Gallery: 7th Annual Cronulla Rip n’ Ride Goes Off

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September 25, 2014

For the last seven years, there’s one freeride event that surpasses all others: the Cronulla Rip n’ Ride. A goal for most riders to get in to, entries are limited to only 100 riders, with tickets selling out in about 6 minutes. And with prizes ranging from a brand new Yamaha SuperJet, a 701 Blaster and $1,000s worth of other sponsors’ products, it’s hard to resist. The best thing about the Cronulla Rip n’ Ride is that anyone can win these major prizes. The RNR isn’t a full-on competition, but a get-together of some of the best riders and novice riders from all over Australia and the world. Just another chance to get together and ride with your mates, and make new ones.

This year, we were lucky enough to have some awesome international riders come to our lucky country. The amazing Pierre Maixent graced our shores to ride the new Rickter Edge. Also, the best all-rounder on a standup, Mark Gomez (in our humble opinion). Not to be out done, another American, Brandon Lawlor showed up to back up his sensational win at the Blowsion Surf Slam.

Bruno Jacob made it out to Oz for a third time, bringing some great riding. Tahiti Matt and Loic Tahiti made it out to do the filming of the event, risking their necks to get some fantastic shots and different point of view; make sure you keep an eye out for that one. The Land of The Long White Cloud (New Zealand) sent us over Norm McFarlane and a few others to entertain us with there antics and some great riding. And let’s not forget our home grown World Champions, Mick Anthony and Mitchell Young.

The show kicked off early Thursday morning with a demo day for skis and products to test out to great success, with plenty of keen riders ready to hit the water and try out some different hulls. Some of the boys we spoke with were really impressed and put in there orders then and there. The afternoon got a good session of riding in and gave the internationals a chance to get used to there skis. Generally these skis are borrowed. So a big thank you goes out to all the people that lent out their pride and joy.

Friday morning brought great conditions on the water with a good swell for all to show their. Backflips, Madonna’s and Flexflips were all on the trick list. The talent of some of these guys is unbelievable. Pierre pulled massive one-foot, one-handed flips, Brodie Copp showing his usual amazing extension on his flex flips, Gomez riding like a man possessed making the most out of every wave.

Saturday morning came around quick, especially getting to the beach at 5am for sunrise to get some shots of the new Rickter Edge. What a good looking machine it is too, and the word from all the riders that rode it was nothing but impressive. Getting up early meant we could also get a few shots of the pros before the wind picked up. This wasn’t easy, as getting some of those guys out of bed is a tough call. And we’re glad we did as the surf was perfect, with clear blue six-footers rolling in.

We’ve seen Pierre ride on the Gold Coast back in 2009, and remember him being unbelievable then. Nothing has changed. Whether it’s height or extension, he has got it all. Not to be out done, Gomez was on fire doing some of the biggest flips we’ve ever seen. Even Pierre and Brodie were cheering him on.

Brandon finally got to hit the water as he was sharing Pierre and Brodie’s ski. This was the First chance he had the really put the Edge through its paces. He was pulling off some super huge one-handed flips and clean barrel rolls. That was in the first five minutes of riding the ski. Lawlor shows such a natural talent.

It was also good to see Luke Emanuel back out on the water after taking a few months away from the ski. And you couldn’t tell that he had. The height this guy gets every time he rides is amazing; no mater what the size of the surf you can guarantee seeing some serious air that would give anyone else altitude sickness.

It’s so good to see an event that can have a rookie and a World Champion come head-to-head in a backflip battle. Tom Aiken and Pierre Maixent made it to the finals in a lighthearted competition that started a few heats back with four heats of four riders standing on the beach. The rules were the first one to get to their ski and do a backflip and land it makes to to the next round.

So it came to the final. Likened to a David versus Goliath battle, 16-year-old Tom was going to have his work cut out for him, and the pressure to beat one of his idols was overwhelming. On the horn, Tom was away first with on his FP1 with Pierre not far behind. We saw a wave in the distance that Tom had his eye on. “He’s going to win this,” we said to ourselves, but not so. The wave closed out just as he got there making him have to turn around a look again. Not going to let this opportunity slip away, Pierre hit a beauty of a wave and took the win.

The next competition was the Jet Pilot Best of the Best, which was judged on flow, height, landing and execution. Brodie Copp, Mick Anthony, Mark Gomez, Mitch Young, Pierre Maixent, Brandon Lawlor, Nick Barton and Luke Emanuel were chosen to compete from a long list of riders. Hitting the water in a five minutes solo run, it was going to be the longest five minutes of their lives.

Even though the conditions grew messy, the tricks got sicker. After everyone went through their rounds it came down to Mark Gomez, Pierre Maixent and Mick Anthony. Pierre and Mick were riding so well. Between the Rio’s Rolls and flips it was hard to pick who was in front of those two.

But one person was riding his heart out. Making the most of every wave, going from one to another; massive airs and stylish carves, Gomez was unstoppable and took out the title of Jet Pilots’ Best of the Best. The Watercraft Journal had a chat with Mark after his ride and told us, “That was the best I have ever rode in my life.” Second went to Mick Anthony and a close third to Pierre.

The final challenge was the “Sickest Trick” and went to Pierre. Trying something different, Pierre took out Stu from Player One’s Blaster who pulled off some awesome Madonnas, and one-hand, one-foot flips. It was good to see it on that couch, reminding us that Pierre used to ride and compete on those machines. Brodie Copp took the “Biggest Air” showing us how quickly he is progressing towards being one of the best riders in the world.

The presentation and drawing for a brand new Yamaha SuperJet and a 701-built Blaster (not to mention hundreds of other prizes) drew the whole crowd’s attention. Tom Akien was the lucky winner of the 701 Blaster and Hakan from Wetseat who took home the new SuperJet.

What a great weekend. Butch Pfrengle – the man that made this all happen – is a legend. The time and effort that goes into getting it all together and making it run smoothly is unbelievable. So many riders can’t wait for this time of year to roll around just to have the chance to hangout and ride with some mates. Oh, and the off chance take home a new ski.

All images courtesy of Photo by Skip, and are available in full size for purchase.

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Introducing The México Aquabike World Challenge

By

Kevin Shaw

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September 25, 2014

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OK, we’re just gonna say it: the idea of traveling through México sounds pretty dangerous. Kidnappings, shootings, gang warfare and human trafficking is enough to deter most. But again, that’s just how the media is presenting our southern neighbors, so that’s not entirely a fair assessment. Nevertheless, México is still a pretty wild place for most, so that is why what we’ve found has the potential of being all the more daring:

Introducing the México Aquabike World Challenge. A 466-mile, 9-day survival/endurance/distance race is unlike anything we’ve seen before. If week-long races that beat the sternest of PWC racers into a pulp is what you’re in to, then you need to pay close attention. Traversing winding rivers, crystal blue lagoons, and the turbulent Atlantic Ocean, the México Aquabike World Challenge looks to pit racers against a wild variety of water conditions against a jungle background and tropical temperatures.

Cut from the same cloth as other multi-day races like the KaruJet, Russki Jet Racer, and Greece’s Jet Raid, the México Aquabike World Challenge looks to put México on the map of grueling personal watercraft destinations next year, May 15th through the 24th. If you’re looking to seek possibly one of the most insane events of your life, you need to read the original press release below:

The greatest, longest and most demanding personal watercraft racing challenge in history is being conceived. A 750 kilometer marathon on rivers, lagoons and the Atlantic Ocean that includes 50 turbulent rapids on the Usumacinta River in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas, long and demanding legs across the jungle of the states of Tabasco and Campeche, and the back-breaking waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It will attract the toughest Aquabike riders on Planet Earth. An adventure that will be compared to the Paris-Dakar Rally, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Indianapolis 500 or the one-of-a-kind International Balsas River Marathon. Take the challenge!

Video: Alumaski’s Aluminum-Hulled Jet Ski Fears Nothing

By

Kevin Shaw

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September 24, 2014

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There are a few sacred rules to riding a personal watercraft that seem pretty easy to follow: don’t run your ski up a beach, don’t run into underwater obstacles, and don’t suck up anything into the jet pump (to name a few). These seem pretty easy right? Well, for the folks at AlumaSki, those are just too hard to follow. So, they discovered a solution: make an armored PWC.

The brainchild of Mackinnon Marine Technologies, the AlumaSki aims to eliminate all previous fears of puncturing or cracking your ski’s hull on rocks, tree branches or other unforeseen oddities. Pulling most of its running gear and propulsion components from a Yamaha VX, the AlumaSki replaces the traditional fiberglass hull with a durable, hand-formed quarter-inch thick aluminum deck. Surprisingly, it weighs in at 950 pounds (dry weight), which is only about 100 pounds heavier than the fiberglass PWC.

Powered with a Yamaha 1,100cc four-stroke, the 12-foot-long AlumaSki tops out at 60mph, which still ain’t too shabby. Really intended for some serious conditions, the AlumaSki truly shines in narrow, shallow or rough river riding, as well as hunting, fishing, work and rescue response. Unfortunately, the official page doesn’t mention much in the way protecting the jet pump from sucking up any debris or chewing up and spitting out gravel through the prop, so we’ll see how long that goes.

Now here’s the kicker: the AlumaSki will sell for just under of $25,000, which is almost $10,000 more expensive than Yamaha’s well equipped model, the FX SVHO Cruiser. So again, we’re not exactly sure of the exact market this machine is targeted for, but it’s pretty wild to see it in action.

Video: Jetskishop.com’s Epic Two-Day Adventure to Caloundra (Gallery)

By

James Tod

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September 24, 2014

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This most recent ride hosted by the JetSkiShop.com is an epic adventure that saw 10 watercraft taken of an exclusive two-day expedition which clocked up 10 1/2 hours of ride time on the watercraft and traveled over 350kms (217 miles) and encountered wild dolphins and turtles, shot the mangroves, cruised the Tangalooma Island shipwrecks and Pumicestone passage, included a over night stay at Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast, maximizing the jet ski lifestyle to its fullest!

The group of riders gathered early at the boat ramp on Saturday morning eager to get out on the water. We had a safety meeting to address to any questions and to discuss the ride plan. Setting off at 7:30am sharp, we headed north past South Stradbroke Island and make our way to Slipping Sands for our first pit stop.

Here was our first chance to spread out and carve up the flat water before entering Moreton bay. Crossing this bay can go either one of two ways: dead flat or viscous chop. Fortunately, we got the dead flat water conditions. Pulling up at Peel Island offered us a chance to stretch our legs and use the amenities. After a quick regroup, we picked up the pace for breakfast and a fuel top off at Redland Bay Marina.

Fuel usage varied between brands. On average the Sea-Doo and Yamaha top up (ran empty – Ed.) around 42 liters (11 gallons), where the Honda didn’t top up and was still reading almost full. Leaving the Marina and heading north, the ride meandered past St. Helena Island. This island is home to so much history from the 1800’s, including a Penal Establishment.

Tangalooma Island was next on the list. Hosting some very iconic shipwrecks, and a magnet for all watercraft that can get there. The beautiful blue waters are full of lots of marine life and is a perfect getaway from the rat race of Brisbane, only a one hour ride away. After exploring the wrecks and taking in the sun, we continued on our trip north to Pumicestone Passage.

Entering the passage, we pulled into the dock to refuel both the bodies and watercraft. By now the Honda watercraft were down a total of 50 liters for the day and the other craft were on their second refuel. We grabbed a drink and an ice cream and got our butts into gear. We only had about two hours of daylight left in the day, and with 1 1/2 hours of riding to go we knew it would be tight. Making our way through with an out-going tide, we didn’t muck around. Only one ski got stuck in the mud when the rider diverted from the group. Finding out the hard way, pushing a 400kg (882 lbs.) jet ski off a mud bank is worth following the crowd.

Pulling in at our destination of Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast, we secured the watercraft on the beach. We were met by the security guard who settled in for his 12 hour shift of some jet ski beach watching. Out for dinner at Hogs Breath and out for breakfast at the Coffee Club.

Sunday was time to turn around and head back home to the Gold Coast. We managed to squeeze in some attractions on the way like the Redcliff Street markets, airport fly over, and some mangroves tracks. All in all, it was an awesome weekend with friends using their jet skis to their maximum potential.

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Gallery: 2014 Dana Point to Oceanside & Back Offshore Sprint

By

Curtis Marker

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September 23, 2014

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A calm, overcast start turned into a bright and sunny finish at the Jettribe Dana Point to Oceanside and Back offshore endurance race on Sunday, September 21, 2014. Promoted by Ross Wallach of RPM Enterprise and presented by Hydro-Turf, Sea-Doo, Hot Products, Sea-Tow, Jet Re-Nu, Oakley, Kawasaki, Watercraft Journal, ProRider Magazine, and www.pwcoffshore.com, all helped in bringing this race back after no race last year.

As the 17 racers gathered for the start of the race, the conditions were uncharacteristic for the Pacific: eerily smooth waters and a mere 1-2 feet of swell. When the green flagged waved, the calm conditions allowed a drag race start of top end performance at full throttle speeds.

Mike Klippenstein, riding his R&D turbo Yamaha FX Cruiser, quickly took the lead position with Chris Heinrich, riding a built Yamaha FZR, hot on his heels. Close behind the two leaders were John Feeney on his Pro Open Kawasaki Ultra, and Michael Perry of Factory Kawasaki on his Manufacturer Stock 310R. Hot on Perry’s wake were Manufacturer Stock riders Jeff Lane, on his new Kawasaki 310R, and Curtis Marker on his brand-new 2015 Yamaha FX SVHO. Abeam these fast paced Manufacturer Stock boats in another Yamaha and Kawasaki position battle were Santiago Kuan, riding his Yamaha FX, and Derek Newton on his Kawasaki Ultra.

Following this lead group was the rest of the field in an all-out sprint through glassy waters to the turn boat outside of Oceanside Harbor. The conditions going south were in the riders’ favor, going with the current and direction of the swell all the way down. After the turn boat, the seas gave the riders a little bit more of a challenge with oncoming swell and parting clouds giving way to bright, sunny and clear conditions.

Rider Evelyn Mangan suffered a late start due to battery issues, starting 18 minutes behind the field. But the trials were not over for Mangan, who was pulled over by Dana Point Harbor Patrol just seconds after crossing the start line for getting on the throttle just before the 5mph zone ended. This was a first for race director Ross Wallach and the RPM race series, having a racer pulled over during a competition.

At the top of the field, Mike Klippenstein rode his Yamaha through smooth conditions and across the finish line in a battle for the top spot, finishing just 3-seconds ahead of John Feeney on the Offshore Robot Kawasaki Ultra. Only one minute behind the Pro Open boats was the Manufacturer Stock class winner and impressive third overall finisher, Michael Perry on his Kawasaki Ultra.

Coming back from a knee injury sustained during the LB2CAT in July, was the #22 Yamaha of Brittany Marker, the first woman across the line at Dana Point and boasting a 10th place overall finish. Shortly after, Chris Heinrich finished in 12th place due to boost line issues on his impressive Yamaha FZR. One minute later, 15-year-old Brennan Newton, the younger brother of sixth place finisher Derek Newton, finished his first ever race on a borrowed Kawasaki from Shawn Alladio. Newton threw his hands in the air after crossing the finish line in excitement of his successful ride.

As racers continued crossing the finish line, more close battles ensued, and although a late start, Evelyn Mangan took advantage of the familiar “lake-like” conditions, setting a blistering pace and passing two riders before the finish line. A few minutes later, former world champion, Sheldon Messick, crossed finished on a borrowed Polaris, racing in order to qualify for the upcoming IJSBA World Finals.

All 17 starters finished the race under their own power within the time allowed, even with some mechanical issues and one rider being pulled over by the Harbor Patrol. Ross Wallach was happy to announce that it was the first offshore race in the series to finish without a single DNF in 8 years. This rare occasion made for a great day of racing and happy competitors all around.

We caught up with the winner, Mike Klippenstein, to get his thoughts on the race and his first place finish, “It was a great time racing with new friends and racers. It was great to see other racers helping new and old racers and the comradery by everyone is second to none. It was a fast course and my Yamaha FX Crusier (built by R&D) ran perfectly and I am very happy that I could bring home the win. I want to thank all my sponsors and the people that support the racing, because without them, it just wouldn’t happen. We will see everyone at World Finals or the Mark Hahn 300!”

2014 Dana Point to Oceanside & Back Offshore Sprint
September 21, 2014

Overall Results: 1. Mike Klippenstein, 2. John Feeney, 3. Michael Perry, 4. Jeff Lane, 5. Santiago Kuan, 6. Derek Newton, 7. Akira Tanaka, 8. Bill Scott, 9. Curtis Marker, 10. Brittany Marker, 11. Shawn Mulkey, 12. Chris Heinrich, 13. Brennan Newton, 14. Renee Hill, 15. Evelyn Mangan, 16. Sheldon Messick, 17. Dan Schroepfer

PRO/AM OPEN: 1. Mike Klippenstein, 2. John Feeney, 3. Chris Heinrich, 4. Renee Hill; 4-STROKE STOCK: 1. Santiago Kuan, 2. Derek Newton, 3. Akira Tanaka, 4. Shawn Mulkey, 5. Brennan Newton, 6. Evelyn Mangan, MANF. STOCK: 1. Michael Perry, 2. Jeff Lane, 3. Bill Scott, 4. Curtis Marker, 5. Brittany Marker, 6. Sheldon Messick, 7. Dan Schroepfer

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Jetski Junkies’ North Bahamas Jet Ski Loop

By

Kev Hemingway

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September 23, 2014

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This PWC trail was researched and accomplished by the Jetski Junkies Bahamas Ride Crew with the intention to share with the world, not only our story, but the details and navigational information needed for anyone wishing to also make this journey.

This PWC Trail starts at the Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park in Boynton Beach, Florida. Crossing the Intra-Coastal Waterway out through the Boynton Beach Inlet into the Atlantic Ocean heading east to West End, Grand Bahama Island, home to Old Bahama Bay. The West End has your Customs & Immigration Dock, fuel dock, bathrooms and a small store to get a drink and snack if needed. From the West End, you head North to the Goodwill Channel. The Goodwill Channel is not too far up from the West End, just a mile or two.

Once reaching the Goodwill Channel, you take a bearing more northeast for a good ways until you reach the Dover Channel Cut. The Dover Channel Cut takes you Southeast at an approx 45 degree angle back towards the Island on your way to the Dover Channel, which is your entrance into the Grand Lucayan Waterway. The entrance is very well marked by tall red and green navigation pilings. Do yourself a favor and stay inside those markers as it is extremely shallow and rocky outside of it. The channel is dredged so at low mean tide you have at least 4-feet until you are inside the actual Grand Lucayan Waterway which is narrow but has minimum of 10-foot water depth.

The waterway is fun and beautifully colored, mostly sea-walled and only one bridge closer to the southern end of the waterway which has heights of 25-feet at low tide so very passable by many. The waterway itself is not well maintained and lined with scrub brush grown from what should have been a housing development. You will find a few homes along the waterway, some finished and some unfinished. Once through the waterway you will be in the Tongue of the Ocean on the south side of Grand Bahama Island just east of Port Lucaya.

From here you go right heading back West along the shoreline but not too close due to the many rocks and coral you can’t see. You will go down two canals to the Bell Channel, the Bell Channel takes you into Port Lucaya. As you come in the channel it will split going right or left; right is the way to the Flamingo Bay Resort and Marina, left will take you to Port Lucaya and the fuel dock.

Heading right to the hotel, you will take your next right into the Flamingo Bay Resort Channel. The docks are permanent wood docks, some have ladders so those are the best to use as the docks are tall. The resort does have floating docks but only for their PWC rentals. The great part about Flamingo Bay is they are attached to the Taino Beach Resort so all the amenities are open to guests at no extra charge.

Flamingo Bay is already a very reasonably priced hotel and your rooms are right at the marina overlooking your PWC. Twenty-four hour security is on site also, beautiful lagoon style pool and grotto with swim up bar along with pool volleyball, a waterslide and a lazy river. The beach is on the south side combined with a tiki hut and Taino Beach restaurant all within walking distance of the hotel. Of course, if you wish to go to Port Lucaya, the ferry dock is right in Flamingo’s Marina or you can rent scooters from the resort to go and explore the island on your own.

The ride in from the States will be a total of 127 miles give or take. From Boynton Beach to West End, Bahamas is approximately 69 miles and then from the West End to Flamingo Bay is another 58 miles give or take. When you are ready to head home, you will understand the title. You will leave out either from Flamingo Bay or the fuel dock in Port Lucaya heading out the Bell Channel and into Atlantic Ocean. From here, you will go right heading west following the shoreline of Grand Bahama Island.

Now I want to reiterate, do not try to run the shoreline; we had more than a few close calls the closer to shore we were, so it’s best to stay in that darker blue water. You will make your way to the West End of the island again but from the south side this time, this will be approximately 30 or so miles versus the 58 you did coming in from the North Sound. Refuel at West End and then head out due west for Boynton Beach. This totals approximately 227 miles.

You will find all the navigational waypoints, points of interest and links to informational websites that make up this PWC trail HERE.

Everything Counts: 2014 Sea-Doo GTR 215

By

Kevin Shaw

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September 22, 2014

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When every nickle and dime matters, getting the utmost out of your investment is often a nerve-racking enterprise. Each aspect needs to be evaluated, weighed and decided. Needs usually veto wants, and compromises are made to satisfy both parties. While not everything from Column A can be had, the entirety of Column B is equally piecemealed. Of course, for those with the means of making a purchase solely upon passion, not so much. With a wave of a checkbook or plastic credit card, seemingly whatever your heart’s desire can be yours.

Sea-Doo’s 2014 GTR 215 is exactly targeted for those in the first group (although, all are welcome to it). The lowest entry in BRP’s Performance musclecraft lineup, the GTR is a skillfully balanced option for those looking for seat-of-your-pants thrills while not exhausting the family budget. The GTR is also a primed candidate for aftermarket modification if the temptation to tinker becomes too much to resist (but more on that later). In its showroom stock form, the 215-horsepower GTR is possibly our personal favorite machine from Sea-Doo, and not for the reasons you might think.

The rear rider has multiple options for hand placement thanks to the GTR’s long handrails in back. Either sitting forwards or rearward, the grips are wisely placed and don’t rub.

Seemingly unchanged since it’s introduction in 2011, the current 2014 model remains in its original black, orange and white livery. As you might’ve seen, the 2015 GTR 215 received a whole new retina-melting yellow, red and black repaint. If the new look is a little too garish for your tastes, you’re in luck as dealers reported surprisingly disappointing sales of the centrifugal-supercharged, Rotax-powered model given the craft’s versatility. To us, this only means that too many have passed up one of Sea-Doo’s best “in between” segment runabouts.

Based upon the Swiss Army-knife GTI platform, the GTR is still plenty of watercraft, weighing in at 799 pounds (dry weight) and running 132.6-inches long and 48.5-inches wide. Even with such a tight layout, the GTR ekes out 30.8 gallons of storage thanks to an ample glovebox and large bow stowage. The Performance Group LCD digital dash is highly visible and legible at nearly any speed, flanked by black-faced analog dials only adding to the GTR’s sporty appearance. One big highlight: the handlebar toggles are some of the most responsive in the industry – and we mean it.

Standard with all GTR’s are Sea-Doo’s stellar iBR brake and reverse system, VTS electronic trim control, iTC digital throttle control system, offering three engine tunes (Touring, ECO and Sport).

The steering is fixed (no tilt option) and single bench seat removes completely and features attractive orange piping. The saddle is thankfully pinched at the knees and lightly bolstered. The footwells are deep and wide and feature foam matting with molded “Sea-Doo” tread. A large padded swimstep is wide and sloped, making boarding easy, although a folding swimstep would have been appreciated in deep water boarding.

At speed, the GTR tracks impressively true in smooth to moderate chop. In larger surf, the GTR can put up a struggle if you’re not paying attention. At cruising speeds, captaining the GTR is effortless and immensely enjoyable while smoothly carving along the shoreline. Although nowhere the turn-and-burn handling of the RXP-X, the GTR greedily snaps in hairpins and sharp S-turns. The steering is intuitive and clearly communicates through the handlebars where it wants to go.

Propelling the GTR to its 68.2 maximum speed is a supercharged and intercooled 215-horsepower 1,503cc Rotax 3-cylinder four-stroke. Cooled through Sea-Doo’s closed-loop system, the tried-and-true 215HP package has been around for nearly a decade and has definitely earned its stripes. The iTC system manages to squeeze out a bit more fun with Sport mode engaged, leaping from a standstill to full plane in a couple of seconds. Throttle response is sharp and trigger resistance is enough to fool your hand there there’s no cable connecting your finger from the throttle body.

We spent a couple of days with the GTR 215 and found ourselves playing more than actually working (it’s sometimes a very blurry line n this line of work). Day Two was spent with the GTR almost entirely in ECO mode, and despite a tank full (nearly 17 gallons despite the stated 15.9 max), we ticked nearly 70 miles of riding with still a pair of bars on the gauge remaining. While 87 octane is the listed minimum, the boosted Rotax much prefers 91, and we can’t help but give it the good stuff.

While the GTR 215 can play nice in the optional iTC tuned Touring and ECO modes, it’s truly Sport mode where this budget racer shines.

In our view, the GTR builds upon the GTI lineup more than the musclecraft. Even as Spark sales grow (purportedly 9,000 units sold domestically in 2014 alone), the GTI remains the brand’s most popular segment handily outpacing sales of the Luxury and Performance groups. As the GTI Limited 155 provides the Recreation line a fully-loaded and well-optioned optioned segment, the GTR unearths the capabilities of the GTI hull. In tight turns, the GTR can still push the tail out if coaxed, and full throttle donuts and Figure 8’s are as stupidly fun as ever.

And for those who can’t leave well enough alone, the GTR’s supercharged platform is receptive to no shortage of performance enhancing parts. A simple ECU tune can radically alter the craft’s powerband, while a pair of sponsons, an intake grate and a prop can convert this cool cruiser into a closed course killer. Unlike wrenching on other full-blown musclecraft, the casual performance enthusiast will really see major gains with minor modifications on their GTR without losing its “fun factor.”

The GTR 215 is a fantastic everything-for-everybody family craft without having to make major compromises to things like sporty fun or fuel economy. Affordable (retail priced at $11,899), lightweight, stable, fuel-friendly, and a performance craft-on-demand, this Sea-Doo truly does everything, and it does it pretty dang well.

Special thanks to America’s Motorsports for use of the 2014 Sea-Doo GTR 215.

Low and mean, the 2014 GTR 215 doesn’t lack in the looks department either. Whether standing still or at speed, the GTR caught passersby attention wherever we were.

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Do You Have Proper PWC Coverage? Know Your McGraw Insurance Essentials!

By

Kevin Shaw

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September 22, 2014

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Listen, we’re not going to duck the facts here: most PWC owners don’t carry enough insurance (if any at all). Like your car, carrying insurance coverage on your personal watercraft is imperative to protecting your investment. And despite what the local Fish & Game warden might have you feeling, boating isn’t as policed as the roads you travel each day, so taking the proper measures to cover you and your runabout is a wise move; because you wouldn’t how many times policy holders have been saved by carrying even the basic of insurance coverage.

Ensuring that you’ve got the best watercraft insurance coverage is surprisingly simple. But first, you’ve gotta ask, why should I even have insurance? Recently, The Watercraft Journal talked with McGraw Powersports Group who explained that policies can include a combined single limit liability, protection against uninsured watercraft, watersports liability, trailer coverage and protection against physical damage.

Specifically, McGraw’s Personal Watercraft Package (which includes jet boats under sixteen 16-feet, jet skis, wet bikes, etc.) provides coverage against $15,000 in liability coverage, theft, fire, collision, hull damage, sinking, damage to another watercraft and injury to another person. This all sounds great, but McGraw can go further, providing increased liability (from $25,000 to $300,000), liability-only coverage, medical payments and trailer coverage.

While you might not need all of that, all of us could benefit from most of it. And given the kinds of loonies we’ve all seen on the water, it’s really to protect us from them.

OK, this might’ve sounded a little pitchy, but there’s good reason for it: we want you all to enjoy many, many more seasons of riding, and getting you and your ski covered is the best way to do it. Sure, you could get PWC insurance from most anybody willing to sell it to you, but with McGraw’s near 40-years of experience, stellar reputation and dedicated powersports expertise, there are few who can compare. Don’t settle for car insurance dressed in a life jacket; get genuine powersports protection from passionate enthusiasts.

Video: PWC Rider Rescues Downed Pilot

By

Justin Stannard

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September 19, 2014

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Although personal watercraft are widely established as indispensable tools for emergency response agencies worldwide, every once in a while a private citizen finds themselves in the right place at the right time to make a difference.

At approximately 2:30 on the afternoon of Saturday, September 6^th, George Daly seized that opportunity after spotting a small banner plane lose power and nose over into the sea, just off the coast of Florida’s Miami Beach. According to WSVN.com, Daly immediately mounted his rented personal watercraft and sped directly toward the crash site. “As soon as I [got] out there, he was in the water. He had a minor cut over here,” recalled Daly, pointing above his right eyebrow.

“I asked him if there was anyone else on the plane with him. He said ‘no,’ so I got him on board and brought him to the shore and Ocean Rescue took over right away.”

Witness Mashelyn Carrera captured the duo returning safely to shore on her cell phone’s video camera, recording the round of applause received as the dazed pilot dismounted the PWC and walked ashore, hugging his savior in gratitude.

Commenting on the rescue, Daly told reporters that the pilot thanked him profusely, and that he was relieved for not injuring anyone when the plane went down. “I felt like a hero,” recounted Daly, “so I was happy he was OK, and he was conscious, and everybody’s happy.”

The pilot was indeed OK, after receiving care for minor injuries at Mount Sinai Medical Center. The downed Cessna L19-305 banner tow craft, loaded with fuel at the time of the crash, was later recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic in three large pieces and hauled away for examination by the FAA.

http://youtu.be/OBCOungIVvc

WCJ Sponsors 2014 Sea-Doo Ultimate Owner’s Ride; Invades IJSBA World Finals

By

Kevin Shaw

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September 19, 2014

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To the jet ski lover, there’s only one thing on their calendar the second week of October: it’s the single-largest gathering of personal watercraft enthusiasts and racers in the United States of America and worldwide – the annual IJSBA World Finals in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. And the Internet’s ONLY daily personal watercraft magazine The Watercraft Journal will be on-hand in a big way!

Besides documenting the world’s best racers competing on the closed course with nail-biting anticipation, to which we will publish all of the action – as always – in our next-day coverage on October 13th, we will provide all of you a glimpse at the newest and most exciting products debuting exclusively at the World Finals – because there’s still plenty of cool stuff coming out for 2015 that you haven’t seen yet!

Next, although we won’t be camping out beneath the shade of a EZ-Up in the paddock, we will be hosting a “courtesy lounge” up in the Crazy Horse Campgrounds where we will welcome scheduled meetings with current and potential advertisers, racers and promoters all looking to participate with the world’s most popular online PWC magazine. If you’d like to schedule a time to meet, please email [email protected] today!

Lastly, all of us here at WCJ are very excited to announce that The Watercraft Journal has been announced as the presenting sponsor for the fourth annual Sea-Doo Ultimate Owner’s Ride. “The Sea-Doo Ultimate Owners Ride is a fun-filled, 45-mile guided group ride on Lake Havasu and the Colorado River,” Sea-Doo’s press release states. “This is the opportunity to experience one of the best one-day rides in all of North America and do it with enthusiasts who share the same passion as you. Join the Sea-Doo Event Team for a fun day of riding, opportunity to ride next to select 2015 Sea-Doo watercraft and enjoy a special edition Sea-Doo World Finals event cap, lunch at Pirate Cove Resort in Topock, California, and chance to win Sea-Doo gear and prizes.”

Scheduled to take place on Saturday, October 11, 2014, registration to ride is $10 per Sea-Doo watercraft (all proceeds will go to the Junior Stars PWC racing program for future Sea-Doo Spark racers). If you’re interested, register by e-mailing [email protected], ask for entry form and send it back filled out by by October 8th, or sign up onsite on Friday, October 10th at Mudsharks Brewery.

With such a large group of riders, the group will be split up into “flights” or groups of 20-25 riders with a “flight leader.” The ride will include multiple stops including the Site Six launch ramp, the Famous Havasu Channel and London Bridge, Mouth of the River, Havasu Sandbar, Topock Gorge, and Pirate Cove Resort.

For a complete schedule and list of activities, make sure to go to Sea-Doo’s OnBoard Blog HERE.