If you live near Rockford IL, and are into motocross, then chances are you’ve heard of Rocky Glen OHV. This 120-acre recreation park features more than 20 miles of trails and four different tracks for ATVs, dirt bikes, UTVs, and quads- and is now partnering with Great Lakes Watercross to open a private PWC practice course!

Great Lakes Watercross (GLW), the Midwest’s leading IJSBA-sanctioned closed course buoy racing and freestyle tour, will be responsible for commissioning the new PWC practice course on the Rocky Glen’s private lake.

The new practice course will be available to all, and is expected to open to the public early Spring 2023. GLW will be releasing more details about the practice course, as well as specifics on the exact opening day.

“Great Lakes Watercross is excited to share that we will have our own practice facility right here in the Midwest, bring your UTVs, and dirt bikes to ride Rocky Glen Trails too!“

For more information visit the Rocky Glen OHV website HERE

Over the past year-and-a-half there has been no less than a baker’s dozen announced developments of all-new personal watercraft from very unlikely sources (and a few industry mainstays) that frankly, just didn’t seem all that likely to come to fruition.

And hey, that’s OK. Posting up a digital rendering of a twin-turbo, 90mph all carbon fiber one-seater runabout is gonna drum up some quick and easy attention on social media. We get it. But will this fabled $80,000 jet ski be actually made? Chances are unlikely at best.

So when famed offshore race boat manufacturer Cigarette Racing announced a similar “dream ski” at last year’s Miami Boat Show people were certainly stirred up. Even The Watercraft Journal took the bait and quickly reached out to the company’s media manager.

We published everything we received during a short discourse promising an insane, overpowered and lightweight race craft priced above most people’s daily-driven commuter car. Then fatefully, the company went radio-silent. Oh well, we figured. There goes another one.

Then Big Thunder Marine published these three images that we couldn’t see anywhere on Cigarette’s own social media – no seriously, we checked their Facebook and multiple Instagram pages. So how this dealer from Lake of the Ozarks got these images we have no idea.

But what is shown is the early stages of a lower hull, an early setup for the engine and drivetrain, as well as an adjustable sponson. Powered by a turbocharged 3-cylinder four-stroke engine, the Cigarette Racing PWC looks to be in a traditional arrangement contrary to the early dual jet pump configuration teased last year.

Yamaha WaveRunners scooped up another award for excellent customer satisfaction for the 7^th year in a row. Yamaha Watercraft was recognized for its outstanding customer satisfaction during the Industry Breakfast at the 2023 Miami International Boat Show. The Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) is the industry’s top honor for customer satisfaction and out of 57 recipients across 14 categories, Yamaha is the only personal watercraft brand to be recognized by the NMMA for its exceptional customer satisfaction.

With Yamaha leading the way within global marine brands and having the number one selling jet boat brand, it’s no wonder they received the CSI award for the 7^th year in a row. The company offers the most complete line of personal watercraft in the United States with a stand-up model and two- and three-seater models available. In the last two decades, Yamaha is the only jet boat and personal watercraft to have received a CSI Award from the NMMA.

This award is given to boat and engine manufacturers who actively measure customer satisfaction and strive to provide the best customer service throughout the year. They must be in the 90% or higher range when it comes to customer satisfaction surveys. Yamaha WaveRunners and Boats met and exceeded the challenge.

“As recreational boating continues to welcome an influx of new boaters, we are committed to providing ever-improving experiences for new and existing boat owners before, during, and after their time spent on the water,” said Robert Newsome, senior vice president of operations for NMMA. “We applaud these boat and engine manufacturers for creating an exceptional purchase journey and product to ensure an outstanding experience that creates a life-long love of boating for boaters worldwide.”

Enthusiasts can now take their passion for Kawasaki Motorcycles, ATVs, Side x Sides and Jet Ski Watercraft to the next level by joining the Kawasaki corporate sales team! Kawasaki Motors Corporation has announced new District Sales Manager positions in various cities across 9 U.S. markets.

According to Kawasaki’s corporate careers portal, these new District Sales Managers will “develop and maintain dealer networks to sell Kawasaki’s line of vehicles” in these new sales districts: Las Vegas/Central California, Utah/Idaho/Nevada, Kansas City, Chicago, Arkansas/Mississippi, Houston/New Orleans, Ohio/West Virginia, North Carolina, and Coastal Carolinas.

Prospective District Sales Managers should have “a minimum of five years related experience and/or training in a sales environment,” or a combination of prior experience in sales and education. Salaries start at $80,000 – $90,000 plus incentive, bonus, and a comprehensive benefits package.

Read the original press release below:

Kawasaki Motors Corp., U.S.A. has announced it will expand its District Manager sales force with openings across the country. Kawasaki has open positions in major U.S. markets and is now accepting applications.

Following the tremendous success the powersports industry has seen over the past few years, Kawasaki plans to maintain steady growth through expanding its sales force to provide a higher level of engagement and increased contact frequency with its dealer network.

“The powersports industry continues to grow and we are growing our team along with it.” said Senior Director of U.S. Sales, Anthony Kestler. “Kawasaki has the industry’s best dealer network and we are adding new team members that have enthusiasm and passion for powersports as we expand our sales force and model line-up of Motorcycles, ATVs, Side x Sides and Personal Watercraft in 2023 and beyond.”

Open positions are available to view now. Please visit the Corporate Careers link on Kawasaki.com for additional information. 

We received a press release from P1 AquaX citing their 2023 race calendar. It features a 5-venue national championship which includes both Pro and AM endurance racing. The series will hit both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of Florida. Moreover, AquaX is preparing to get underway with celebrating its 10th anniversary in the United States. This is going to be an exciting season with P1 AquaX! Check out the full press release below!

P1 AquaX USA Unveils 2023 Race Calendar
• 5-venue national championship gets underway in Indiana in early July
• National Championship will include both Pro and Am endurance racing
• Series to visit established venues on Florida’s Atlantic and Gulf coasts

As it prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary in the United States, international personal watercraft racing promoter P1 AquaX has released plans to stage a 5-venue series with events in Florida and Indiana. The 2023 National Championship will kick off in early July and feature both Pro and Am Enduro racing.

The riders will start the season in Michigan City, about 50 miles east of Chicago, where both categories of racers will be in action on Lake Michigan. Next stop for the Pro series in August will be the Sunshine State’s Atlantic Coast and the challenging surf of Daytona Beach, whilst the amateur riders will compete in Indiana again with La Porte hosting the second round at the end of July before they head to Daytona.

The events in Michigan City and La Porte will make up the Indiana Series to produce a champion across the two rounds. It will be a Pro/Am series run under Amateur Enduro rules and offer closed course racing. P1 AquaX will again collaborate with Great Lakes Watercross, the premier closed course racing and freestyle tour for personal watercraft in the MidWest.

St. Petersburg on Florida’s Gulf Coast will welcome the Pro racers in early September as part of a double bill of AquaX and powerboat racing, ahead of all the riders coming together in Kissimme/St. Cloud. Discussions are underway to add Miami to the race calendar in September.

Unveiling the calendar at P1’s race headquarters in Orlando, P1 USA Championship Manager Michelle Petro said: “Outstanding locations and host venues contribute enormously to our event offering, with the focus on raising the profile of the venue, attracting visitors, encouraging local involvement and stimulating the local economy. We will be announcing further details of our race season next month, including television coverage and sponsorship agreements.”

For more information on this release:
Roy Mantle
T:+44 (0)20 7935 4977
c:+44 (0)7985 350 177

P1 AquaX at Powerboat P1 Management Ltd
Queen Anne Mansions
86/87 Wimpole Street
London W1G 9RL

Over the past three years, The Watercraft Journal has sold hundreds of its Long Hauler Auxiliary Fuel System Kits to personal watercraft owners across the world. Literally hundreds of enthusiasts are enjoying longer rides to far off shorelines that they couldn’t reach before.

This comprehensive, lightweight package includes every bit of hardware and equipment (besides basic hand tools) necessary to install on to any 4-stroke powered Kawasaki, Yamaha and pre-2012 Sea-Doo runabout (except those equipped with deck extensions).

Christopher Stone of The Adventure State wrote: “I like to ride long distances and having the Kawasaki Ultra 310, it can be quite thirsty. I came across the Long Hauler Auxiliary Fuel System Kit and finally decided on that one. I had that fuel kit installed in 10 minutes, and it has saved my behind on long distance riding more than once. Needless to say, I am an extremely happy customer!”

The Long Hauler Auxiliary Fuel System Kit uses the vacuum created by the watercraft’s fuel pump to naturally siphon fuel from a vented-to-atmosphere marine-grade auxiliary fuel tank that holds over 12-gallons of fuel. It installs without any drilling, cutting or permanent modifications saving your PWC’s resale value.

Michael King wrote: “I installed the Auxiliary Fuel System Kit on my FX Cruiser SVHO. Let me tell you, it worked amazing. I can’t believe Yamaha hasn’t offered something similar. [I took] a trip that I’ve done before and previously worried about fuel level, around 70 miles of riding pretty fast and hard from Jersey City, NJ to City Island, NY.

“I was at 100% fuel according to the Yamaha gauge up until the tail end of the ride where it got down to 94%. When I checked the Auxiliary Fuel System tank, it was pretty much empty, maybe one gallon left in it. I was pretty impressed with how well it worked and can’t believe how easy it was to install/use.”

The Long Hauler Auxiliary Fuel System Kit is priced at $695 but only until the end of Spring. Cost of materials have increased steadily over the past two years requiring us to raise prices, but we’re going to keep the price as-is for a couple of more months so order yours NOW before the price change.

The 2023 Sea-Doo Explorer Pro 170 is coming in hot after the Sea-Doo Switch was named Boat of the Year by Boating Magazine. Gear Junkie usually sticks to overland vehicles when determining their annual best adventure vehicles. This year they got their hands on a Sea-Doo Explorer Pro, their first test of an “overwatering” adventure machine.

“Overwatering” might not be an official phrase yet, like overlanding, but the idea of getting away from civilization is familiar to most adventurists.

Now, there’s a watercraft built for multi-day excursions, straight from the factory, that goes where boats can’t go. The Explorer Pro 170 is for the serious adventurer who wants to go the distance and beyond.

It can haul a huge amount of gear with all its storage and specialized compartments. The Gear Junkie crew tested it in heavy water and also took it on multi-day excursions to see what it could do. They were impressed with the amount of storage and its surprisingly good fuel efficiency.

They were impressed with the seat, which made for a nice ride when heading out on a 2-day, 150-mile trip from Fernandina Beach to St. Augustine and back. They left the dock with a lot of gear and full tanks of fuel. Everything was secure onboard with the LinQ system.

The windshield was nice for cutting the early morning chill and minimizing noise from the wind. A drawback of the windshield was that it’s almost impossible to see through when covered in saltwater spray.

Check out their review for more in-depth details about the Gear Junkie experience on the 2023 Sea-Doo Explorer Pro 170.