as the best available in the minds of your audience and your targeted market. This demands properly focused and consistent communication; an image that is positive and memorable, and performance on and off the water that delivers!
Any age-old misconceptions about PWC racing must be dealt with and dispelled. Fortunately, through the effort and continuing success of race organizers AquaX Series and subject-specific publications such as The Watercraft Journal, plus the never-ending support of manufacturers such as Yamaha, Kawasaki, Sea-Doo and high-end tuners RIVA MotorSports, there are few remaining negative misconceptions; however, never lose site of the fact that the developing new image and the real potential for commercial benefits in PWC racing are still unknown by most of your out-of-industry targeted markets.
Your overall presentation must be sophisticated, tasteful and in keeping with the desired image; your success will be achieved by impacting the key purchasing influences; namely the prospective sponsor’s perception, executive’s opinions, and the marketing team’s recommendation. Do not forget that the buying decision, in your targeted market, is based primarily on self-gathered data and the information you presented. If budgets restrict you to only one informational piece be sure to include a section designed as a guide to PWC racing. Keep in mind that the typical corporate marketing person’s experience with PWC racing is limited to the scant coverage on TV or what very little is in the local sports pages.
Position your race team clearly as the ultimate in the market, try a thematic approach; youthful, well spoken, the ultimate product or corporate representative; the finest PWC racing team in the sport today and you are totally committed to racing for “podium-finishes” in the best racing series. Capitalize on existing mystique through an image-oriented campaign in the appropriate media; create your rider’s celebrity, or perhaps you are owned by a South Pacific Coconut Plantation or your Crew Chief breeds porcupines in the off-season. Establish and maintain share-of-mind. Create and capitalize on all PR opportunities whenever possible, particularly with regards to your participation in the racing series and its related special events. Clearly communicate the advantages and benefits of an association with your team and the series.
Produce highly informative social media content in such a way that all key advantages are depicted, tell the story and effectively position your team in the minds of commercial interests and out of industry sponsor prospects.
It is vitally important that your team be organized in a business-like manner and is structured in such a way to properly receive and justify sponsorship income. You must stay focused on the commercial objectives of the sponsor/investor as well as your race team. And at all times consider your combined liability exposure and limit your risks as much as possible and continue the building and development of your team management, staffing and race equipment development.
To consider doing it any other way will lead to a very short, albeit exciting, venture into PWC racing lasting only as long as your financial resources or your willingness to keep writing checks. If you feel that you need help in any of the areas above, seek professional advice. It may make the difference that allows you to realize your goals in this wet and exciting segment of power sports racing.
We’ve been pretty diligent in keeping you up to speed on all the goings on with Take Point Now, and even brought you a full-length feature review on the first of their adaptive PWC technologies. Now titled “Linebacker,” the adapted PWC steering system allows a rider with only one arm to adequately pilot themselves with a single steering trigger.
“Linebacker” was named after Operation Linebacker, which took place in Vietnam in 1972. In fact, all of Take Point Now jet skis are named after battles or operations from Vietnam as a heartfelt “thank you” to all the Vietnam veterans who support and inspire today’s veterans in hospitals, VA Centers, and in all aspects of civilian life.
According to Take Point Now’s PK Ewing, “Linebacker has exceeded our wildest expectations! We’re now moving onto our second prototype, Defender, and need your help to continue inspiring all disabled persons along with our fellow wounded veterans. Join Take Point Now and support our campaign to develop Defender, a jet ski with seating adapted for riders with leg and spine injuries and amputations.”
Defender – named after the Coast Guard’s Defender Class search and rescue vessels – will be designed for riders with leg and spine injuries and amputations. As PK continues, “We consider our patent-pending prototypes to be templates for others to improve upon.
“So, Take Point Now will be making our designs available to anyone who wants to build their own. Our goals are to use the designs to inspire any rider with a disability or injury, and provide the means for them to get an adaptive jet ski to suit their individual needs.
“We’d love for engineering schools and fabricators to expand upon what we’ve done so we can create easier, simpler and more cost effective adaptations. Contact us to facilitate your development effort.”
To help get the word out, PK visited the folks at the Fox & Friends morning show to discuss Take Point Now’s efforts and future plans, which you can watch below:
The story for Round Two of the Pro Watercross Hidden Trails National Tour is both a continuation of last year and of last week’s action in Panama City Beach.
In 2014, the surf conditions were some of the biggest we have seen during a PWC race. This year, Pensacola did not disappoint the racers or spectators! Although conditions calmed down slightly on Sunday, it wasn’t the fastest boat or the biggest factory teams that were assured podium spots; the racing field was leveled and finishes were dictated by the the venue, the waves and the rider’s skill.
Last week, the stories centered around the Pro Ski GP, Pro/Am Runabout Stock Classes and a handful of tour racers Chris MacClugage, Dustin Motzouris, Abdullah Al-Fadhel, Brian Baldwin and Eric Francis. In Pensacola, the storylines continued with the big surf adding drama to the mix.
The majority of the stops on the Pro Watercross Tour are lakes and do not involve the challenge of 4-to-6 foot wave faces ocean surf. In Freestyle competitions, most riders are divided into two different camps: flat water freestyle and surf. Only a select few of these guys have the ability to cross over the line between the two disciplines and perform their tricks in all conditions.
Congratulations to the two Xsceam riders for their performance, for having the skills to take on the Pensacola surf, for crossing over from their flat water routines and for putting on an amazing big air show for the wins! Chris Langlais in Amateur Freestyle and Jason “The Destroyer” Stoyer in Pro Freestyle used the surf to their advantage this weekend! With huge air, backflips, variations and combinations off the Pensacola Beach waves, they showed their versatility and kept the first place hardware in Florida.
The Watercraft Journal caught up with Chris Langlais who told us, “Saturday, I kinda just went out had fun playing in the surf. I did the first-ever 720′ on a 900cc Freestyle ski to get me the win for Saturday. Sunday, I had a very strong run [with] lots of big air doing another 720′ and adding in some flatwater combos throughout the chop and surf, ending my run with the first place trophy.”
The biggest highlights for the weekend were the battles that waged in the Pro/Am Runabout Stock Class. The top three riders fiercely took on the surf and each other, swapping positions continuously through all three motos. A couple big get-offs and several near catastrophic misses made this one of the most exciting classes to watch in Pensacola!
In Moto One, Dean’s Team Yamaha rider Abdullah Al-Fadhel went for a swim, giving Kawasaki’s Eric “The Eagle” Francis the win. Al-Fadhel came back in Motos Two and Three for 1-1 wins, with Francis right behind him. The weekend of first and second finishes earned Francis the overall.
Another Dean’s Team Yamaha rider, Brian Baldwin was consistently in the mix. Brian battled Eric for position in Motos Two and Three, but a big wave crash while headed towards the backstretch along the pier, cost him the second place position. After the weekend was over, Eric Francis came out on top with Al-Fadhel and Baldwin in second and third, respectively.
Chris MacCluggage was again atop the podiums in the ski classes on Sunday. After a setback in Pro Ski GP on Saturday, he came back in the main to win with authority! The GOAT lapped riders all the way up through fourth place! The only competitors he did not pass were Dustin Motzouris and Bill Haig. They finished on the podium next to Mac in the second and third spots, respectively as well.
The surf didn’t seem to bother Chris in Pro/Am Ski Stock Class either with his clean sweep, and 1-1-1 finishes in all three motos. He was followed by Jimmy Wilson and Rob Flores in the second and third podium positions.
The Pro Watercross Tour introduced two new classes into the “Pro Show” ranks at their opening round in Panama City Beach last weekend, namely the new Pro/Am Box Stock Class and Sport GP Class. Following up on the results, Eric Francis was the dominant force in the Pro/Am Box Stock Class with a clean sweep of 1-1-1 finishes in all three motos.
We also caught up with Francis who shared, “I had a lot of life changes during this off-season and it’s finally paying off. Pensacola was extremely rough water and I did some of my best racing of my career this pass weekend and look forward to carrying the momentum the rest of the season.”
With the surf taking it’s toll on last weekend’s Panama City Beach winner Kelly Smith, Johnny Smith capitalized, and took the overall win in the Sport GP Class with 2-3-1 finishes for first place overall.
Brian O’Rourke recapped, “[The] Ministry was strong and competition was tough as Team Faith’s Kelly Smith started off with 4 straight Moto wins in the Pro Sport GP class and was leading the last two motos when he crashed in the big and challenging surf. Although he finished fifth Overall, we are encouraged with our second place in the championship points on the 2015 Tour and look forward to representing all our sponsors in the next five races!”
We want to congratulate everyone for surviving the rough surf conditions of Round Two of the Pro Watercross, Hidden Trails National Tour round in Pensacola Beach, Florida. We are excited, and curious to see which riders come out on top as the Tour moves into the flatwater lake venues for the duration of 2015. You can catch the continued action on June 20-21 at Round Three of the Pro Watercross Tour in Reno/Sparks Nevada.
I just did a photo shoot for Christian D’Agostin and Cameron Martin for the [Brisbane] Kawasaki racing team. The boys are heading to Russia to race soon. It was a bit of a windy and wet day to shoot from a helicopter with the door off, but the skies cleared long enough to make it happen. I thought I did OK for my first Helicopter shoot.
Christian D’Agostin and Cameron Martin, both Factory Kawasaki Racing Team members for Australia for 2015, earned top honors this year during the 2015 Yamaha Australian Jetcross Tour and Australian offshore endurance series. Marking the closure of their race series, and the beginning of their international efforts, a photoshoot was scheduled to create some promotional materials for the team’s endeavor.
Christian explained, “We are ending our season here as you know; so we are launching our 2015 international offshore campaign. With the Australia factory Kawasaki team taking four Australian titles this year – and myself winning my third consecutive Australia offshore endurance championship – we are on a roll.
“With the prestige of being the factory Kawasaki team in Australia, we were happily interrupted during the photo/video shoot for our upcoming promotions (including posters for sponsors) by two American Playboy Playmates of The Year – Abby Parece (Monster Girl USA, two-time Playboy Playmate USA) and Marissa Everhart (two-time International Playboy Playmate, three-time Playboy playmate USA).
“We are very proud to have a national fuel and national finance company as major sponsors of our team moving forward, and the pics by Skip will be utilized in service stations all around Australia. As for our international plans, we’ll be racing the LB2CAT, Russia (“Russki”), Aquabike in China, and the King’s Cup
in Thailand.”
To the locals – particularly the younger crowd – it’s known as “Nash Vegas.” With its nightlife, honky tonks and bars, there’s no shortage of nocturnal activities and libations to be had. But, when the midnight sun sets and daylight breaks up the night, Nashville sheds it Mr. Hyde shroud, revealing a more proper and unassuming Dr. Jekyll. Traffic flows steadily, business is conducted as per usual and none speak of the previous night’s good ol’ fashioned Southern debauchery. It’s a pretty cool town.
Just a few miles east of the Nashville International Airport is Percy-Priest Lake, yet one of many man-made lakes throughout the Volunteer State. In its southernmost banks is Nashville Shores Resort, a multi-attraction affair with a full-blown waterpark, high-wire zip lines, log cabin-style bungalows, RV campgrounds and even a bank of WaveRunner rentals. But two weeks ago welcomed the combined forces of Sea-Doo’s traveling “Spark Some Fun Tour” (#sparksomefun) Demo Tour and America’s Motor Sports, the middle South’s biggest Sea-Doo dealer.
Above left: Sea-Doo provided a good cross-section of their 2015 lineup for riders to take out and get familiar with. Above right: Riders were provided lifevests and neoprene shorts.
Last year’s incredibly aggressive, multi-team Demo Tour was explicitly minted to provide the then-new 2014 Sea-Doo Spark the greatest possible access to new and returning PWC owners. Getting potential buyers hands-on experience with the latest products is almost infallible in its logic (sure, there’s a few fools who come to thwart a “fool-proof plan”), but for all intents and purposes, the Demo Tours are wildly successful in introducing people to the coolest features and seat-of-the-pants thrill of owning a new Sea-Doo.
A little over a month prior, The Watercraft Journal caught wind of the soon-to-be-arriving Demo Tour to our hometown of Nash Vegas (because we’re young and hip too). Between our initial announcement and the big weekend, local radio and television stations were beckoning to all to come and enjoy the lake from a whole new perspective (and speed). Although the marketing machine was switched to full steam ahead, and Mother Nature had cleared a path for a reasonably clear weekend, temperatures remained cool and those who were still shaking off the wintertime blues hadn’t gotten the memo that Spring was here.
The Sea-Doo Demo Tour teammates were on hand to answer any technical questions regarding the new machines. America’s Motor Sports’ staff were on site to answer pricing and financing inquiries.
When we stopped in Saturday afternoon, the music was thumping from the BlueTooth speakers and a full rack of available lifevests and neoprene shorts were ready for the taking. Likewise, the sandy shoreline was stacked with a prism’s worth of brightly hued Sea-Doos: GTX Limited 260, a Wake 215, a GTI 155 SE, and of course, a 90HP Spark HO 2-up in Orange Creme. The waterpark was undergoing final revisions in preparation for the opening the following weekend, and the RV park was thin compared to previous years, nonetheless, eager watercraft enthusiasts were happily chatting up the Sea-Doo crew, squeezing them for as much info as possible.
Absent were members of Sea-Doo’s performance lineup, particularly the GTR 215, RXP-X 260 or the RXT-X aS 260. Obviously, both safety and liability are major concerns for the tour, so the only supercharged machine to make the cut was the aforementioned GTX Limited 260. With only one Spark at hand, riders had to wait their turn to take a crack at the large hourglass-shaped buoy course. Riders who might still be unfamiliar were also encouraged to try out Sea-Doo’s stellar iBR brake and reverse system.
Last year’s introduction of the revolutionary Spark made the Demo Tour a necessity to get new potential buyers familiar with the small, playful machine. This year, Sea-Doo wanted to present a rainbow of color options.
America’s Motor Sports (AMS), who was instrumental in organizing this weekend’s event, has been Tennessee’s source for the best deals in the Middle South on all BRP products, including Sea-Doo, Can-Am and Spyder, as well as UTVs, SxS’, quads and motorcycles from the biggest names in the motorsports industry. Hundreds of watercraft leave through AMS’ big doors a year and its no wonder why some customers come from one or two states away! In addition to showroom floors filled with brand-new Sea-Doos, AMS also has several pre-owned skis and a professionally-trained service department.
With many of AMS’ team present this weekend, many were able to receive answers to questions regarding pricing, financing and even servicing. Riders (18 years or older) with a valid drivers license were invited to come to the lake to ride. Riders were provided with Sea-Doo lifevests and protective neoprene shorts, but were encouraged to bring their own protective eyewear, footwear, and gloves. The full service treatment left many with big smiles of satisfaction across their faces, and resulted in a few new Sea-Doo owners.
Most any person can ride a PWC and have fun on it, but it takes knowledge and skill to ride one correctly. In an article by legendary Jeff Hemmel on PersonalWatercraft.com, he explains how to correctly handle three of the most common riding errors, and we give you the highlights and add some input below:
Porpoising
Porpoising is the up-and-down, leaping and surging effect that can make your ski seem like it’s more of a bucking bronco than a smooth, sleek watercraft. Porpoising tends to occur during hard “start-line” style accelerations on today’s high-powered models, as the sheer power causes the craft to leap out of the water at the hit of the throttle.
Porpoising is a simple issue to correct. The most common mistake that causes porpoising is that the rider’s weight is too far back on the ski, causing too much bow-rise. Most of the time, just moving forward on the ski will make it settle down and stay planted. If you are getting ready to pin the throttle from a dead stop, move your feet farther to the rear of the ski and shift your weight towards the bow. If your watercraft is equipped with trim, set the trim all the way down and begin to trim up once you get the speed up if you are doing a speed run. In a closed course race environment, you may want to leave the trim all the way down the entire race so you have a more aggressive bite through the turns.
Spinning Out
The next handling error is spinning or sliding out. This is a problem that can be quite scary and possibly throw you off, but most of the time, it can be avoided completely by using correct handling techniques. This is an issue that is not near as common as it used to be with older skis, but it still happens from time to time. In the early days of sit-downs, you used to have to actually lean to the outside to avoid breaking loose and sliding uncontrollably. Your instinct tells you to lean into a turn, right? If you are on an older watercraft, you may be in trouble if you follow your instincts. Thankfully, today’s models reward the inside lean, but they can still spin out on occasion.
When you lose control of a PWC, it can be very frightening. With an adjustment to your riding style, though, you can avoid the problem in many cases. Foot placement is an easy solution to this issue. Keep your inside foot(the foot on the inside of the turn) planted firmly towards the front of the footwell, and put your outside foot farther towards the rear of the ski. This will both keep the stern planted in the water as well as give you the leverage needed to power through the turn. Setting the trim all the way down will also help keep more of the hull in the water, which will also keep the ski planted in the water.
Sitting in Rough Water
Even the best rough water hulls on the market can get uncomfortable and bouncy in choppy conditions. Sitting down may seem like the easiest and most comfortable way to ride in this water, when in fact it is not. Standing will allow your legs to act as “shock absorbers” and absorb a lot of the impact. When you are sitting, your spine is absorbing most of the impact, which can really make for an uncomfortable and grueling ride. Standing will also allow you to get a better view of the water ahead.
“Hey man, I’m going to be there if you want me to cover it,” Jetski Junkies’ Kev Hemingway offered. Since it’s start in 2011, I hadn’t been invited to the usually cordoned-off Watercraft Superstore Skyway Ski Show, yet I still wanted coverage of the watercraft shootout. Patterned after the now-default Watercraft World Dream Demo shootout, the Skyway Ski Show gathered a group of test riders from various walks of life and ranging in PWC experience, to try out the latest wares from the OE manufacturers.
And sure to his word, Kev delivered. If I recall correctly, he delivered a little too well (and soon), managing to earn a little reprimand from the brass at SBT, Inc. This year though, would be the exact opposite. So much so, that the title of this editorial is a little disingenuous. I didn’t actually “sneak into” but was cordially invited to not only cover but participate in this year’s Watercraft Superstore Skyway Ski Show. In between the initial invite and the schedule date in early March, I was asked if I could step in for Jeff Hemmel who was called away suddenly.
Suddenly, I went from being an invited member of the media to the Head Panelist and Judge. I also was tasked with writing the article for the celebrated Watercraft Superstore “magalog” (a hybrid between a magazine and catalog). With a circulation of over 100,000 copies annually, the WCSS’s magalog nearly matched that of The Watercraft Journal’s readership, so the pairing couldn’t have been more perfect. I drove down a day early to socialize with WCSS’s John Salvatore, and check out the latest goods from the industry’s biggest retailer.
That night, as I mentioned in a previous editorial, was a fantastic meal paired with some very compelling inside industry information. All of the big three were present, Kawasaki, Sea-Doo and Yamaha, which was a first for the Skyway Show. Each of the OE manufacturers brought two of their latest personal watercraft for the panel of six to test ride. Yet, unlike previous years wherein manufacturers provided samples of their most extreme runabouts, this year’s selection was intentionally chosen to represent segments more “core” to the general buying public.
Units were pulled from each brand’s Recreational line, and the entry models for each brand’s Luxury line. For Kawasaki, this meant their ’15 STX-15F and naturally-aspirated Ultra LX; Sea-Doo brought their ’15 GTI SE 155 and GTX 155; and Yamaha their ’15 VX Cruiser and FX High Output Cruiser. No big power, gas-guzzling supercharged skis or over-the-top luxury units were present. All were intentionally selected to meet the biggest demographic of family-friendly budget buyers.
According to the WCSS crew, last year’s Skyway Ski Show was downright cold, which is especially peculiar for St. Petersburg, Florida. Riders bundled up in thick JetPilot wetsuits and jackets, zipping up additional layers just to ward off the cold. This year – thankfully – saw no such problems; the sun was shining bright overhead with mild breezes coming in from the Gulf. By afternoon, many swapped out their JetPilot wetsuits for a pair of Blacktip neoprene shorts and short-sleeved rashguards. I still have the tan lines.
If most big corporate deals are made on golf courses and bar stools, the the same can be said for the PWC industry, but on beaches and lounge chairs. I secured two major advertising programs, introduced Kawasaki’s Jon Rall to Ashley Sponaugle, who now will be piloting a Kawasaki 310X in this July’s Long Beach to Catalina Offshore Championship, locked in Brent Venderley as a contributor to The Watercraft Journal, planned a day with Tim McKercher and the Sea-Doo team, and even cozied up with the Rattis who proposed a content-share program.
Long after the day spent with Mark Gomez, Ashley, Coach Joe Marshall, Adam Snorek, Rachel Vietmeier and of course, Ashley, I was sorting through the pictures as I prepared to turn in the recap for the show. Hemmel had returned and picked up the task of writing the individual reviews of the respective skis, with my recap being the segue into Hemmel’s assessments of each riders’ reports. The images revealed two major revelations: Mark Gomez can motosurf any watercraft, and that I made the stupidest faces when I ride. Ugh.
A few weeks after submitting my report, a box arrived with four copies of the hefty 210-page magalog. To my surprise, I and my goofy-looking mug, was all over the coverage. As much as I hate to admit it, there was a familiar twinge of giddiness seeing myself in print again. Having published over 740 articles since launching The Watercraft Journal in October of 2013, the thrill of seeing my name in a byline has lost its savor a little. I get the thrill of seeing oneself in print, I do. I’ve been there, I get it. I’ve even been on a couple of magazine covers.
So what will next year’s Skyway Ski Show look like? I’m privy to a couple of suggested changes that should make the day go a little smoother, but have no clue what the skis will look like. If Sea-Doo is rolling out the big 300-plus-horsepower machines, I’m sure there’s gonna be a muscle craft shootout segment. I can’t imagine anyone letting that opportunity pass them by. And if that’s the case, hopefully they’ll let me come back.
