Sometimes, the biggest problem we encounter with enjoying a day on the lake is our proximity to decent brisket. Sure, you could try to cook some sausages on your Factory Pipe or even smoke some chicken if you’ve got a worn out 2-stroke, but trying to score some quality BBQ out on the water is all but impossible. That is, until today!
Introducing the BBQ Donut Boat. Although not a jet-powered PWC or even a boat, every now and again, we find something so awesomely absurd that we have to share it no matter its propulsion system. Powered by an outboard motor, the BBQ Donut Boats feature a solid round pontoon (not an inflated raft) that can seat up to eight, and are available with either a charcoal grill or a cooler, a picnic table, and an umbrella with lights underneath for nighttime rides.
Now, don’t expect to enter any closed course races, as the BBQ Donut maxes out around 5-7MPH depending on sea state, wind and the number of people aboard. Originally built by a German boat builder, the idea has taken off around Florida, where partygoers can rent the BBQ Donut for the day out on the river.
We see these gaining some traction around waterfront resorts and can’t imagine a handful floating behind Kokomo’s at the World Finals. Until then, see the BBQ Donut Boat in action HERE:
Voiding your factory warranty has never been so much fun. We all know that Sea-Doo strongly recommends the Spark for “light recreational use.” Heck, just visit and Yamaha or Kawasaki dealer and they’ll be the first to remind you. Sure, the Spark’s Polytec (a Polypropylene blend) hull is lightweight, and that’s awesome, but what many believe is that those weightsavings come at a cost of its durability. And while there are many who’ll decry the Spark’s short lifespan, others are squeezing the most out of life from it.
We’ve been watching what the nutjobs at Vtech Tuned have been doing for a while now, and even published one or two updates on their exploits, but their current Spark project has got us floored. According to their Facebook page, Sea Doo Spark Tuning, the first turbo Sea-Doo Spark was in Australia and has been converted to an E85 turbo, making it (again, according to Vtech) the world’s most powerful Spark!
Surprisingly, the switch from conventional petrol gasoline to E85 ethanol is made surprisingly easy thanks to Vtech Tuned’s E85 ECU reflash software. Those “in the know” understand the benefit of switching to E85, particularly when adding a turbo to a previously naturally-aspirated engine. Ethanol responds surprisingly well to added compression and advanced timing, increasing both horsepower and efficiency without premature detonation (“knock”).
We’ve included three of Vtech’s project Spark videos, as the final installment touts an impressive 73.8mph at 9,100rpm while running E85 RE116 fuel through their otherwise stock-internal turbocharged Sea-Doo Spark. But hey, tuners are tuners and are prone to never leave well enough alone. While you’re enjoying these videos, note that Vtech has started development on a 200HP Spark using their Vtech turbo kit (E85), a Rotax racing pump, Skat-Trak impeller, a R&D ride plate and intake grate, RIVA Racing sponsons, Frogskinz vent holes, and a Hydro-Turf seat cover.
It’s rare when a jet ski race has over 100,000 spectators on-hand, but that’s exactly how many people watched 14 Pro-Am Runabout and 18 Pro Ski racers at this year’s Bradenton Area Riverwalk Regatta. Joining the citywide event featuring a 5K marathon and a live concert from Jefferson Starship on their 40th Anniversary Tour was the Action-Kawasaki Florida Winter Championships/Mayor’s Cup Presented by Watercraft Superstore, uniting heart-pulsing IJSBA Hydrocross racing with F-2 boat racing, a freestyle and Flyboard demonstration, Sea-Doo test rides, and a children’s fishing tournament.
Supporting the Florida Winter Championships was Bradenton’s own Action Kawasaki, the Watercraft Superstore crew, Manatee County, City of Palmetto, Bradenton, FWC, and the USCG. The pits were filled with very anxious racers doing last minute adjustments getting ready for the big show. Each moto began with rolling starts, and the track was crazy tight resulting in lots of bumping and rubbing going on. The motos were action-packed with plenty of top-notch racing not to mention some unexpected carnage.
As Mikey Young described the Pro-Am Runabout race, and the subsequent win by Troy Snyder, “I believe that people who read the Bradenton Herald leading up to the event knew what to expect, as this local [and] former Manatee Hurricanes high school football standout and HydroDrag World Champion, was deemed ‘the Hometown Hero.'”
Monster Energy/Kawasaki racer and current AquaX USA champ Eric Francis had a “tough extraction,” sending him cartwheeling 150-feet through the air at 80mph. The Watercraft Journal caught up with Francis who said, “I have no idea what to say other than it was the worse get off I have ever had. The ski caught air and the ride plate snapped, causing it to hook right.”
“Fortunately,” as Young explains, “the only things Eric lost was an earring and the race!” Michael George’s Yamaha FZR was completely destroyed when his lanyard came off, causing him to travel into the path of the oncoming Team 71 Yamaha ridden by Chris Saxon. Again, nobody was seriously injured and Chris managed to still came in second behind Yamaha Racing’s Snyder, and followed by Georgia’s, Mike Bellamy.
Looking at what could’ve been, there must have been a guardian angel or two in the crowd looking over all the racers that day as things could have turned out very differently.
Young continued, “The Pro Am Ski class [did] not disappoint as it…was actually kind of a tie between Trinity Racing’s Johnny Smith and Cody McCallum. Smith would hold on for the first moto and have trouble while McCallum’s teammate, Broc Harris took advantage of his experience on a tight track and [took] the win. The second moto was a different chapter for Smith, who suffered a mechanical problem, [leaving] the door open for Harris and Veteran racer, John Stevens…to advance and take [the] second overall spot, in front of Kirk Britto.
In addition to all the closed course racing, a Freestyle demonstration was hosted for the crowd. Chris Langlais, who claimed second place, told The Watercraft Journal, “It was spectacular! [I] had a lot of fun being able to perform a freestyle show with Johnny Havell and Michael Ratti for that many people. I had a dad (with like six kids ranging [in] age of 3-to-15 years old) tell me his kids kept bugging him to leave until they saw me come out from under the bridge, flipping my way to center stage only to perform some of the most sickest stunts they did not think was possible on a ski. He and all the kids shook my hand one-by-one and said thanks for [the] performance. That’s what drives me to do what I do.”
Ultimately, the day was best summed up by Troy Snyder who told The Watercraft Journal, “[It was] the best-viewed race of the year! [This is] what the sport needs to move forward in a positive light!”
All images courtesy of Kurt NgSaye. Originals can be viewed and purchased HERE.
Bradenton Area Riverwalk Regatta Action-Kawasaki Florida Winter Championships/Mayor’s Cup Presented by Watercraft Superstore
February 6, 2015 Results
Pro Am Ski: 1. Broc Harris, 2. John Stevens, 3. Kirk Britto; Pro Am Runabout: 1. Troy Snyder, 2. Chris Saxon, 3. Michael Bellamy; Pro Freestyle: 1. John Havell, 2. Chris Langlais, 3. Michael Ratti
Decisions, decisions, decisions. That’s what are before many watercraft racers as news continues to pour in from across the country. With AJ Handler and his Pro Watercross Tour’s divorce from the IJSBA, many were left wondering if a IJSBA-sanctioned series was even going to happen. Thankfully, RPM Enterprises’ Ross Wallach’s West Coast series enjoyed strong attendance numbers last year, giving the promoter an edge when it came to organizing 2015’s series.
Teaming with Jettribe Core Watercraft and partnering with Jim Lambert’s stellar DJSA northern California series, the 2015 Jettribe “Best of The West” Series. Stretched over eight rounds of racing, beginning in Lake Havasu, Arizona, and hitting favorited locations Parker, Arizona; Lake Perris, California; and ending in Mossdale Lake, California (just northwest of Modesto), the Best of The West tour will consist of four weekends of racing spanning April to August.
We’re excited to see residents from Arizona join the strongest riders from both northern and southern California, and expect to see a fantastic series unfold this year. Oh, and for those looking to dare to do something different, the final two rounds in Mossdale Quarry Lake will include some spectacular nighttime racing beneath a swarm of floodlights!
Here’s the original press release:
Attention Racers, Race Fans and Friends!!!
RPM Racing and Jettribe would like to announce the 2015 Jettribe “Best of the West” Racing Series. We are very excited for the 2015 season to get underway. There are some changes in the series this year that we are expecting to become some racer favorites. All the races this season will consist of two (2) rounds each. The first and second round races are being held in Lake Havasu City and have been named in memory of Gary Hart from Jettrim. The last 2 races of the season are going to be in Northern California at Mossdale Lake and will be a joint race by the IJSBA, RPM Racing and Jim Lambert of the DJSA (Diablo Jet Ski Action). This will be a Nor Cal Vs. So Cal State Championship race and will include a day and a night race. If anyone has not had the opportunity to race under the night lights, here is your chance. It will be great to see all the So Cal racers and Nor Cal racers converge on this great race location.
Without further delay, here is your 2015 race schedule:
Jettribe “Best of the West” Series Round #1 & #2 – April 11th & 12th – 2nd Annual Lake Havasu Open of Watercross – Gary Hart Memorial Race (Windsor 4 Beach)
Round #3 & #4 – May 30th & 31st – Blue Water Resort & Casino – IJSBA Western States Nationals – Parker, AZ
Round #5 & #6 – July 11th & 12th – Lake Perris Open – Perris, CA (note: 2 day race – waiting approval)
Round #7 & #8 – August 22nd & 23rd – North Vs. South California State Championships Mossdale Lake, (Day and Night race on Saturday) IJSBA/DJSA/RPM RACING ENT. (Joint race with DJSA)
**Riders please note that you will need to attend 2 of these races to qualify for the World Finals this year due to changes in the IJSBA rules. Also, as a reminder, the Pro Watercross Tour is no longer a IJSBA sanctioned race. Sparks, NV and St. George, UT (along with all other stops) will not qualify you for World Finals.
We are looking forward to a great season of racing and look forward to seeing you all out there on the water.
For more information on the these race events, please contact www.rpmracingent.com or www.jettribe.com
I stood on the pebbled shore of Arizona’s Lake Havasu, pressed in among a throng of onlookers, teammates, friends and families of the freestyle riders (“freestylers”?), with the “all access” media pass hanging around my neck (that I waited two days for) clearly meaning close to nothing. It was noon Sunday, the last day of the IJSBA World Finals, and the final motos of the Amateur and Pro Freestyle had been going on for what felt like hours.
Even after countless repetitive backflips from competitors with almost unpronounceable names, the crowd was never more densely packed than when the freestyle hit the water, and rightfully so. And this Sunday, all those in attendance would be rewarded for their vigilance.
The previous year, England’s Lee Stone executed a no-handed, one-footed barrel roll aboard his featherweight Revolver that silenced announcers and brought hundreds to their feet. Stone had successfully completed a “Scarecrow,” a trick previously only capable by those freeriders charging the ocean’s biggest, most hollowed-out surf, and had done so in less than two-foot lake chop.
With the bar successfully raised higher than ever before, the weight of expectation almost thickened the air. Stone, piloting a two-toned Revolver of his own design, exploded from near still waters into a backflip. Using superhuman speed and upper body strength, Stone, pulled himself out of the tray, double over, bringing his feet wide out of the tray and together in a split-second heel-clicker, before re-entering and landing the flip.
I was on the beach that afternoon as the crowd erupted into incomprehensible madness. I was there, standing between Justin Stannard and TC Freeride’s Taylor Curtis when freestyle history was made. Although I knew my applause was muted by the din, I still felt like clapping. I needed to.
There is no, and I mean literally no other, form of PWC competition that draws an audience like freestyle. Yet, freestyle is treated with little more regard than rodeo clowns being herded in during lulls in racing. For whatever reason, the disparagement in how promoters handle quite possibly their single greatest spectator-drawing asset is an often forgotten side note. Rather, attention is almost always focused on racing, an already dwindling demographic of the total PWC industry’s interest.
Endurance racing is almost exclusively anti-spectator, as riders vanish into the horizon, only to return an hour later. Coverage is nearly entirely after-the-fact with helicopter film footage being the only reliable source of content. Closed course racing explodes from the starting line in dramatic fashion (LeMans starts are even more crowd pleasing) but it too is often too far from shore to be wholly riveting.
Freestyle, on the other hand, is immediate, upfront and dramatic. Between the showmanship of freestyle and the immediate spectator interest it brings, and how jet ski racing event promoters mishandle this asset, I was left wondering, why isn’t there a National Freestyle Series?
“Great question,” Philip Clemmons of P&P Performance replied. “Anthony Haro tried a year or two ago to start a series called the ‘Flatwater Throwdown,’ but it never got off the ground. There was one event that had 15 or so riders. It’s a small group of hardcore guys. I think they devote their funds/effort to the National Tour for sponsor exposure. Lots of guys go to freerides, but no one has put a series type thing together. It could possibly work, but would need someone to do all the work. Insurance and logistics can be tricky for a small group.”
He continued, “Every year at the Nationals we do a Friday night show for an amphitheater full of people with boats docked all around and live music. It’s way more fun than the actual competition! I’ve gone just to go to that performance.”
Derrick Kemnitz Jr. of Hurricane Industries was a little more pointed, “There’s no promotion. Promoters don’t care about us, but the spectators sure as hell do. We go to the Parker event each year mainly because it’s a good vacation spot… But when the freestyle event comes around, the promoter has us finding our own judges, freestyle doesn’t get trophies or payout like racing, and as soon as everyone’s done with their 2 minutes, they start the races back up. We don’t find out scores until the sheets are posted. Inside the sport, freestyle is the half time show.
“And I really feel that makes it discouraging for newcomers, they see that it’s all pushed to the side and doesn’t look appealing to them. Plus with promoters only offering the two classes, there’s no room for a newcomer to even have a chance at feeling competitive.”
In regards to the two classes, Derrick continued, “Even the entry-level class they have right now is pretty much like a ‘Pro Lites’ class; the skis cost the same, the skill level is the same, just slightly less power. No one’s going to want to spend in a new sport unless they think they can be good at it, and when they’re seeing that my brother’s Amateur class ski was a tad over $35,000, you lose pretty much everyone that’s interested.”
I wondered whether keeping a National Freeride series exclusive to existing jet ski racing venues was the way to go. If a promoter with enough vision and drive to do something different stepped up, I’m certain most athletes would show interest in a national points race – if you had judges and a tech inspection at each event – regardless if the events were at music festivals or outdoor waterfront fairs. By inserting a professional freestyle competition in with a major social festival but have judges, announcers and a tech inspector, so that the freestyle riders accrue points for a national title, all the spectators would know is that they get a great show.
Derrick added, “We’ve done some stuff like that before, local city events on the waterfront. A city rep would come to my dad’s shop and ask us to do a couple of 10 minute shows and the crowd always loved it. I’ve even done shows inside a local Six Flags park before…so we are getting those shows, but I agree that it should be a more common thing for us, especially for how unique jet ski freestyle is.”
Ultimately, freestyle remains the most under-appreciated form of PWC competition despite its obvious crowd appeal. The style, flair and drama of the sport is unlike anything else and deserves to be shown to an audience larger than the scant few who attend traditional racing.
The Watercraft Journal was the first to bring you a sneak peek at the 2015 Kawasaki JetSki line waaay back in August, and since that time, plenty of racers and riders have sunk their teeth into the new iridescent green machines across the globe. Almost completely unchanged from 2014 save for some graphics and color options, the 2015 lineup builds on the innovative improvements made to the Ultra’s powertrain for 2014 as well as some other key features.
By radically increasing internal oiling and cooling, improving combustion with new pistons and advanced timing, a new composite plastic intake manifold, and reducing internal friction and wear (ergo lower internal operating temperatures), the once 300-horsepower Ultra increased its output to 310 ponies as a mere byproduct of said improvements. Talk about a win-win, right?
Of course, other additions to the Ultra lineup were the 310R and 310X SE (Special Edition), the prior of the two featuring a custom two-tone painted hood and fairings, a motocross-style handlebar attached to cast aluminum neck offering variations in reach and height, a new narrows and scalloped race-inspired seat wrapped in a grippy new cover, and for 2015, neon-green sponsons (that are literally no different from the other Ultra’s black ones).
The latter of the aforementioned units is swathed in a burnt orange hue and also features the same 310R racy seat. The cream of the 310 lineup is of course, the LX which brandishes the surprisingly-yet-wildly popular Jetsounds on board sound system. The 310LX’s sound system is most notably marked by the large speaker pods fixed beneath the rear view mirrors. Controlled via a soft-touch head unit mounted in the handlebar pad, the Jetsounds system automatically increases and decreases the volume with the vehicle’s speed as well.
Below is Kawasaki’s own promo, which should help get your blood pumping even if your driveway is still covered in a foot of the nasty white stuff. Take heart, Spring is coming.
Whether you’re looking to embark on a long haul cruise for the day (or several days), or a day’s worth of peaceful fishing on your local lake, our friends at Kool PWC Stuff offer a wide variety of non-invasive, easy-to-install storage racks. Designed and fabricated by a father-and-son team from Fort Myers, Florida, all of Kool PWC Stuff’s storage racks are engineered to fit virtually any personal watercraft runabout available today (besides Sea-Doo’s suspension-equipped 2009-up units).
Requiring about a minute or so to install and zero drilling or cutting, the Kool PWC Stuff rack is just another portion of the company’s assortment of PWC accessories and tools, including rod holders, gas can holders, lightweight saddle bag-style Rotopax 3, 2, and 1.75-gallon jerry cans, and much more. But it’s their formed and powdercoated racks that are really the big deal, as the image above shows: be it extra fuel, a cooler full of drinks and snacks, or gearing up for a day of fishing, they have you covered.
All of Kool PWC Stuff’s racks feature individually adjusted legs provide a flat, secure surface for their rack to rest. Also, new to their menu of goods is a Flyboard rack. As the popularity of Flyboards has increased, Kool PWC Stuff responded to those using full-sized personal watercraft as the powersource for a Flyboard.
Oh, and in case you were doubtful whether these racks can stay secure (and not move) after aggressive riding, we suggest you take a look at this video:
All of us at The Watercraft Journal are very excited to have a moment with 2014 multiple National Champion and IJSBA World Champion Bibi Carmouche, possibly one of the fastest young women on the water today. We also bring in one of her sponsors, IPD Graphics into the conversation to help shine some light on what’s expected from team riders and being a professional, both on and off the water.
The Watercraft Journal: Thanks for meeting with us, Bibi! To start, can you tell us how you first get into jet skiing and then into racing?
Bibi Carmouche: I got introduced to standup jet skis by some friends of mine in high school and ended up getting my own 750 in 2011. With Folsom Lake being only a couple minutes from my parents’ house, I knew quite a few people with skis and got to ride a ton. One weekend I heard there was a race out at Camp Far West Lake so I decided to stop by and check it out. Immediately, I fell in love and found myself an SX-R about two weeks later. With only a couple weekends of buoy practice under my belt I raced in my first race ever, which happen to be part of the IJSBA National Tour. I walked away with a second and third place finish that weekend and have been hooked ever since!
WCJ: You had a pretty whirlwind year of racing. How did 2014 go for you, Ms. National Champion?
BC: Yes, thank you! Last year was extremely fun because I was racing almost every weekend of the summer! I was lucky enough to be able to do the entire National Tour and a ton of the local and West Coast races; I was extremely busy but it was well worth it. I always try to race as many classes as I can so that I get a ton of track time and experience before World Finals.
This last year we decided to build a triple so that I could start racing a faster ski in the hopes that it would make my Limited [class] ski feel like nothing. There is still some work to be done on making my triple just right for me but so far it has helped a ton with my overall strength on my Limited. I was able to win a National Title in both Women’s Ski Limited and Amateur Ski Limited, with a second place in Amateur Ski Open. I also won three overall tour points championships in each of those classes. I didn’t really get the results that I was hoping for at this year’s World Finals but I had a ton of fun and finished with a 7th place overall in both the Pro-Am Women’s Limited class and the Classic Two-Stroke Limited class.
WCJ: Of course, just being able to compete at the World Finals is pretty awesome, but that wasn’t your first time. Can you tell us about your experience racing at your first IJSBA World Finals?
BC: I raced my first World Finals in 2012 after only racing a jet ski for two months before that. Going into it I really didn’t expect much because I had so little experience and was racing a stock SX-R in the Novice Women’s Limited class. I remember being extremely nervous when I saw how many fast girls were there from all over the world, but I tried to just focus on what little I did know and ride my race. I ended up taking a 5th and a 4th place finish in my motos, but a rookie mistake lead me to miss a buoy after getting caught up with a lapped rider and docked me a lap in my second moto. Overall, I finished with a 7th place and was pretty happy with it despite the big mistake I had made. After the racing was done, I was so ready to come back and redeem myself, which is what drove me to win the World Title the next year.
WCJ: We also chatted up Casey Mauldin of IPD Graphics, who is one of your sponsors. How did Bibi come to be a sponsored IPD Graphics racer?
Casey Mauldin: She came to us, but we are stoked that she did!
WCJ: Casey, how is Bibi at representing your brand – particularly as a sponsor?
CM: Bibi is very good at making frequent posts and tagging us. Instead of just recycling other peoples pics like most other riders do, she’s very good at stopping to take a minute to snap a pic at an event or award ceremony and tagging us.
WCJ: Casey, how does Bibi’s social media efforts compare to others out there?
CM: Honestly, the bar is set so low in this industry, that as long as she posts the results on her social media with a picture at the event so we [at IPD Graphics] can re-post, then we are happy, because it’s hard to get other riders to do this.
WCJ: Between racing seasons, you seem to be pretty active. What kind of training do you do when you’re not on the water?
BC: During the off-season I’m always trying new and exciting sports, it keeps me busy and in shape without having to go to the gym everyday. In the winter you will definitely find me snow skiing as often as possible, it is one of my biggest passions aside from jet skiing. This year I haven’t had a chance to do any of the small rail jams or competitions, but I’m hoping to get a chance do more of those soon. I recently got a new dirt bike, which I have fallen in love with! I’m still a little slow on the track but I’m getting there! Year ’round I am able to ride my mountain bike for training as well, and love to do Cross Fit workouts whenever I can squeeze it into my schedule.
WCJ: What are your plans for 2015? What races do you plan on attending?
BC: I’ll start the 2015 season with the Mark Hahn Memorial Havasu 300 in February, where I will be teaming up with Kody Copenhaver in the Ski class. My plan for the rest of the season is to race the RPM West Coast tour, some of the Pro Watercross National Tour, the Northern California DJSA racing series, and the IJSBA World Finals. As far as classes go, I will definitely be doing the Pro-am Women’s Limited class, the Amateur Limited class and more than likely will be racing Amateur Ski Open.
WCJ: Casey, can you tell us how Bibi is staking up against the rest of your sponsored racers?
CM: Based on our ranking parameters, Bibi is currently ranked as the second best sponsored athlete relationship that we have ever had, and we’ve had a lot of contracted athletes and teams.
WCJ: What longterm goals do you have for your jet ski racing career? Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
BC: My long-term goals would be to win a World Title in Pro-Am Women’s Limited and try to compete in the Pro Open Ski class with the men like Tera Laho. I also would love to get more girls interested in jet skiing and all the other extreme sports. In the next 5 years, I hope to be graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Nursing, and be working towards becoming a Flight Nurse.
WCJ: Outstanding! OK, here’s your chance to make some gratuitous shout-outs; who would you like to thank for helping you get this far?
BC: I’d like to thank my dad for helping me out more then I could ever ask for and always being there for me to hold and cheer me on at every race. I’d also like to thank the rest of my family and all of these great sponsors, without their support I couldn’t continue to do what I love; Liquid Militia, Ultimate Watercraft Performance, Lucas Oil, Hot Products, IPD Graphics, Jet Pilot, Jettrim, Ryno Power, Skat-Track, TBM, Roseville Kawasaki, DASA and Bullett.
When you ask people, most will prefer the smaller “mom-and-pop” store, restaurant or shop over the big, obtuse and detached feel of a corporate chain. But, that’s not to say that they don’t enjoy the access and convenience offer by the big multimillion dollar chains. It’s a damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don’t situation. That’s why WMF Watercraft has managed so much success. The Millsboro, Delaware dealership balances the tightrope of providing its clients with both a small, intimate shopping and service experience, while simultaneously being fast and convenient, with the pricing and repairs worthy of a big, corporate dealer.
The commitment to walking this thin line goes a lot deeper. Whether you’re in the market for a pre-owned personal watercraft that has undergone a scrutinizing certification with a fine-tooth comb, a brand-new, uncrated modern 4-stroke runabout for some long summer days on the water, or a lake-boiling, top speed performer that has been custom-tuned with a hot rod supercharger, easily making you the fastest ski on the water, the skilled technicians and mindful salesmen at WMF make that happen. Their sales and service departments offer an endless array of options, be it for your beer budget or champagne dreams.
In fact, The Watercraft Journal has shown you several examples of WMF’s service department’s custom handiwork that customers have asked for, that is, in addition to them moving quality pre-owned jet skis in need of a new home. If you call the Eastern Seaboard home, and you’re looking for a dealer to call your own, WMF Watercraft is waiting for you.
Last week, the sixth annual Racetech Yamaha Jet Ski Fishing Classic took place once again in the sleepy town of Ponta do Ouro, Southern Mozambique, just north of the South African border. Attracting 132 anglers last year, and dozens more this year, it is “the biggest event of its kind in the world,” according to a report by East Coast Radio.
As per the article, “last year’s winner, Pieter Steenkamp, as well as inaugural champ and consistent top finisher, Clive Murphy, [were] notably absent this year due to work and other commitments. However, the field [was] still extremely strong with many other top jet ski anglers attending.”
The sport of jet ski fishing (ie. “jetangling”) has reached new heights outside of the United States, with dedicated websites, forums, YouTube channels, semi-annual contests (such as the Racetech Yamaha Jet Ski Fishing Classic), and even its own TV show in New Zealand. Applying the ease of use and mobility of a personal watercraft in competitive sport fishing has given the purchase of a PWC a whole new angle.
For last week’s Classic, the event was a catch, photo and release event, meaning that the impact on the fish species was very minimal. The points were evaluated by identifying the species and a weight multiplier system. Final results will be posted soon enough at both the Racetech Yamaha and Go Fish Facebook pages. Until then, enjoy this cool video from last year’s event below:
