It is with great enthusiasm that The Watercraft Journal announces that multiple International Freerider Watercraft Association (IFWA) World Champion, Ross Champion is making his triumphant return to the sport that he dominated for so long. Right now, Champion’s remaining wee bit mum on the finer details to his riding schedule but expect big things from him for 2014. Until then, read it from the man himself, Ross who wrote:
So…it is about that time again. I’ve spent the last several years working on building a business outside of the personal watercraft world, Soft-Deck.com. This business went through some iterations before finally finding it’s directions as a supplier for the military and law enforcement community. Through the building and development of Soft Deck, I felt that it was important to keep a pretty narrow focus on only that. Which meant basically putting my riding on hold until I felt I could again dedicate time to the sport I love. Thanks to having some great manufacturing partners in Hydro-Turf and RMS Laser that have helped me build this business, I now have the time to dedicate to riding again. My last contest was Blowsion Surf Slam in 2011, and I fortunate enough to walk away as a winner from that event. Even though I was unable to attend the final stop of the IFWA World Tour in Brazil, I still finished the year in second place. I’ve ridden a little here and there, but nothing all that serious…till now.
This weekend will kick off the start of my training and riding again in earnest to prepare for what will be the launch of new project I’m associated with. I can’t say much about the new project just yet, but I am tremendously happy that my role in this venture is a promotional one. The best way I know how to promote is through my riding, and I’m looking forward to having a very full 2014 back with my freeride family. We will be announcing the business this coming January at The Daytona Freeride where we will also be unveiling my brand new Blowsion build FP1 from FPJetSkis.com.
If you’re like the majority of us human beings, the idea of wriggling into a wetsuit is as dread-inducing as public speaking stark naked. It often doesn’t help that most wetsuits are as comfortable as squeezing into a sausage lining. And unless you benefit from having either the time to endlessly train or an absurdly athletic natural build, most of us look less like Superman’s Christopher Reeve and more like Marlon Brando.
While posing in a wetsuit is possibly one of the least desirable things imaginable, the Fuse John/Jacket Combo not only is form-fitting, but surprisingly comfortable. The jacket slides naturally over the john and permits maximum mobility.
Yet, unless you’re opting to hang up riding your personal watercraft for the next few months (which is NOT an option!), you’re gonna be looking down the barrel of buying a new wetsuit to keep yourself warm.
While there are no shortage of wetsuit manufacturers from the surfing, diving, and boating industries, the PWC industry isn’t exactly teaming with options. Thankfully, the few stitching together wetsuits for PWC riders do so while paying attention to the sensitive areas that other companies in other industries might otherwise look over.
And if trial testing the new Slippery Fuse Wetsuit and Jacket has taught us anything, it’s that at least Slippery is. The two major factors of evaluation were comfort and flexibility. In fact, most pieces of riding apparel hinge on those two attributes in our view, because you can count on moving around a lot while riding a PWC, and quite frankly, nobody wears anything that’s uncomfortable for very long.
Now keep in mind, the Fuse is not a cold weather wetsuit. Its lightweight 2mm Innospan Neoprene material is anything but the stuff you want to go winter riding or deep diving in. But for those riding in the open ocean or on chillier bodies of water, the Fuse – with its accompanying jacket – offers unequivocally the largest range of motion and most comfort of any back zip john/front zip jacket combo we’ve ever worn.
The single complaint was a slightly shorter-than-usual rear-entry zipper tether that was often difficult to reach. While pulling up, we also fear yanking too hard on the zipper as it felt like we’d accidentally tear the material.
This flexibility comes through the thoughtful placement of superior materials. Major contact points that customers have bemoaned is chaffing around the neck as well as flexibility around the shoulders, armpits and sleeves.
Slippery eliminates these complaints by employing Lycra shoulders and short sleeves to the john for significant gains in flexibility as well as a unique rash-free neck lining. Although thinner than the rest of the john, the Lycra shoulders and sleeves resolve the uncomfortable binding and pinching of material characteristic to other brands.
Again, although this john/jacket combo offers both warmth and protection from the elements, it’s not what you need if you’re planning on navigating ice floes.
The Fuse is remarkably comfortable, in both flexibility as mentioned previously, but in breathability. The Lycra sleeves wick both moisture inside and out while the new “Airprene” leg panels allow for quick draining. Although Slippery doesn’t advertise it, we suspect that a breathable Lycra patch is also found in the crotch, which is equally appreciated.
The unique use of Lycra for the shoulders and short sleeves provided the Fuse Combo suit the greatest level of upper body mobility and breathability for a john.
Other features to the wetsuit combo are Slippery’s non-slip rubber knee pads, which riding a runabout you’d think you’d never need unless you’re climbing up the swimstep or dropping knee-down into the tray during hard cornering, where the extra grip comes in really handy. Additionally, Slippery’s “flat lock” stitching doesn’t rub against your skin.
While we praise the Fuse for its fitment and comfort, we did struggle with the short rear-entry zipper tether as well as feeling that we were going to tear the zipper from the suit if we tugged too hard. Entry in and out of the suit is deceptively easy as the Airprene expands easily to slide your feet in and out, as well as the Lycra sleeves.
Again, we have to say, Slippery has seriously stepped up their game when it comes to contouring, shaping and hand-selecting their materials to ensure the greatest amount of comfort, fit and flexibility. Having worn suits from three of the PWC industry’s four major manufacturers, we can say that the Fuse John/Jacket Combo is without a doubt, the most comfortable suit we’ve encountered.
Whether riding aggressively or just jetting around the local lake, the Slippery Fuse John/Jacket Combo received glowing praise for its flexibility and comfortable fit.
“Praise from Caesar is praise in deed!” That was the phrase that came to mind when an email from Yamaha Motor Corp., USA, popped up in my inbox inquiring about supporting The Watercraft Journal. Even before publishing the review of the impressive SVHO-powered ’14 FZR, The Journal was drumming up some excitement on the intarwebs. But when the manufacturer of the highest-selling recreational/entry-level runabout for nearly a decade – and the only one to continue building a two-stroke standup – says, “Hey, we love what you’re doing. How can we help?”, it speaks volumes.
And frankly, all of us here at The Watercraft Journal couldn’t be more enthused about working together with Yamaha. If the SVHO-equipped FZR is only a taste of the improvements to its already class-leading runabouts, we’re all guaranteed a fantastic year for 2014. Moreover, I’m personally very enthusiastic to see how the new SVHO-powered machines do on the racecourse. We all know there’s “no replacement for displacement,” but when all of those cc’s are unleashed in factory form, it’s gonna be impressive to see how the aftermarket responds.
Again, we’re very excited to welcome Yamaha Motor Corp., USA to The Watercraft Journal and look forward to a very exciting year!
Well, some kids just have all the luck. Y’know those kids, the one who always had the coolest toys, the new bike or brand-new Nintendo PowerGlove. It’s easy to hate those kids, but it’s always better to befriend those kids so you could play with their stuff. That’s why we can’t help but be a little jealous of Greg Gaddis, who just shattered the unofficial naturally-aspirated top speed record on a new Sea-Doo Spark.
Greg even handed over the controls to younger brother Alex for some fun.
Yesterday afternoon, 14-year-old Greg clicked off a staggering run of 54.2mph. This is a considerable jump when considering the Spark HO could only achieve 49.8 in stock trim. So, how was this speed achieved? Was it that young Greg weighs in at a measly 110-pounds? Nope. It’s because this Spark is touting the all-new V-Tech 109hp tune.
Whether starting with a regular 60 or the higher 90-horsepower Spark, the result is the same, given that the only differences between the two ACE-powered skis is the tune. See, Greg is the son of Greenhulk.net owner and founder Jerry Gaddis, and seeing that Greg weighs in about 140-pounds less than dear old dad, the featherweight pilot made for faster times.
Tuned for 8300 rpm, the tune was “mild” and with the addition of an air intake, exhaust, impeller and intake grate has the potential of seeing much, much more. Of course, The Watercraft Journal reported on V-Tech’s borderline-crazy turbo Spark which is nearing a scorching 60mph, running 140-plus-horsepower on the dyno.
Now isn’t this a pretty sight? Yeah, I bet there’s a few things you can spot in this single-car garage that can get you pretty excited. As winter falls upon us (well, except for Florida. Apparently, they didn’t get the memo), even the residents of the Southwest are beginning the process of storing their watertoys for the season.
We spotted this satisfied Jet Renu Powerboat and Watercraft Cleaning Systems customer over on the official Jet Renu Facebook page who stated, “Garage full of shiny skis, thanks to Jet Renu!” Using the multistage cleaning, polishing and finishing cleansers, polishes and waxes, your personal watercraft can look as good as it did the day you first brought it home.
Remember, winterizing your ski is a lot more than just replacing your fluids or prepping for freezing temperatures and other nasty effects of cold weather, it’s also the time to finally buckle down and detail your PWC like you’ve been meaning to all year.
It’s very exciting to always welcome a new member of the family, and today The Watercraft Journal is very proud to announce the addition of Cargo Wave, LLC to is ever-growing list of supporting advertisers. Even if you haven’t heard of Cargo Wave, it’s almost guaranteed that you’ve tried to makeshift what they’ve mastered: the PWC trailer!
Finally providing the personal watercraft community with the watertight storage trailer its been clamoring for, Cargo Wave’s unique design not only allows it to track sable behind the thrust of a full-sized runabout, remain completely dry inside and pack enough gear for whatever you might need, from a small picnic, overnight camping, island hopping, long-distance traveling or just jetting across to a private beach or campground.
With an impressive 28 cubic feet of space, the Cargo Wave is incredibly durable and is a great solution for hauling dry bags, food or jerrycans for a large group of riders or transporting medical and supplies to flooded or disaster-stricken areas for search and rescue departments.
Again, we’re incredibly excited to be working together with Cargo Wave and expect a thorough product review of this watertight trailer in the next month! Until, watch the video below and see the Cargo Wave in action:
The Watercraft Journal: Craig, thanks for the chance to talk. Clearly 2013 has been a big year for change for you and your family. So what brought you to move from Southern California to the Good ol’ South?
Craig Warner: Yes, 2013 has been a crazy decision-making year on a lot of notes. Dustin [Farthing] and I had been joking around for a year or two about me getting out of California. One day in August an opportunity arose and Dustin, Ryan [Hardwick] and I had a really great conference call. I talked it over with the wife, and we decided to fly out to Georgia and spend four days there with the Farthings and a realtor. We immediately fell in love with Georgia! Everything was exactly what we talked about, and it was a great opportunity for myself and family to make a change, and get into a business that is growing everyday.
WCJ: What a great opportunity. Working with Dustin and the Mountain Motorsports crew is sure to be a fun experience. Now, it’s hard to know you without knowing you’re biggest fan, your mom, Debbie. Is she mad you whisked the grandkids off to Georgia?
CW: Exactly, what a great opportunity is correct! I cannot thank Dustin and Ryan enough for making this whole deal happen. These two guys are great people to be around and learn from everyday. I wouldn’t usually take such a big risk moving my family 2,100 miles away from home, but there is no growth unless you willing to take risk. Mom is having a bit of a hard time, but thank God for our evolved electronic world. Facetime one or two times a month helps.
As part of the stellar Mountain Motorsports Marrieta, GA team, specialty-built Craig Warner-Edition offshore/close course runabouts and four-stroke standup skis will be made available.
WCJ: On a more serious note, what does this career change (and moving across the nation) mean for your program with Kawasaki, and by extension, PWCOffshore.com and your other sponsors?
CW: There is no change except for shipping! I will fly home for my offshore races and Finals. I will be contracted with Monster Energy and Kawasaki for the 2014 year.
WCJ: Many of us were sad to see Dustin back out of the National Tour this year. Now that you’re closer to more closed course events (UWP-IJSBA National Tour, Pro Hydro-X Tour), will we see you on the water more in 2014 or lose another great racer to their career as well?
CW: You know, it sucks that the top guys don’t really do the tour anymore. Reason being is it ends up costing money even when you win every moto. If there were bigger purses to pay for each round, then myself and Dustin would most likely do the tour. I may do a couple rounds, it just depends on my sponsors and what my schedule is going to be for 2014.
Warner will return to attempt to topple current record-holder Billy Womack’s four-time championship record of the annual Long Beach-to-Catalina Offshore Enduro.
WCJ: You’re readily hailed as one of the United States’ most successful offshore racers, will we see you competing in any offshore events in 2014? The Long Beach-to-Catalina won’t be the same without you!
CW: I will be there! I have one more win to beat the famous Billy Womack. I want that title and record. He has held it for way to long!
WCJ: Dustin and the Mountain Motorsports, Marrieta, GA, have churned out some seriously cool custom skis. Can we expect some limited-edition Mountain Motorsports Craig Warner Signature Offshore Series Ultras in the future?
CW: Yes, and they are already available! Offshore/Closed Course Craig Warner-signature series, plus in 2014, there will be limited addition 4-stroke stand-ups available also.
Although far from his Southern California roots, Warner and family have found a new home in Georgia and look forward to a prosperous future within the PWC industry.
WCJ: Now that you’re on the other side of the PWC industry (transitioning from racing to retail/service), what new insights have your gained?
CW: It’s really amazing to say the least! I’m very competitive with everything I do so it has been a little overwhelming the first couple weeks, because we carry 12 different manufactures, and each one has many different units you have to know in order to sell them. The sales and closing part comes really easy to me, and I am very aggressive with word tracks and reading the person on what they are really here to do.
WCJ: OK, here’s your chance for some blatant shout outs and thanks:
CW: I would just like to thank my wife Jesika Warner for believing in me and trusting me on this new beginning we have started in the South. I want to thank Dustin Farthing for making all this happen! I couldn’t do this on my own or even try. Dustin, you are the man, bro! Ryan Hardwick, thank you for helping with my decision and all the great ideas you have that just make so much sense to me. You are one of the smartest guys I know! Joe Heim at Kawasaki also has helped me with the decision if we could keep a race team going without me being in Kawasaki’s backyard anymore. Joe believes in me and he has figured out a way for everything to make sense. To all my sponsors and friends, thanks for always being there and having my back with every good and bad decision I have made! Let the good times roll! I love this state!
It’s pretty exciting news when the largest, most active forum in the personal watercraft industry reaches out and offers to help grow your publication. That is why we’re so honored to announce the partnership between The Watercraft Journal and Greenhulk.net, the premier PWC performance forum.
As The Watercraft Journal continues to deliver on its promise of daily news, full-length features, product and vehicle reviews, in-depth interviews, technical how-to stories and basically everything else it takes to make you keep coming back for more, every single update will be made accessible through Greenhulk.net.
Greenhulk.net owner and founder Jerry Gaddis stated, “We are proud to announce our partnership with The Watercraft Journal. You can find all the latest news and stories from The Journal right here on the forum in the news section. Enjoy!”
So if you’re a regular or a first time member to Greenhulk.net, you’ll have first-hand access to every story that comes rolling off of The Watercraft Journal’s digitalpresses. Just as Jerry said, check out the Greenhulk PWC News and Information section and look out for future feature-length articles on some of the best top vehicle builds from the sport’s biggest performance forum!
While its detractors are taking to their keyboards and smartphones to hammer out the latest criticisms of the new Spark, there’s one thing that can’t be denied, and that’s Sea-Doo’s willingness to “put it all out there.” Seemingly untethered by the same cautious legal departments that shackle its competitors, Sea-Doo has a habit of sticking their neck out to prove a point. It’s a bold corporate philosophy, and although maybe a little foolhearty at times, you have to admire their bravery.
That’s why its with great aplomb that we spill the beans as to how the horsepower wars are going to escalate.
The Sea-Doo Spark reveals more about the brand’s future plans than many would believe. The employ of the ACE 900 is central to this, as BRP’s satisfaction with the advanced four-stroke hints at the future of PWC engines. Low emissions, light rotating mass, and excellent power delivery are only the tip of the iceberg.
If there’s one truth, it’s that Sea-Doo hates to be on the bottom of any heap. Be it on safety features, weight savings, or performance, the company has a tendency to push and shove its way to the top by introducing innovative, if not totally unique features. Watertight storage bins, suspended seats, cruise control, no wake modes, removable access panels, fly-by-wire throttle controls, multiple tunes, and brakes are only a few.
So here we are, looking at 2014 and Sea-Doo is the caboose of the horsepower train. Despite improvements to its centrifugal supercharger, intercooler and oiling over the past four years, the single-cam Rotax 4-Tec 1.5L has remained churning out an advertised 260 horsepower (although private dyno testing would reveal a more realistic 253HP).
Meanwhile, Kawasaki’s commitment to HP domination has placed them at the top of the food chain with a staggering 310 horsepower. This most recent gain didn’t come out of merely dialing up the boost, but after a sequence of intelligent and masterfully engineered improvements to the current 1,498cc powerplant.
Major changes to the engine’s oiling system, including secondary under-piston oiling jets, a baffled oil pan, new oil rings on redesigned pistons, and larger oil journals also accompany a redesigned intake manifold, and pump for improved fuel delivery. Thicker water jackets, a knock sensor and a new pump impeller design round out the key changes translating to more horsepower and faster acceleration.
Likewise, Yamaha’s SHO (Super High Output) 1.8L has been reborn as the SVHO (Super Vortex High Output) dishing out an estimated 258-to-262 horsepower on the dyno. New pistons, a larger supercharger and 6-vein impeller wheel cranks out 60-percent more boost. A revised oiling system and larger intercooler drastically tempers internal temperatures and improves efficiency. With a redesigned 8-vein pump and 160mm impeller, the SVHO’s new power is delivered better than ever before.
So what is Sea-Doo to do? The answer is not what you might think.
The inside of the ACE’s combustion chamber illustrates how superior cylinder head, valvetrain and intake and exhaust runner design translates to superior performance, even in the current 900cc package.
Many would claim that Rotax is sitting on a 2,000cc four-cylinder four-stroke, similar in design and appearance as the current 4-Tec, but just with one extra cylinder. Unfortunately, Rotax has no such engine in production nor in development according to our sources. But what they do have is far more intriguing:
Part of the Rotax Advanced Combustion Efficiency (ACE) family of engines, the ACE 900 engine was designed for maximum efficiency. While 90 horsepower might not sound like much, in its design holds the potential of future Sea-Doo engines. The ACE engines employ the brand’s electronic Intelligent Throttle Control (iTC), dual overhead cams (DOHC) with four valves per cylinder, dry sump lubrication and a king’s ransom in innovations.
While the largest of this engine family, the Rotax 4-Tec 1200 is slightly different from its ACE 900 sibling, the four-valve-per-cylinder DOHC cylinder head allows for extreme rpms. Clearly changes will be made for PWC applications.
For both the ACE and larger Rotax 4-TEC 1200 engines found in Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Rotax engineers strove to maximize “thermodynamic efficiency” by employing a semi-spherical combustion chamber, a tuned intake manifold featuring long runners, and minimizing mechanical friction by using hydraulic lifters, pinpointed dry sump oiling and improved engine cooling.
Taking from these innovations, the future Rotax will remain a 1,494cc three-cylinder but will feature a completely redesigned top end with dual overhead camshafts, domed “hemi” combustion chambers (with accompanying redesigned pistons) with four valves per cylinder, a single spring-tensioned, self-adjusting timing chain, a long-runner intake manifold, a water-jacketed header-like exhaust manifold, and by dramatically reducing valvetrain friction and mass, will greedily spin up to 9,000rpm in factory trim.
At 9,000 peak rpm, this engine will thrive on additional boost, making its power potential well over that of Yamaha and well within Kawasaki’s 300-plus range. Not only will Sea-Doo firmly fix itself as a contender within the unpublished horsepower wars, but will also find itself boasting its new-found “Sea-Doo Sound” as new high-revving BRP watercraft will shriek across the water like AMA sport bikes.
It’s the most grueling offshore personal watercraft race in the United States and it’s now the full-length event coverage is available on DVD for your enjoyment. Produced by the crew at PWCOffshore.com, the 2013 IJSBA LB2CAT Offshore National Championship Race DVD not only includes all of the play-by-play action but also interviews with some of the most talented endurance athletes in the States as well as tricks and tips on how to come out on top.
This year, Monster Energy Kawasaki racer Craig Warner wowed all by coming in several minutes ahead of PWCOffshore.com team leader Mark Gerner. Gerner, congratulating Warner on his third consecutive win and noting his feat over rough conditions, stated, “About halfway through the channel, the wind kicked up the north-bound swell creating 4-to-6 foot whitecaps with very little space in between. It was challenging to say the least.”
Including this past year’s DVD race recap, which is available for 19.99 plus 3.00 shipping and handling (plus sales tax for California Residents), previous years’ DVDs are also available. Just visit HERE to find the video you’d like.
Big thanks go to Mark Gerner PWCOFFSHORE.COM, KC Heidler TOM’s Truck Center, KIA Depot of Santa Ana, CA., Jared and Eric Hardin of Hardin KIA Garden Grove and Irvine, CA., Jeff Lane of PJ Printers.com of Anaheim, CA., Dana Point Jet Ski at the Marina at Dana Point, Steve “Famous” Friebe PWC Race Technician for sponsoring the 2013 LB2CAT Offshore National Championship Race DVD!
