Even if you missed our exclusive interview with Rob “Vanilla Ice” Van Winkle this time last month, there’s no denying that the former pop rapper cut his teeth riding for Sea-Doo in the 1990s. Vanilla Ice was a genuine professional racer – even climbing the national ranks to be listed as the sixth best runabout racer in 1993. We know that it’s a little strange, sort of like finding out MC Hammer was a professional spelunker or something.
Nevertheless, Vanilla Ice makes his second appearance here on The Watercraft Journal as being the central celebrity interview in this surprisingly long (46-minutes) feature video “Search for Adventure” on a very unique and very cool New River Gorge whitewater race. The New River in West Virginia is some of the most torrential water in the Appalachians and has been known to severely injure and even kill those who dare to tame it. This video showcases some of the best riders at the time – Christy Carlson, Victor Sheldon and Vanilla Ice – as they attempt this feat on their respective personal watercraft.
Sheldon and Carlson are the only two daring the challenge aboard then-new Kawasaki 750s with Van Winkle giving it a go aboard a Kawasaki runabout. Obviously more manuerverable and lighter, the two standups have an advantage over Ice and his sitdown, and prove the better weapon over the rider’s 4-day journey, which will take them through a stretch of Class 5 rapids. We won’t give it all away here; rather, watch it for yourself. It’s some seriously vintage fun!
Sure, personal watercraft can be a huge bucket of fun and a great way to even vent off some aggression at the end of the week – but every now and again, we find a PWC is the best way to slow down, relax and draw a little closer to nature. Then, interestingly enough, sometime nature comes to us.
“A man was recently joined by an unexpected guest during a morning ride on Falmouth Bay in the United Kingdom,” a recent article in the Huffington Post recounted. “In a video shared by Cornwall-based Chough Productions, a dolphin follows a Jet Ski rider as he navigates the bay.”
While many of us have enjoyed the company of a dolphin or two in the distance, this experience is entirely unique as the mammal swims alongside the watercraft, even porpoising out of the water right alongside him before diving beneath the ski.
On the description on YouTube, the rider explains, “It followed me for over 10 minutes. Every time I stopped he would pop up beside me and wait for me to start again.”
The Post continues, “It’s not the first time a dolphin has swam alongside someone for an extended length of time. Last month, a pod of dolphins accompanied a long-distance swimmer across New Zealand’s Cook Strait after a great white shark drew near.
“In another instance earlier this year, a dolphin who was separated from her pod off the coast of Australia sought out beachgoers to play with near Sydney.”
What does the most dynamic personal watercraft cleaning and detailing system have to do with a 600-horsepower high octane massively-rebuilt Yamaha SHO? Plenty, if you ask its pilot Colin Richards. Richards has enjoyed a long and fruitful relationship with Jet Renu and has happily promoted the spray cleaner and wax manufacturer along with his big displacement Pro Open Yamaha FX.
See, Richards steps up to the plate with a storied history of racing open-wheel racecars in the United Kingdom before coming to the States and stepping aboard a PWC. Richards picked up one of the very first big block 1,813cc Yamahas when they first debuted and never looked back. After campaigning his WaveRunner for a couple of years he decided it was time for an upgrade:
“I decided if I was going to rebuild it, then bigger is better!” Richards explained to The Watercraft Journal. “So I started by designing new cylinder liners and with the help of LA Sleeve. They made them to my specs – there is no head gasket. As with all aspects of the engine only the head and the cylinder block castings are OEM. Everything else is to my specs.
Richards intends on his SHO to tout the largest Yamaha engine in the world – totaling 1,987cc and producing in excess of 600 horsepower. He recently recapped, “It is my intention this year to win the [Triple Crown] offshore races.” Although Richards and his wild Yamaha didn’t make it to February’s Mark Hahn Memorial 300, he does intend to be present at the upcoming Long Beach to Catalina Offshore Championship.
Our Spark featured the optional front bow storage. Although not watertight, it was useful for holding flip flops and extra goggles.
It’s not easy being right all the time and it’s been a burden that Sea-Doo has had to live with for a while now. The Sea-Doo Spark drew fire from the moment it was unveiled. While some openly mocked the watercraft manufacturer of the all-new “Rec Lite” segment runabout, the Spark has raced off of showroom floors faster than any first-year production model in decades. And we mean decades.
Sea-Doo dealers are literally clamoring for BRP to fire up the molds in the Juarez, Mexico manufacturing facility to crank out additional mid-production units. In fact, according to Brad Bowlin, the District Sales Manager for Can-Am’s Northeast Division, dealers were offered an opportunity to put in mid-season orders to restock their dwindling Spark supply. Although the supplemental number of units was a paltry 700, dealers requested over 3,500 units. Even those dealers who balked at initial stocking requirements imposed by BRP have all but completely sold out of the new watercraft. The sales prove it, the Spark is a certified hit.
Sea-Doo move the LCD screen from its usual dashboard spot to below the bars with a solitary button to scroll between the standard “Touring” mode and “Sport.”Off-loading the tail is remarkably easy and allows for powerslides, 180s and spinouts and a lot of fun that’ll pitch you off if you’re not paying attention.
Of course, the Spark’s biggest draw, a starting price of $4,999 has been both the primary feature and point of contention. Priced nearly half of that of the nearest Yamaha and much less than the lowliest-equipped Kawasaki, the Spark’s bare-budget entry point is an attractive piece of bait on the end of the hook.
The unit you get for the starting price is little more than a motorized hull with steering. Opting for any of the many and varied options available for the Spark quickly ups the price. Either manual reverse, BRP’s innovative iBR, a longer 3-up seat and deck extension, vinyl decals and wraps, and even the peppier 90-horsepower engine tune push the price closer to GTI territory. But again, these are voluntary price hikes, not registration and licensing costs or hidden fees. If you want to adorn your particular Spark with Sea-Doo’s bimini top, that is entirely up to you.
The second hot button issue was the Spark’s polymer construction. Whether the plastic hull will pass the longevity test remains unseen. Already, many a grainy photo of fractured and splitting hulls have sprung up across the Internet.
While the plastic showed signs of aging and exposure to the elements, the SCS Unlimited vinyl decals held up surprisingly well, retaining their sheen and luster.The starting price of $4,999 provides you a lot less than the unit tested here. With the HO ACE tune, swim step, bow storage and vinyl kit, we teetered closer to $7,000.
Likewise, videos of riders aggressively charging headlong into surf, viciously launching high into the air and returning in a knife-like nose-stab have garnered hundreds if not thousands of views.
Obviously, such riding flies in the face of Sea-Doo’s “spirited riding” recommendations. Racers are adopting the 900cc ski as a new platform to participate in a new realm of competition, much at the cost of fracturing its PolyTec material. The open wishbone exoskeleton design provides some added structural stability, but again, it isn’t designed to hold up like a fiberglass unit. Of course, no plastic is immune to the toils of the sea, and is prone to show some discoloring and fading over time. It is what it is, fellas.
Although The Watercraft Journal had the pleasure of reviewing the Spark when it was first revealed, we jumped at the chance at spending two days on a mid-range optioned Spark HO to see how the little-runabout-that-could held up over several months of hard labor. At first blush, we weren’t too surprised to see that our wrapped Spark showed some of the telltale problems with plastic over time: namely in the realm of fit and finish.
It’s been a long time since a runabout has been so responsive to weight shifting and body placement. The active rider can truly manipulate the Spark into loose slides, nose stabs and a bevy of other tricks.Beneath the seat is not what you’re used to, but the gas cap and fire extinguisher. Engine access is through removing 36 Allen screws and lifting the entire center section of the deck.
While white has a tendency to hide blemishes better than most colors, the porous texture clung onto dirt and smudges stronger than most gel coats. The black center section, underseat handrail and nose piece were a faded gray instead of the original black. The glove box lock and hinges and steering felt loose – especially for Sea-Doo’s typically high standards. Some other quibbles not worthy of mentioning also arose that might bother the more finicky owner, but again, weren’t enough to truly earn a demerit here.
Impressively, the vinyl decals held up well over the half year of ownership, retaining their vibrant colors and finish. Frankly, we predicted the wraps to show scuffing and gouging, but they proved surprisingly resilient making them a stylish and worthwhile purchase. Likewise, the seat latch and 36-Allen bolts remained sturdy and retained a strong watertight seal.
Our particular unit also included the front bow storage option as well as the spring-loaded boarding step and 90-horsepower HO engine option. All of these – including the vinyl wrap – pushed our two-seater Spark closer to an estimated MSRP of $7,000, far eclipsing the unit’s original $4,999 asking price.
Although sturdy, the folding swim step isn’t terribly useful for larger passengers trying to reboard. Lighter riders will find it helpful while others will struggle not to completely roll the Spark over on its side.Hard corners are achievable on the Spark with careful weight placing and throttle control. A pair of aftermarket sponsons will make a dramatic difference.
But again, customization is the name of the game with the Spark, so be prepared to pay if personalization is your thing.
From our initial impression and through to today, we’re absolutely in love with the Rotax ACE 900 motor. While the ACE might be low on big end grunt, it’s got a limitless amount of fun on tap. With our little 90HP HO set to Sport mode, we enjoyed countless powerslides, 180s, 360s, floaters, bunny hops, and snap-turns. Of course, Sea-Doo doesn’t recommend hot dogging the Spark like that, but Q-Tips doesn’t suggesting using their cotton swaps to clean your ears, and that’s exactly what they’re designed to do.
After two days of horsing around, we found ourselves surprisingly exhausted. Riding a Spark with any sort of enthusiasm can be a workout, just like you remember the old SP, XP or even WaveBlaster. We think very highly of the new twin-cam, multi-port ACE engine and believe it to be the blueprint from which future Rotax plants to be patterned from. Of course, the three-cylinder four-stroke is only accessible via removing the center deck, but as dealers have stated, very few of the majority of Sea-Doo owners do their own servicing.
All in all, the Spark still managed to retain its cutesy charm and provide plenty of smiles. Again, this is not the craft to take on long distance touring rides or jaunts in the open ocean, but it is the ideal choice for a fun, lightweight (400-plus pounds) ride that the whole family can enjoy. Whether stripped down, heavily accessorized or an accessory itself to your larger runabout, the Spark is worthy of a spot on any enthusiast’s trailer.
If there was one thing our Spark did better than anything was completely propel itself out of the water. If offered with Sea-Doo’s VTS, we’re certain 90-degree launches would be possible.
Team building is central tenet to success, and nobody knows this better than PWCOffshore.com’s Mark Gerner. Gerner has hand-selected his team of CORE riders from across the country – the most hardened and skilled offshore surf riders there are. But many would argue that Gerner’s collection of offshore racers would be woefully incomplete without one key player: the UK’s Russell Marmon.
Well, argue no more! Marmon is just the latest addition to the PWCOffshore.com CORE team and will be properly representing the PWCOffshore.com logo and livery when he next competes in the P1 AquaX. Despite the rule leaning heavily against the overpowered Kawasaki 310R that he pilots, Marmon continues to dominate.
Marmon touts 22 years of riding experience with 14 of those competitively, and holds the place as being undefeated in every single race in 2011 (save for one) and took 3 out of the 5 rounds of racing in P1 AquaX. We’re hoping to see Marmon at the PWCOffshore.com CORE team’s favorite Long Beach to Catalina Offshore Championship, but that’s quite the haul.
Here’s the original press release:
PWCOffshore.com is pleased to announce that UK Champion, AquaX Champion, 2014 Martinique Champion, Mark Hahn 300 Mile Race Podium Finisher, Mark Hahn 300 Mile Race Iron Man winner, and the list goes on…. Mr. Russell Marmon of the United Kingdom has been selected and will join the PWCOffshore.com CORE Race Team comprised of Mark Gerner, KC Heidler and Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Craig Warner! Russell Marmon will be racing PWCOffshore.com Racing’s #66.
With over 23 years’ experience, Russell Marmon is one of the best endurance and offshore racers in the world. Russell Marmon’s dominance of offshore and endurance racing has been evident and consistent, earning the respect of his fellow racers across the globe. Russell Marmon remains a great ambassador and advocate for endurance and offshore racing. PWCOffshore.com founder and fellow CORE Team Racer Mark Gerner said, “We are incredibly selective regarding inclusion into the Team. I am excited to welcome Russell to the CORE Team and pleased to have such a capable, mature racer & athlete representing PWCOffshore.com CORE Team in the United Kingdom, Europe and beyond.”
PWCOffshore.com polled the race community regarding who the best endurance & offshore racer was in the UK and literally 100% of the votes were for Russell Marmon. This is no surprise. Russell is not only an elite athlete and racer, he is also committed to being an advocate for and passionate regarding the growth of offshore and endurance racing across the globe. Always humble, Russell Marmon said “I am honored to be selected to the CORE Team! I am utterly flattered by the recognition. I consider myself a normal bloke enjoying my sport and have never looked at myself and thought I was something special. I just tried so hard and failed many times but never gave up – that’s all I did. Again, I am truly honored to be selected to the PWCOffshore.com Racing CORE team!” Russell Marmon’s primary race craft is the Kawasaki Ultra 310R.
It sure took its sweet time, but we’ve finally made it into summer with the closing of May, and as June beings, there is no time for companies to waste. Dealerships are in the height of prime boating and watercraft season and the PWC are flying off of the showroom floors. So much so, that some very impressive numbers are coming out of the big OEMs – everybody is up for 2014!
Likewise, the personal watercraft aftermarket is enjoying increased sales as winter temperatures thaw and spring showers begin to part. Of course, the racing season has kicked off in fine fashion with some tremendous turnouts for both opening rounds of the Hydro-Turf Pro Watercross Tour stops in Pensacola and Panama Beach City, Florida.
All of this has directly translated into a massive surge in popularity for the Internet’s only free daily personal watercraft magazine, The Watercraft Journal. We thought last month’s toppling of 10,000 unique individuals reading the magazine was impressive. Well, The Watercraft Journal brought in another couple thousand readers, pushing our current record up and over 12,000 for May! That’s nearly four-times the readership of the leading print magazine.
May 2014
Better Bang For No Bucks
The Internet has radically changed how people receive and process information. Got a question? Don’t go to the library, go to Google. Want to travel across the country? Don’t go to a travel agency, buy your tickets online. Want the latest news, reviews and event coverage for the personal watercraft industry? Well, clearly more people are coming to The Watercraft Journal than anywhere else. And why? Because we publish everyday, Monday through Friday. Our commitment to publishing the most exciting, entertaining and informative content is paying in worldwide readership.
News articles published in May: 23
Feature articles published in May: 13
Total word count: 14,845 words*
*When this number is translated to print publication standards equals a 118-page magazine. Please note that this number does not include an average of two uniquely-written news articles published daily.
Unparalleled Performance
Some big news came out of the automotive magazines last week wherein 11 magazines were shuttered, a major distribution company was liquidated and thousands of jobs were ended. While digital publishing wasn’t directly to blame, plummeting ad revenue was. And if there’s one truth, its that it’s substantially more affordable and rewarding to advertise for most companies to advertise online. Why? A magazine lives or dies by readership, and a free magazine updated daily will always trump a subscription based one published monthly or bimonthly.
April
Total number unique readers: 10,055*
Total number of articles read: 28,308
Percentage of new readers: 59.5%
May
Total number unique readers: 12,308*
Total number of articles read: 35,695
Percentage of new readers: 60%
*This number is considered equal to an individual sale of a single copy of a magazine.
Getting The Word Out
Do you want to know when you’re doing something right? Start paying attention when the people mocking your efforts, belittling your work and downplaying your ethics suddenly reverse course and start copying you. Our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and weekly newsletter are carefully crafted, monitored and modified to derive the most efficacy, translating into engaged readers who will return again and again. We don’t just promote posts, we unite enthusiasts with unique and engaging content.
April Facebook readers: 7,506
April Facebook weekly reach: 81,418
Top Five countries: Argentina, United States, Brazil, Greece, Chile
May Facebook readers: 8,324
May Facebook weekly reach: 40,923
Top Five countries: Brazil, United States, Philippines, Argentina, Thailand
The Right Choice, The Smart Choice
If getting your products in front of more eyes of dedicated personal watercraft enthusiasts, above are all of the reasons why now is the time to get your company advertising on The Watercraft Journal. Advertisers on The Watercraft Journal not only benefit from getting their ads before the largest domestic audience in our industry, but are the subject of monthly – if not weekly – articles, interviews, technical how-to features and much, much more.
No matter how much storage the factory crams into the latest runabouts, sometimes it’s just not enough! Particularly if you’re looking at going out for a really long ride or planning for a full day’s worth of PWC fishing. Storage space becomes a very valuable commodity when it comes to rides like these and that is why many resort to creating their own storage racks.
But steer clear of those sketchy PVC pipe-constructed racks – they simply can’t withstand the brutality of open ocean or aggressive riding that a fabricated steel rack can. And that’s why we prefer the awesome storage rack from Kool PWC Stuff. Designed by the the father-and-son team from Fort Myers, Florida, Kool PWC Stuff’s jet ski fishing and cooler rack is engineered to fit nearly any personal watercraft runabout today (besides the iS-equipped Sea-Doos).
The easy-to-use and easier-to-install rack requires literally minutes to install, and requires literally zero drilling or cutting to your personal watercraft. Outfitted with rod holders, fishing rod holders and attachments for lightweight saddle bag-style jerry cans, it can also hold a full-sized Igloo cooler and much more.
Also, all of Kool PWC Stuff’s racks feature individually adjusted legs provide a flat, secure surface for their rack to rest. We caught this video recently showing us how quickly and easily a Kool PWC Rack can be installed for a lifetime of use. Check out below:
We’re in the height of prime riding season and all of us at The Watercraft Journal are beside ourselves to welcome RIVA Racing as our newest advertiser. Possibly the single-largest names in top-level performance parts and equipment to help you go faster and last longer on the water, RIVA Racing has provided performance personal watercraft enthusiasts with everything they need to boil the water beneath them for over twenty years.
Leading the aftermarket in re-engineering factory equipment for increased durability, response feel and lower weight, as well as designing and manufacturing parts and components to radically increasing overall power production and delivery, RIVA is at the tip of the go-fast spear. You’ll be hard-pressed to find another company’s name and parts on more skis of racers, hot rodders, and PWC enthusiasts.
RIVA Racing is the largest source for performance parts, accessories and services in the world for personal watercraft and sport boats. The performance products we offer are developed using the latest in design & technology and then brutally tested by their Performance Development Team in “real world conditions.” For over twenty years RIVA Racing Performance Products have carried their team, as well as numerous others, to over 40 National & World titles as well as a World Water Speed Record recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records. RIVA Racing’s commitment to the sport is displayed by the quality parts and services offered which make up the foundation of a well rounded line of recreational and serious performance products.
There are few people more passionate about our Junior class racers than Stefani Perez. Nicknamed “Body Beach Grandma” by those who know her, the effervescent super fan unfortunately suffered a severe heart attack on April 26th, requiring her to undergo heart surgery.
Junior racer Brent Disney recounted, “she drove herself to the hospital in the middle of her heart attack because she didn’t want to pay for the ambulance. A week after the surgery, she was out at the West Coast Nationals to watch us Juniors. She is a crazy lady, but we love her.”
Right now the jet skiing community is rallying together to help raise funds to help cover the costs of Stefani’s heart surgery and treatment, as Stefani is without health insurance.
Brent Disney & the Junior Stars pushing to help raise money for Stefani Perez’s medical bills. Donations and well-wishes are welcomed – just pass along your support by visiting the GiveForward.com page here.
Donations will be collected and presented to Stefani by the Junior racers in one big check at the end of the donation period ending in 60 days of this publication.
“I’m comedian Kurt Braunohler and I think I might have figured out the dumbest way to make the world a better place,” begins Braunohler’s IndieGoGo.com fundraiser page. “I’ll be jet-skiing from Chicago to New Orleans (seriously) in order to raise money to provide 500 goats and 1000 chickens for African families in need. I’ve got the jet ski, I’ve got my route – I just need YOU to donate money so we can help change people’s lives.”
In “Roustabout,” produced by Comedy Central’s “CC:Studios” and premiering on cc.com this July, Braunohler’s six-episode show “American Jet Ski,” covers his seven city ride from Chicago to New Orleans in an effort to raise money for Heifer International to send 500 goats and 1000 chickens to impoverished villages in Africa.
According to Comedy Central, “Roustabout” was created by and stars Braunohler, featuring the comedian “taking on the world in a huge sweeping feat of absurdity, namely, jet skiing down the Mississippi River for charity. Over the course of seven days Braunohler will come ashore at several cities for stand-up sets and other hijinks with friends and guest stars Wyatt Cenac, Jon Daly, Kyle Kinane and Kristen Schaal.
“The epic journey begins in Chicago with a stand-up show featuring Braunohler and guest Cenac on May 29 followed by a launch event from Navy Pier on May 30. Confirmed stops include St. Louis, MO (May 31), Kaskaskia, IL (June 1), and New Orleans (June 6). “Roustabout” is directed by Jeff Tomsic and written by Braunohler and Scotty Landes.”
In partnership with Heifer, Braunohler hopes to raise $50,000 to send goats and chickens to Africa, and all money above $50,000 will go to a charity to help clean up the Mississippi River.
Heifer International empowers families to turn hunger and poverty into hope and prosperity, but their approach is more than just giving them a handout. Heifer links communities and helps bring sustainable agriculture and commerce to areas with a long history of poverty. Their animals provide partners with both food and reliable income, as agricultural products such as milk, eggs and honey can be traded or sold at market.
Update: Comedy Central has invited The Watercraft Journal to personally attend the filming of Kurt’s episode on the Tennessee River – and would like to extend the invitation to all of you PWC enthusiasts! Starting bright and early on Wednesday morning at the Grand Harbors Marina, in Counce, TN on June 4th by 7:15am so they can do waivers and start filming by 8am. Be prepared to ride, so bring your ski and safety gear, and you can be on national television!
