In what appears to be, for many in the Watercross race family, a surprise announcement, Nauti Water Racing announced that they have “acquired the assets of Jet Jam Racing and Full Throttle Watercross.” 

The announcement was made by Nauti Water Race Promoter and Race Director Justin Smith Saturday Night on Nauti Water Racing’s Facebook page and later to the Nauti Water Instagram account.  No mention of the acquisition was found on the organization’s website  (although, on an unrelated note, Nauti Water does seem to have announced their first race for the 2024 season on their website – The Watercraft Journal will follow up on this story in the coming week!)

According to the social media announcement of the acquisition, the “strategic move solidifies Nauti Water Racing’s position as a leader in the exhilarating world of Jetski racing and further expands its reach within the industry.” 

Jet Jam races took place primarily in Arizona and California. Full Throttle WaterX races in 2023 all took place in California. Nauti Water’s 2023 tour, the Mid America WaterX Championship, mostly took place in Texas, with some races in Kansas, Oklahoma, and Kentucky.

Smith states that Nauti Water will be working, with the acquisition of Full Throttle and Jet Jam, to “create … even more thrilling and competitive IJSBA sanction events.” 

“Jet Jam Racing and Full Throttle Watercross have built remarkable legacies in the sport, and we are determined to take them to new heights. This is an important step towards our vision of revolutionizing Jetski racing and elevating it to unprecedented levels of excitement and professionalism,” Nauti Water Racing CEO Terry Hiebert stated in the announcement, expressing his gratitude to the fans of the two race organizations and adding, “Rest assured, we will continue to provide you with the thrilling races and unforgettable experiences you have come to expect, while also introducing new innovations and initiatives that will redefine the sport.” 

 As with many initial announcements of significant news, many questions are left unanswered by the Nauti Water release on the acquisition of the Jet Jam and Full Throttle race series, and The Watercraft Journal has requested an interview with Nauti Water leadership to find out those answers for our readers, and will update this story as soon as we have more information. 

On Sunday afternoon, Deegan Newton, Full Throttle WaterX owner/director, posted a link to the Nauti Water announcement on the Full Throttle Facebook page, with the added comment, “Don’t be alarmed, we aren’t going anywhere Stay tuned, there is a lot more involved in this than what is said in this press release. This is going to be awesome, I promise!”  

Newton added, in a post to the Full Throttle Facebook group, “There is a lot more to this that is going to be unveiled in the coming days. Please stay tuned. As for 2024, we aren’t going anywhere. This is going to be the same full throttle product you have all come to love and expect, but with an added twist and ADDITIONAL support from Nautiwater Racing. Once again, we aren’t going anywhere and I will still be involved as race director for the 2024 season!”

The Watercraft Journal has also requested an interview with Newton.

WCJ did note that, in a November 15 post on the Jet Jam Racing Facebook page, it was announced that Jet Jam Racing owner and operator Monte Hughes would be “stepping back from event promotions.” The announcement stated that Hughes would “stay close to the community, continue his work as a professional PWC mechanic, and support the sport where he can.”   

There have been no updates to the Jet Jam Facebook page since that post, nor have there been any announcements on the organization’s website. 

Read the full Nauti Water Racing announcement below: 

For Immediate Release: 

Nauti Water Racing Acquires Premier Jetski Racing Series: The assets of Jet Jam Racing  and Full Throttle Watercross

December  1, 2023- Nauti Water Racing is thrilled to announce its recent acquisition of the Jet Jam Racing assets and Full Throttle Watercross. This strategic move solidifies Nauti Water Racing’s position as a leader in the exhilarating world of Jetski racing and further expands its reach within the industry.

Jet Jam Racing and Full Throttle Watercross have established themselves as prominent racing series, attracting top-tier athletes and passionate fans from around the world. Nauti Water Racing aims to create an even more thrilling and competitive IJSBA sanction events.

“We are extremely excited about this acquisition and the opportunities it presents for Nauti Water Racing,” said Terry Hiebert, CEO of Nauti Water Racing. “Jet Jam Racing and Full Throttle Watercross have built remarkable legacies in the sport, and we are determined to take them to new heights. This is an important step towards our vision of revolutionizing Jetski racing and elevating it to unprecedented levels of excitement and professionalism.”

The acquisition of the Jet Jam Racing  assets and Full Throttle Watercross will allow Nauti Water Racing to leverage the strengths and expertise of all three organizations. This collaboration will result in enhanced event experiences, expanded race calendars, and increased exposure for Jetski racing on a global scale.

“We are grateful to the loyal fans, sponsors, and athletes who have supported Jet Jam Racing and Full Throttle Watercross over the years,” added Hiebert “Rest assured, we will continue to provide you with the thrilling races and unforgettable experiences you have come to expect, while also introducing new innovations and initiatives that will redefine the sport.”

Nauti Water Racing’s acquisition of the Jet Jam Racing assets and Full Throttle Watercross marks a significant milestone in the world of Jetski racing. With their combined expertise and resources, these premier racing series are poised to push the boundaries of the sport and captivate audiences like never before.

For more information about Nauti Water Racing and its upcoming events, please visit www.nautiwaterracing.com or follow them on social media @NautiWaterRacing.

@Jettribe Mid America Watercross
Name: Justin Smith
Title: Race Promoter
Email:[email protected]

The Christmas shopping season is in full swing, and Cycle Springs Powersports has you covered…literally and figuratively!

The first line of defense in protecting your PWC from the both summer and winter’s harsh foes – sun, weather, nature, and even physical damage – is an effective, quality cover, and Cycle Springs carries this heavy-duty Sea-Doo UV-resistant canvas cover that could be the best solution for protecting your model while in storage.

Some of Sea-Doo’s advertised cover features include soft inner linings to prevent panel abrasion, yellow fabric to indicate handle insertion points for ease of installation, zippered openings allow easy access to mooring cleats, reinforcement with a layer of double canvas in areas prone to higher wear, side hooks to secure the cover while trailering, and a patented air release vent system for trailering.

Plus, for the all-out Christmas present for a loved one, or even yourself, the 2024 WaveRunners are here. Featuring all-new customizable drive modes on FX models, the all-new 1.9 Liter High Output Yamaha Marine Engine on select models, there’s a full range of models to make it a sure bet that there’s a model just waiting for you.

Download the new Yamaha WaveRunner brochure to learn about the most exciting line of personal watercraft on the planet, and check out the full Yamaha lineup available at CycleSprings Powersports here. The holiday savings don’t end there, though! On special right now is the 2023 Sea-Doo Spark, with low prices complemented with no payments for 6 months.

Be sure to check out the Cycle Springs website for all the great deals, including managers special’s and service specials to help finish up your Christmas shopping list.

Radinn continues to prove why the Carve grabbed the top spot for “Best Surfing Feeling” in DIVEIN Magazine’s Top Ten Electric Surfboards of 2023.

The Carve is Radinn’s high-performance model and it brings out the surfer in you when you ride it. The Carve is made for advanced riders who are ready to get after it and try new tricks to go even bigger on the water. The board was designed for making tight turns and riding on rail like on surfboard. It is super responsive and on point when it comes to pulling huge cutbacks and getting big airs. Add a pair of bindings and you can really go off!

You can see it in action here in this killer clip of the Radinn Carve Phantom with a rider locked in and going off! The slick black board looks great under the rider’s feet as he smoothly transitions from rail to rail on some glassy ocean swell. The bindings make all the difference when the rider takes to the air or pulls off deep turns on the wave face. A pair of FCS twin fins keep it loose when you want to shred and bite when you want to keep it on rail.

Watching the Carve in action is sure to get you stoked and ready to make waves with Radinn. You can head over to the Radinn website to get all the details on the Carve and their complete line up of boards and other hard goods.

Hey, quick question: Do you have a stock 2019-or-newer Sea-Doo 300? And are you tired of tapping out around 68-69 miles per hour but don’t want to make any permanent modifications? OK, one more question: Do you want to go faster without having to pay for it? Well, Active Jet Sport has good news for you!

Active Jet Sport just unveiled its own speed control override (SCOM) for all 2019-and-newer Sea-Doo 300’s ($169.15). For those who don’t know, the SCOM interrupts the signal that travels from the GPS speedometer to the engine ECU telling it to slow down once the speedometer reads 70mph.

Once installed (which takes literally 30-45 seconds), the SCOM allows the engine to continue running at full throttle, permitting your Sea-Doo to run reliably at speeds as high as 75-76 miles per hour (depending on rider weight, fuel level, altitude and weather conditions). It’s easily the best bang-for-the-buck modification you can make.

And like we teased, Active Jet Sport is giving one away to one lucky winner this coming December 9th. You’ve only got a little over a week or so to enter to win, so you better enter now here!

On Wednesday, Nov. 22, WPG#1 Waterjet World Series officials issued a priority message for racers looking to compete at the Dec. 13-17 World Cup at Jomtien Beach, Pattaya, Thailand.

According to the notice, riders who did not attach their photo to the entry form will NOT be allowed to race. The notice did say racers who did not attach a photo to the entry form could email the photo, but the deadline for emailing photos was listed as the same day as the notice was published. No response to inquiries on this matter have been received as of press time. 

According to the notice, “Following the regulations of the tournament, the complete entry form must have the applicant’s photo attached, as we announced on the race notice. However, some riders have not attached their photo with the entry form, so we will consider this entry form ‘not complete’. For those who did not attach the photo, please send us your photo by 22 November 2023 via [email protected]. Otherwise, your name will not be allowed to be on the list for competition.”

According to the official riders list published by WPG#1 Waterjet World Series officials on Nov. 15 and updated on Nov. 18, there are entries for all 25 classes, including eight USA competitors 

In the Pro/ProAm classes, here’s how the numbers add up:

There are four American entries in the Pro Ski Grand Prix class out of the 16 racers registered, including Sebastien Girello  (USA/GoFast US), Jonathan Phan (USA/Kawasaki-Hotproducts), Deven Farthing (USA/Farthing Racing), and James Wilson (USA/Team Kawasaki).

Other top names in the sport lining up for this class include Kevin Reiterer (Austria/Flamingo Racing), Quinten Bossche (Belgium/QB1 Racing), Jeremy Poret (France/Jeremy Poret) and Mickael Poret (France/77 Racing).

In Pro Sport GP, UK racers James Bushell (UK/158 Racing) and Simon Belcher (UK/Handy Motorsport) will face off against 7 Thailand racers. 

In Pro Runabout 1100 Open, Saly Ou Moeut (Cambodia/Flamingo Jet Ski Team) will  line up with one Philippines racer, a racer from China, and eight Thailand racers. 

The US flag makes an appearance in the lineup for the Pro Runabout GP class, with Dustin Farthing (USA/Farthing Racing) on the line of nearly 20 riders, including Francois Medori (France/Easy Rider), György Kasza (Hungary/Kasza Racing), Rashed Aldawas (Kuwait), Mohammad Burbayea (Kuwait/Kuwait Jet Ski Team), Permphon Teerapatpanich (Thailand/Pusan Seadoo Jet Ski Team) and James Bushell.

In Pro Freestyle, coming off of a spectacular performance in Havasu, Demi Morgan (USA/High Speed Industries) will take on a field of eight; four from Japan and four Russian competitors.

In the packed Pro-Am Endurance Open class, a single US flag next to Anthony Radetic’s name (USA/SEA-DOO) stands among a field of more than 30 racers, 12 of which are Thailand competitors. Among the entries are Guy Greenland (Australia/GeeRacing), Saly Ou Moeut, Kylie Ellmers (New Zealand/Flamingo), and Oraphan Teerapatpanich (Thailand/Pusan Seadoo Jet Ski Team)

In the ProAm Womens Ski Grand Prix, River Varner (USA/GOFAST U.S.) will hit the start line with Maria Besschastnaia (Russia/Russia Rocket), Emma Nellie Ortendahl (Sweden/SAS Racing), and Kamonwan Noenhong (Thailand/Jet Ski For Rent By Jompol).

ProAm Ski Stock is a large class, with 15 riders, but no US competitors. Among those racing are Emma Nellie Ortendahl and Tanawin and Tanawid Molee (Thailand). 

No other classes feature US riders as of the latest report on Nov. 18.

RIVA Racing may be jumping the band a bit, but they’re putting customers in the lead with early Black Friday savings that started today and run through midnight on Sunday, November 26. 

With a lineup of sale items boasting 15% to 20% slashed from the retail price, and free shipping on qualified orders, racers, rec riders and everyone in between could see up to 40% clipped off their final purchase price. 

And price cuts run across the board, from performance products, riding gear and wetsuits to covers, towables and even maintenance products. 

Featured products include the RIVA Maptuner NANO, which The Watercraft Journal introduced earlier this month. Normally listed at $299.95, RIVA’s Black Friday deal brings you plug-in horsepower for only $254.96. 

Also, a full gamut of steering systems are headed straight to your shopping cart with Black Friday prices, including the RIVA Kawasaki 2022+ Ultra 310 Pro-Series Steering System, cut from $1,199.95 to $1,019.96; the RIVA Yamaha 2022+ FX Pro-Series Steering System dropping from $729.95 to $620.46; and the RIVA Sea-Doo 2021+ RXP Pro-Series Steering System cut from $730.95 to $621.31. 

RIVA’s time- and effort-saving performance kits for Sea-Doo, Yamaha and Kawasaki are all 15% off, and slashing the price on another instant favorite introduced on The Watercraft Journal earlier this month, you can grab RIVA’s new iDF Delete Kit for almost $225 off the listed price. 

The sale doesn’t end where the racetrack stops, though, and up to 15% price drops run throughout RIVA’s departments, including Hydro-Turf mat kits, seat covers, maintenance products, graphic kits and beach stands. 

And to keep you looking sharp and riding safe, the Riding Gear department is chopping up to 20% off vests, wetsuits, tour coats, gloves and more. Even the new Jetpilot Vintage Class Nylon vests are reduced for Black Friday, dropping from $74.95 to $50.

Visit the RIVA Racing Black Friday Sale to check out all the deals. 

For those who managed to catch The Watercraft Journal IRL podcast where we welcomed FuelTech CEO Anderson Dick and Greenhulk Garage’s Greg Gaddis, you might’ve gathered that Anderson is not like contemporary tuners that we’ve got in the personal watercraft aftermarket.

Anderson’s penchant for devising simple solutions for seemingly complicated performance issues has resulted in massive breakthroughs in the top speed/racing arena. One such hurdle has been how to best maximize the boost (increased intake atmosphere) of a supercharged engine.

In the video below, Anderson details that the entirety of the current pool of HydroDrag participants are seeking these extraordinary horsepower numbers all wrong. Rather than radically re-engineering the engine for maximum power output (he uses a SVHO in this instance), he suggests leaving it be.

Rather, he details how building the engine for maximum longevity (superior oiling, fueling and durability) and force-feeding the supercharger through a compound turbo system allows the supercharger to operate within its “safe” parameters requiring no extra effort to generate added boost.

Instead, Anderson illustrates how the SVHO’s supercharger is a 2-to-1 multiplier; and when fed 10psi of boost, the supercharger compresses that intake charge to 20psi. Therefore, when fed 30psi from a Garrett turbo, the supercharger presses out an incredible 60-plus-psi, with minimal back pressure.

When paired with a FuelTech FT550 ECU and an electric blow-off valve, the combination can literally command boost on a whim. To quote Gaddis, “This is the future of performance PWC.” The video below is an incredibly detailed tutorial that will have many rethinking their current combinations.