Have you ever heard of “you judge a man by his shoes?” Although that’s a pretty rotten way to topically size-up someone based upon their fiscal stature, it actually traces back to far more utilitarian roots. A workingman could be readily identified by his footwear, as the right shoe was tailored for the job. You wouldn’t wear lacy dress shoes to the construction site, would you? Nor would you typically clod around in your steel-toed work boots at a wedding? We didn’t think so.
That is why when it comes to riding your personal watercraft, footwear is understandably as specialized. When the sun is out as are the temperatures, it’s easy to forgo the footwear and ride barefoot. While that’s all good fun, humans lack the same natural traction pads to keep you from slipping and sliding in the tray. Likewise, the soft skin of your feet can be rubbed raw, scraped, and cut rather easily; turning a fun day on the lake into an impromptu trip to the emergency room.
As part of our long term testing, we’ve used these boots for several years now and have found very little fault. The only complaints were the time needed to dry after use and the discoloring caused by the glue leeching out of the sole after time.
Knowing this, many resort to wearing worn out tennis shoes, flip flops, wrestling boots and even Crocs while out on the water. Even the best athletic shoe doesn’t have the proper drainage or breathability that a waterborne shoe does. And never at anytime should you ever be caught wearing Crocs. Seriously man, show some self-respect. We’re not joking.
Rather, we strongly recommend using shoes specifically designed for water use, and not to put too fine a point on it, we strongly recommend Slippery’s Liquid Race Boot. Yes, that would make this the second review of a Slippery product that has received glowing praise from The Watercraft Journal, but it’s not for anything less than surviving some of the harshest usage.
Following our protocol of comfort over fanciness, the Liquid Race Boot is all aces in the fitment department. Featuring an internal heel and athletic sole, the shoe feels like a thick-soled high-top basketball shoe, with plenty of spring and give. The underside has a grippy rubberized pattern for plenty of traction with an anti-abrasive, highly durable heel and toe for increased durability. This feature comes in real handy to those riders to “lock in” their feet in the tray while riding in rough offshore conditions or through tight turns.
The “chassis” is made from Slippery’s “Airmesh” – a perforated material offering superior ventilation and drainage as extra drain holes siphon out any extra moisture. The Liquid Race Boot has a removable inner 1.5mm neoprene booty that slips in and out easily with the use of the boot’s durable pull-tabs and thick laces. A heavy-duty Velcro strap cinches the top of the boot tight.
But don’t let the “race” part of the boot deter you. This is a great shoe for recreational riding as much as for racing. Providing plenty of protection while keeping your feet comfortable are attributes in riding apparel good for any condition.
The shoes’ integrity never failed. We never snapped any laces, tore any pull tabs off or had a sole split – which are all major complaints of competitors’ race boots. No, the Slippery Liquid Race Boots are definitely a winner across the board.
Money. It’s said to be the “root of all evil” and what fills the Chuck E. Cheese’s ball pit in Dustin Farthing basement that he plays in twice a day. It’s also what’s keeping many would-be personal watercraft enthusiasts from purchasing the brand spankin’ new supercharged runabout they’ve been eying for months now. And while Yamaha can’t do much about Dustin’s dream to recreate Scrooge McDuck’s Money Bin, they’ve done something huge to help you along in purchasing that new WaveRunner you’ve been drooling over.
Yamaha WaveRunners has managed to create two major firsts for the personal watercraft industry – a guaranteed buyback and leasing program. This creates an easy and affordable route to personal watercraft ownership for “new group of consumers looking for convenient payments and no obligation.”
Here’s the official release for the Leasing program:
KENNESAW, GA – December 27, 2013 — Yamaha WaterCraft, a division of Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., today launched the boating industry’s first leasing program to bring familiar, automobile-like lease plans to the personal watercraft industry. The flexible program is designed for consumers who may not qualify for conventional OEM financing programs or those looking for the flexibility of a lease that includes the option to return or purchase the WaveRunner after 36 or 48 months.
According to Bryan Seti, Yamaha WaterCraft national marketing manager; the goal of the leasing program is to make the fun and excitement that comes with riding a Yamaha WaveRunner more accessible to more people. Upwards of 90 percent of the consumers who choose to lease a new Yamaha WaveRunner will qualify.
“Many of these consumers currently lease a car or have had a great experience leasing a car in the past. For them, the flexibility of leasing is preferable to purchasing,” said Seti. “And if these consumers decide to purchase the WaveRunner in the future, they now have the option to do that after 36 months, or simply bring it back at the conclusion of their payment schedule.”
And the release for the Buyback program:
KENNESAW, GA – Just in time for the official kickoff of the 2014 boat show season that begins in January, Yamaha WaterCraft today announced the boating industry’s first guaranteed buyback program that provides buyers of new Yamaha WaveRunner personal watercraft the opportunity to return their WaveRunner to their dealer after 36 months, and simply walk away or easily trade up to a new model.
When a customer purchases a new 2013 or 2014 WaveRunner and finances on a 60-month term, the buyer can now have the peace of mind knowing that they have the option to return the PWC to the originating dealer after 36 months as a guaranteed buyback. The unit will be valued according to NADA (National Automobile Dealers Association) standards, and in the event that the customer owes more that the NADA Used Trade-In Value, the remaining loan balance will be paid by Yamaha up to $2,500.
According to Bryan Seti, Yamaha WaterCraft national marketing manager, “Yamaha WaveRunner buyers can now purchase a new model with the confidence of knowing that any negative equity after three years will be paid off at no cost to them if they decide to trade-up or simply walk away.”
“Our customers asked us to create a program that allows them to move in to a new WaveRunner with the least hassle possible,” said Seti. “Now, our customers can enjoy great 60-month financing terms with the peace of mind of knowing that they are only locked in for 36 months with no responsibility for selling their used unit.”
For more information about the Yamaha WaveRunner Leasing Program, visit HERE.
Patience can sure be a virtue but sometimes it sure is a pain. While weather has shut down most of the United States to riding our skis, we’re waiting for the latest updates from our event promoters. Thankfully, the crew putting on the Greenhulk.net HydroDrags has been hard at work cementing the 2014 locations and dates.
The city managers have signed with HydroDrag series promoter Mikey Young to hold a dual event (drag racing, closed course and freestyle) in Morgan City the weekend of May 1st through May 4th, also making it the official dates for annual Mudbug for this year.
Previous Mudbugs featured some of the fastest time trials in all of jetskiing, but the growth of the event as well as the dangers in hosting such an event caused the radar runs to be cancelled at the ‘Bug and moved over to the licensed and and insured HydroDrag series.
Thursday will be a general ride day, with closed course racing on Friday and the first part of Saturday. The HydoDrags will kickoff after the three classes of closed course races conclude Saturday morning with Speed Alley on Sunday.
As is with the “welcome to all” philosophy of Greenhulk, Jerry extended the invite, “Feel free to come earlier than May first. I know many of you do every year.”
Y’know what’s awesome? Being popular (says the guy who was anything but popular in school). OK, OK, that’s a little snarky, but as I talk with people about what I’ve been up to lately, I commonly get the question, “So you started a jet ski magazine…in November?” Yeah, the timing could’ve been better, but despite launching a nearly infinitesimally seasonal publication in wholly the opposite season, The Watercraft Journal has continued to grow. Grow in readership. Grow in advertising. Grow in enthusiasm.
Even as personal watercraft enthusiasts shake off their Thanksgiving turkey-induced comas, shovel the snow from their driveways, and check off the final names from their Christmas gift shopping lists, people still found time to check in each and every day to scope out the latest news, interviews, product and PWC reviews on The Watercraft Journal. Oh you know, because we’re still the ONLY online source for daily industry news, as well as weekly interviews and reviews.
You’d think I’d take this space to reminisce about 2013, as there was a lot going on – from James Bushell’s British invasion on the National Tour and the drama that ensued, the launch of Sea-Doo’s entry-level killer, the Spark in light of Kawasaki’s spiking of the horsepower-football and Yamaha finally taking the leash and muzzle off of their killer 1.8L-powered FZ and FX series. Heck, I could even blather about the rise of the online PWC magazine, but no.
I refuse to look in the past when there is so much to anticipate in the future. Here’s why:
Something Like a Recipe
I wanted to do something different with The Watercraft Journal. Nowhere else could enthusiasts find a steady source for originally-written, unique industry news and weekly one-on-one interviews and product/personal watercraft reviews – that is, in addition to a steady diet of in depth and informative feature articles, technical how-to’s and event coverage (there’s a lot of those coming your way soon), and y’know, just more good stuff than you can shake a stick at.
Feature articles published in November: 9
Total word count: 9,027 words
Feature articles published in December: 12
Total word count: 9,510 words*
*When this number is translated to print publication standards equals a 90-page magazine. Please note that this number does not include an average of two uniquely-written news articles published daily.
Something For Everyone
“In-your-face” isn’t really our style, but “honesty is the best policy” is (that is, except for our “Vicious Rumors and Vile Gossip” articles, but you already knew that). We want The Watercraft Journal to be part of your morning routine. When you sit down with your first cup of coffee or bowl of cereal to check your emails, we give you a reason to come back each and every day. And best of all, you did – even on Christmas, which, c’mon people, put the iPhone down and have another slice of pie).
November
Total number unique readers: 6,236
Total number of articles read: 17,072
Mobile users: 35%
December
Total number unique readers: 6,972*
Total number of articles read: 21,695
Mobile users: 33%
*This number is considered equal to an individual sale of a single copy of a magazine.
Something Different
Unlike traditional print publications, online media needs to do one thing – just one thing – perfect: publish a steady stream of compelling content. As realtors are quick to quote, “Location, location, location,” online media is all about “Content, content, content.” And getting that content “out there” is nearly as important. That’s why we so feverishly use outlets like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and a weekly newsletter as this publication’s newsstand.
November Facebook readers: 1,011
November Facebook weekly reach: 19,623
Average Facebook readers’ age: 25-44 (equaling 47% of total readership)
Top Five countries: United States, Australia, United Kingdom, France, South Africa
December Facebook readers: 1,255
December Facebook weekly reach: 22,752
Average Facebook readers’ age: 25-44 (equaling 46% of total readership)
Top Five countries: United States, Australia, Greece, United Kingdom, Canada
What’s Coming Down The Pike
December was a big month for us. Not only did we partner with Greenhulk.net, but Yamaha Motor Corp., USA as well. We’re still a few months away from prime riding season, but never fear! There’s plenty of awesome stuff coming your way next month. Expect some cool action from our friends off Australia’s Gold Coast, a sick review of Kawasaki’s race-ready Ultra 310R JetSki, and our next-day event coverage of the much-anticipated 2014 Thrust Innovations Daytona Freeride! We’ll also have some cool features laced between all those, so again, there’s still plenty of reasons why to come back to The Watercraft Journal each day.
On the tail of yesterday’s announcement that the personal watercraft industry ended the year on an upswing of 15-percent in industry-wide sales (particularly as the powersports industry has seen only moderate increase since the bottom fell out in 2009), it’s with some very big smiles that Sea-Doo kicks off the New Year.
Obviously the biggest news for the PWC market share leader was the launch of the Spark, which weighing in at 400-pounds, and costing (at minimum $4,999), it’s the entry-level runabout that transcends brand loyalty, standup vs. sitdown rivalry, and pretty much everything else in between.
Even despite the negative chatter stemming from contrarians, the Spark has and continues to generate an almost unrivaled level of buzz, and that alone is something to be excited about. Sea-Doo has plenty to celebrate for in 2013, including a stellar presence at this year’s past Hot Products IJSBA World Finals in Lake Havasu, AZ, or its nationwide Test Ride Tour…but c’mon, the Spark is pretty huge news.
Also, there’s a bunch of “behind the scenes” shots from Sea-Doo’s promotional videos, advertisements and holiday shots. So take a quick break and relive the good times from 2013 courtesy of Sea-Doo:
Closed course racing is definitely exciting and is, besides possibly indoor racing, possibly the most spectator-friendly form of personal watercraft competition. Yet, closed course has some serious setbacks that have been traced to the eventual decline in attendance and spectator attention. Increasing speeds, escalating prices, and rising dangers have all been linked to closed course racing (specifically with runabouts), and consequently has given way to new attention being given to offshore/endurance racing.
Surely Kawasaki is well aware of this, as their spectacular Ultra series (250, 260, 300 and now 310) have all been the favored weapon of choice of offshore and endurance racers. That’s not to say Yamaha and Sea-Doo don’t have a dog in the fight either, but as more and more oceanfront venues open up to offshore racing, Kawasaki only continues to increase its edge.
With tropical events like Karujet, last year’s Russian offshore gauntlet and even the annual Long Beach to Catalina Offshore National Championship, open water racing is quickly climbing the ranks of hardcore competitive PWC racing. The rougher the water the better, and the season is upon us. Now, for the first year, the Martinique Jet Race will be held in the Caribbean, welcoming the world’s most daring racers to jet around the tropical island for three days.
We are happy to announce you the 1st Edition of the ” MARTINIQUE JET RACE ” which will be held from January 31st till February 2nd, 2014 in Martinique, French island in the Caribbean Sea.
Martinique is an island full of persistent scent of flowers, a real jewel laid on the Caribbean Sea which will seduce you by its unique sites and its marvelous coastal landscapes in the most warm and brilliant colors.
In this idyllic natural frame, we chose to welcome you for 3 days of intense competition:
On Friday, January 31st, 2014: Fort-de-France / Saint-Pierre, closed course at Saint-Pierre, Saint-Pierre / Fort-de-France On Saturday, February 1st, 2014: Fort-de-France / Sainte-Anne, closed course at Sainte-Anne, Sainte-Anne / Fort-de-France On Sunday, February 2nd, 2014: Fort-de-France/Fort-de-France
This competition will be welcomed and hosted by the main city of Martinique, Fort-de-France, and pilots will be heading towards two cities: Saint-Pierre and Sainte-Anne.
We remain available for any further information and count on your presence among us for this major international sporting event.
More information about pricing is available on this link (ENG/FR).
In welcome news to those in the marine powersports industry, sales of boats in the third quarter of 2013 surged to higher than expected numbers. According to Soundings Trade Only, a publication dedicated to marine industry professionals, sales in the main powerboat segment were up nearly 14% over the same quarter in 2012. The strong summer quarter saw 35,580 units being sold, an increase of over 4,315 boats over the summer of ’12.
Despite a slow spring season, the strong summer quarter pushed total sales to over 181,625 units, over 2,000 more than the year 2012. Industry analysts expect the year to finish out strong, putting total sales ahead of last year. This is encouraging news for those in the Marine Industry as 2012 was the first time sales have topped 200,000 since the “Great Recession” of 2009.
Aluminum pontoon boats were the strongest sellers in the third quarter up nearly 20%, with fiberglass boats in the 11-40’ category close behind selling nearly 1,600 more than the year prior. These two categories, along with aluminum fishing boats have traditionally strong sellers, helping boost sales numbers industry wide.
Last but not least PWC and ski boats boasted double digit gains as well. PWC saw gains of over 15%, pushing total sales to 15,467 units. Sea-Doo’s departure from the jet boat market caused a decrease in sales numbers, something thought to be changed once other manufactures step into the market to fill the void.
Overall those in the marine powersports industry can look at this data as positive news after several years of low sales numbers. As the country claws its way back from the brink of economic meltdown retailers can rest assured knowing that consumers will likely increase their spending on luxury items once their confidence returns.
With the Daytona Freeride closing down on us like a earthbound missile, all of the freeriders are gearing up for kicking off 2014 with an insane bang! It takes only a cursory search on Facebook to see all of the world’s best riders are building custom skis (ie. Ross Champion, Zack Bright, Mark Gomez, etc.), while others are teaming up with new sponsors.
That being said, it was Rad Dudes Freestyle Innovations who recently made the announcement of adding New Jersey’s Chris Grace to their roster, stating:
We would like to Officially welcome Chris Grace to the Rad Dudes. He will be representin’ the East Coast Freestyle assault team. Looking forward to rippin’ it up soon.
In addition to his flatwater riding skills, Grace is an experienced freerider who when he isn’t getting inverted off the coast of the Garden State, is working at Cape Jet Ski, in Wilwood, NJ. We hope to see Grace charging the surf in Daytona, and throughout the rest of the year and pass on our congratulations!
With over 20 years of expert riding beneath his belt, multiple World Champion freestyle rider Rick Roy sought to revolutionize the sport that he loved – and mastered – by offering his own line of products to elevate the competitive freestyle rider and the sport itself. With RRP charging along at full steam, it didn’t take long for Roy to turn the dial up a few more notches.
Rick Roy and RRP launched their own custom hulls and complete ski designs over a handful of years ago, and the Rickter skis – FS, FR, RC, XFR, XFS and Ninja – have made waves (pardon the pun). In this past year alone, RRP and the Rickter crew brought home the highly desirable World Championship in Pro Freestyle at the IJSBA Hot Products World Finals in Lake Havasu City, Arizona. Piloted by the gravity-defying Rok Florjancic, Roy and company amazed all with a ski and team that could accomplish what would be considered impossible only a few years earlier.
Because successful companies are never one to sit back on the laurels, RRP is pouring on the steam, opening up their new Thailand factory and R&D department. There the new carbon fiber and fiberglass hulls are meticulously hand-built, where resin is applied in a super sanitary vacuum process, oven baked, prepped, painted, wet sanded and assembled. Below is a fantastic 10-minute video introducing us to the new facility, staff, and the creation process, hosted by Rick Roy himself. It’s a fantastic peek into this normally private world. Enjoy!
My friendship with Jerry Gaddis all started with a friendly email warning me that I had really screwed up. In the final months before Personal Watercraft Illustrated would fatefully fold up, I had written a response in the monthly “Letters to The Editor” department asking why PWI wasn’t featuring more “conversion skis.” In this instance, the questioner was referring to performance enthusiasts who were shoehorning supercharged and turbo’ed Rotax 4-Tec engines into Yamaha GPR hulls. When done right, the result rendered insane triple-digit top speeds. When done poorly, the result was a snarky reply from a young magazine editor.
My first few hours spent with Jerry Gaddis were spent making speed runs on his turbocharged VXR.
My response to the letter reflected my narrow experience with these machines, and from what I had seen, wasn’t terribly impressive. The handful of conversion skis I had seen first-hand exhibited some questionable craftsmanship and in my response, I said something to that degree.
Unfortunately, the group of persons that my response offended – albeit not a majority – were tremendously vocal. And they wanted my head on a pike. The internet uproar was enough to warrant a word of cautionary warning from the founder and owner of the industry’s fastest-growing performance PWC forum, www.greenhulk.net.
Actually, my first statement’s not entirely true. In further reflection, Jerry and I had hit it off at various media gatherings previously, but I will always consider that one email as the moment Jerry put his arm around me in friendship…and kindly smacked me in the back of the head.
“Don’t give them a reason to turn on you,” he warned. “They’re really passionate about these things. They need to feel respected.” And he was right. So much so that I’ve carried Jerry’s words with me as my career transferred from print to digital publishing. No matter how divided our industry is, everyone wants to feel that the one fraction they care about is just as respected as the others.
The pair of Yamahas – a 2013 VXR and the all-new FZR SVHO – were selected for their use of the largest displacement engine in the PWC industry as well as for their lightweight design.
This too, was a lesson Jerry had to learn. Long before the enterprising Morgan City, Louisiana native launched his top-of-the-line performance hardware e-commerce store, PWCPerformance.com or transitioned his one-man blog into the fastest-growing personal watercraft enthusiast forum in the industry, Jerry was guy who wanted to push his supercharged Sea-Doo to the next level. Always a fan of fast toys, Jerry applied his know-how acquired through years of tuning on cars and boats to his new 2004 Sea-Doo RXP.
Greenhulk.net and pwcperformance.com are operated from inside of a detached garage off of Jerry’s Morgan City, LA home.
The apple-green two-seater caught the attention of his two small boys. From the moment Jerry brought the ski home, the two referred to it as the “green Hulk” after the temperamental gamma-radioactive superhero.
Although the 215-horsepower output far exceeded anything produced by the competition, for Jerry and the rechristened “Green Hulk,” it simply wasn’t enough. The project ski gave way to a personal blog, documenting the build process, the trials and errors and most notably, the successes. Word of the blog quickly spread and with followers came a flood of emails.
Unable to field so many questions, Jerry turned to friend Mike Trinastich to assist in transforming greenhulk.net from a blog to a vBulletin forum. Jerry wrote, “I decided to start this forum so that instead of discussing mods one-on-one through email, everyone could talk together in open forum.”
In the new format, greenhulk.net quickly grew. An influx of home garage tuners, ski builders and top level performance shops began participating, sharing their experiences and know-how and input.
Yet, until that point, greenhulk.net was just a hobby for Jerry. The third generation in a family business, Jerry’s bread-and-butter came from Life Saving Equipment & Repair, the manufacturer of The Roe Float lifeboat, Tuff Bags, tarps, signs, custom dive equipment and a major supplier oil and gas industry, the diving and trucking industries. As more and more requests came to Jerry asking for help in locating custom or unique performance parts, Jerry saw a need he could fill. The launch of 4tecperformance.com (later to be renamed pwcperformance.com), the online store could better connect performance enthusiasts with the parts they needed.
Part of helming the largest PWC performance forum in the industry, Jerry feels a certain responsibility to be on the cutting edge.
“The store provides me my play money,” Jerry laughs. “People think I’m Mr. Moneybags over here. [Life Saving Equipment] is still what puts a roof over my family’s head and food on the table.” Albeit deceptively modest, the seven-year success of the online store has elevated it to the notable ranking of RIVA Racing’s largest distributor, and the growth of forum has given Jerry possibly the single largest influential sway in the industry. When Yamaha introduced the 1.8L SHO engine in 2008, Jerry switched from a Sea-Doo to a WaveRunner, and so did thousands of loyal followers.
Not only does Jerry’s online store better connect performance enthusiasts from across the globe with the manufacturers who build the parts they need, but he also personally tests nearly every item he sells.
When Jerry opted to use the top-of-the-line MoTeC ECU, so did some of the largest ski builders and racers. And most recently, when Jerry expressed his interest in Yamaha’s big engine-in-a-little runabout, the VXR, so did public interest. It was this machine that was of particular interest when I came to visit the greenhulk.net headquarters earlier this month. The VXR was in the midst of research-and-development testing.
Force-fed by a HKS USA Turbo and controlled by a MoTeC ECU, the VXR had already blown past 90-miles-per-hour with one of Jerry’s “Greenhulk”-style pump. By the time I arrived, the Skat-Trak-built 14-vane pump had been shelved and a 12-vane 160mm pump from RIVA Racing was in its place. Encouraging me to “give it a go,” I held into the throttle far longer than recommended and clicked off a top speed of 89.6mph, the fastest the VXR had gone in its current setup. Unfortunately, the pressure was too much for the lowly VXR to handle.
Leaks sprang up, quickly filling the engine compartment. Pulling the ski back onto the trailer, the source proved too difficult to diagnose. Only until bringing it back to Jerry’s garage could he discover a spiderweb’s worth of cracks and fissures streaking across the pump tunnel. Despite the pump tunnel reinforcement kit, the pressures applied to the ski’s hull were too much for its original design. Shaking off the fiberglass dust from his shirt, Jerry shook his head, “Call it. Time of death: 1430 hours.”
“It’s not Yamaha’s fault at all. We’re pushing skis so far past the limits of its original design that we have to consider everything,” he explained. “If it wasn’t me discovering this, it’d be somebody else on the forum. Personally, I’d rather it be me than someone else.”
That afternoon Jerry was emailing Yamaha for a new ski. A week later, a new FZR hull arrived on a trailer. It’s a little unnerving the level of influence that can make calls like that. But Jerry will be the first to pass on the credit, “I do not take credit for this forum’s success though. It’s [the] forum members that actively participate that make this forum what it is.”
