A blog posted on the Radinn website, covers the pros to winter surfing. Most of us know that winter is the best time because it thins the crowds on the southeast coast in the USA. However, with the winter gear getting increasingly better, those uncrowded days are hard to come by. Still, winter riding does come with fewer crowds and less boats in the water.
When you’re on a jetboard, that makes the day so much better. You can really let loose without the worry of a lot of traffic on the water.
Winter riding is also great way to stave off those winter blues. Find a body of water that isn’t frozen and get outside and start ripping!
If you’re near the east coast, and feel confident in your skills, get out there and see what a Nor’easter is all about. When in doubt, don’t go out.
Also, make sure you have the proper winter surfing gear. We need booties, gloves, hoods, and 3/2, 4/3, and even 6mm fullsuits in the northeast and some areas on the west coast.
Hit your local shop and let them help you pick the winter surfing gear you need. As for your Radinn electric jetboard, the crew recommends the Carve for fall and winter riding.
It is a high-performance model and is designed to take on almost anything. It handles well in big chop and is lightweight and responsive, allowing to ride rail to rail.
It comes with footstraps so you can lock in and go! The jetpack sits deeper in the water, making for decreased buoyancy, meaning that air can’t enter the waterjet, so you won’t lose power. Check out the Radinn website for all the info on their jetboards and start building your quiver.
Powerboat P1 announced that the 2022 P1 Aqua Cross Bahamas World Championship will once again be hosted by Nassau Paradise Island – a lush oceanside resort with a wealth of unique amenities for the entire family. The three-day event will run from November 4-6 2022, and marks the climax of the P1 AquaX personal watercraft race season.
The P1 AquaX Bahamas World Championship will feature a mix of forty professional and amateur endurance riders who qualify for the race through performances in the USA national series. The five-venue 2022 USA national championship features riders from ten countries, running some of the fastest off-the-shelf watercraft capable of speeds excess of 75mph.
In a press release, Powerboat P1 CEO Azam Rangoonwala stated, “Media and broadcast relationships play a key role in building P1 AquaX’s international presence and delivering significant exposure for host venues and commercial partners.
The event will be broadcast in the United States on the Bally Sports Regional Networks and CBS Sports Network, with international coverage on leading sports channels in more than 100 million homes in over 50 countries.
The opening day will include practice, testing, and qualifying, followed by six races across the weekend. Atlantis Paradise Island will provide a breathtaking setting for the high-speed action, and we could not be more pleased to partner with the resort again.”
Powerboat P1 indicated that “Riders seeking qualification through racing in the United States national championship will compete in the P1 AquaX Race to the Bahamas World Championship.
The result will be an international, elite field of the world’s best personal watercraft racers representing more than a dozen countries, with the Pro Enduro riders competing for the world title and the amateur riders battling for the P1 AquaX Amateur International Cup.”
The passing of Bill Chapin, 65 (August 19, 2022) – together with that of Clayton Jacobson II, 88 – marks a severe loss in the PWC community. Unlike the pioneering inventor of both the original sit-down personal watercraft and the nascent standup, Chapin wasn’t one to seek notoriety or even a picture in a magazine. It’s because of this that many might never know the role Bill Chapin played in the sport of personal watercraft racing, and all of us at WCJ feel that shouldn’t be.
Born William D. Chapin on January 2, 1957, Chapin was “extremely ambitious and passionate” about racing, family, and friends. Chapin cut his teeth on the motocross track during his teens and 20’s. After a critical accident, Chapin opted for building motorcycles rather than racing them. By the late 1970’s, motocross segued into JetSkis; first racing them and then building them. Chapin excelled at world famous PJS (Performance Jet Ski) before starting R&D Racing with Glenn Dickinson.
Chapin’s innovations while at R&D were directly responsible for literally thousands of national titles and world championships. Chapin traveled across the US to Japan, Jamaica, and France over his 30 years at R&D; and after retiring from the PWC world, began developing new parts for UTV’s “where a new love of racing took over.” In addition to motorsports, he enjoyed mountain biking, fishing, camping and hiking… and horseback riding.”
In his obituary, it writes, “He was fearless, generous, eclectic, fun-loving, frustrating, creative, sensitive, and protective. As much as he loved his work, he also loved his family. He is survived by his wife Stephanie, his daughters Brittani and Alyson, his son Jeffrey, and his granddaughter Livia.” Bill Chapin’s celebration of life is set for September 10th, 2022 at 3PM at Shugrue’s in Lake Havasu City, AZ. Below we’ve collected a few testimonials sharing their thoughts.
Christy Carlson Swaid wrote: Bill loved and respected all things motor related. After we won the championship back in 1996, I took a hiatus from jet ski racing and went into more car racing; invitationals such as the Toyota Pro Celebrity Race Long Beach Grand Prix. He was very much in the details of all of those side dishes in my career.
Just the sight of him gave me so much more confidence. He would speak the truth as he saw it even if the truth was hard to hear. His faith in my abilities drove me to realize my potential. There were moments I lost faith and he would not allow me to stay there
He had a fun side as well. He loved Christmas and whenever we did a job well done he say let’s get out of town. He packed up his girls – number one Stephanie, number to Brittney, and I was a tag-along. We would go to Vegas not to drink or gamble but to shop and enjoy spa treatments.
Mike Young wrote: Bill Chapin was a very intense and driven man, and his R&D brand was synonymous with winning National and World PWC Racing Championships.
Billy Dearman wrote: I met Bill in 2001 when I was racing for Factory Yamaha with Farthing Racing. He was always very quiet and standoffish but when you get to speak with him alone, he really opened up and was so very nice. He was so much help over the last two decades. My last privilege of working with him was testing R&D reflash ignitions for the Yamaha SVHO.
In 2014-2016 we were racing the Yamaha FZS/R and Bill was a huge part of my efforts. The last runabout championships I won were utilizing his R&D reflashed ECU! I visited with him at his home in Havasu a few years back and we talked for hours about the vintage runabouts he had there from the old factory Kawasaki days. He will be greatly missed.
Vasilis Moraitis wrote: A close friend of fine, the guru of jet ski development parts, Bill Chapin, has left us. … A great loss for me. He was a mentor and a very good friend who gave me the unique opportunity to work with him and learn so much. Lately, Bill was working on a development project with KMC and Jeremy McGrath for the Kawasaki 1000 Teryx. Bill, we thank you so much for all those great things you did for this sport and the riders and teams you supported all those years. You will be definitely be missed but never been forgotten.
Rob Greenwald wrote: Bill will be greatly missed by the racing world. He was always working hard to develop the best products and was a great asset to many a racer as well. His dedication to our community and many great racers will now leave a void with his passing. Bill was truly a cornerstone in our PWC racing world! I will always remember those early morning test sessions at Body Beach and the long hours he devoted to his work and love!
Jeff Ames wrote: Bill Chapin was a maker of Champions, a mentor, and a friend! As the Splash Magazine Editor, I was fortunate to travel, photograph, and write about personal watercraft for over ten years. Testing and evaluating each new PWC and working with the aftermarket industry to make them go faster/handle better was all part of the job description.
One of my most guarded and valued collaborations was with Christy Carlson (Swaid) and Bill Chapin. I’m not sure how many sunrises we saw at Body Beach in Lake Havasu City, but it was many. Bill had to have clean flat water for testing, which meant getting out before the fishermen.
Bill challenged, tested, and taught me so much about watercraft, life, and the Championship mentality he had in everything he did. Rest in peace, my friend; you will be missed!
Brian Boell wrote: Bill was truly a pioneer in the sport of PWC. He also was part of the powerhouse that was PJS before the R&D days. Definitely not many who have ever done what he did, or ever will.
Dustin Farthing wrote: Rest in peace, Bill Chapin! You will be missed, brother. I will never be able to thank you enough for our friendship, and all the help over the last 25-plus-years. I don’t care how crazy the ideas, or how much work it was, you were always there to give 100-percent.
My sons and I have a lot of championships because of you, and I’ll always look at the trophies and think about the memories and crazy-ass stories you’d tell. You were a true champion and the world is a better place because of you. I will miss you buddy, and my thoughts go out to all of your family.
Rob Flores wrote: In total shock once again. This guy shared many cool stories with me about his Pro moto wrenching days back in the 70’s and 80’s and taught me some things throughout my 31-year jet ski career.
John Barrett wrote: A sad loss for the jet ski community. Bill will be missed by all that got the opportunity to truly get to know and hang out with him. I consider myself very lucky to have shared many meals and memories will Bill over the years. Definitely going to miss hanging out at your shop and listening to all the stories you shared over the years. My condolences go out to the Chapin family and friends. Rest easy, Bill.
Mike Follmer wrote: The year 1973 very good for me in two respects: I was selected to race on the Team Maico motocross team, and I also met my new teammate named Bill Chapin. It was a great opportunity for both Bill and me. Bill was a great teammate, fierce competitor and became a good friend and mentor in some areas over the next several years of our tenure with Team Maico.
After a very successful three years racing motocross, I left Team Maico at the close of the 1975 season to follow my dream of going car racing. Always searching for new and exciting avenues to pursue I was introduced to the sport of Personal Watercraft Endurance racing in 1991. I quickly learned that the premier racing parts developer and supplier in the industry was R&D Racing. As one of the owners of R&D, Bill Chapin and I were reunited once again.
I became a factory Yamaha rider and along with Bill’s partner in R&D, Glenn Dickinson, we started R&D Yamaha Team Follmer and became a formidable team in PWC Endurance racing over the next 20-plus-years. Bill and Glenn developed many fine products for Yamaha and other PWC, and if it were not for those products and Bill and Glenn’s support I would not have won as many races and championships over the years.
Bill and I developed a long-standing relationship from those early morning test sessions at Body Beach and the long days going up and down the river working on every new development. Bill was the best tuner in the business and worked tirelessly to come up with the latest innovations that helped me win. Bill was ALL about the WIN.
Bill would set up my boat and I was instructed that it was to be raced as he said. His perfectionism and attention to detail were the reasons we finished every race over my career.
Over the years we had many laughs and fun times together and formed a very special relationship. After I retired from PWC racing we maintained a close relationship and spoke often. Bill would always make a point to come out for my Mark Hahn endurance race and help out with the race and with some of the racers who needed his help. Bill was the best in all respects and always will be.
I will miss Bill very much. He will never be forgotten and always remembered.
It was this wild headline that piqued our interest: Vanquish Yachts tarts up a jet ski to look a little less vulgar. We had to know what was behind the author’s obvious disdain for jet skis. PWC have long been used around yachts either for pleasure or as tenders to make your way to land. We don’t think there is anything wrong with using jet skis to get around when the yacht is anchored.
The Vanquish VQ11 is designed with a yacht like shape, like a classic Boston Whaler. It is larger than a typical jet ski, coming in at 11 feet and a little over 5 feet wide and seats up to 3 people. The Vanquish VQ11 is outfitted with a powerful 170-horsepower Sea-Doo engine with a top speed of 58mph.
It may be oversized, but it can make a turn sharp enough to spray the yacht while joyriding. In the accompanying video, they say it turns like a “go kart.” That must be their way of appealing to the commoner.
The VQ11 is tucked away in the large VQ58 when it isn’t being used. Check out the video to see it in action! It does look fun for an overpriced and oversized jet ski and you and the VQ11 will definitely stand out from all the ordinary jet skis when you will pull up to the dock to grab groceries. Like Vanquish says: The VQ11 is not for everyone.
Radinn Jetboards wants to hear from you and give you the opportunity to be featured on their socials. Get out there and make some waves on your Radinn Jetboard and there is a good chance your photos or videos will make it onto at least one of their social media accounts.
The crew is always uploading new content, whether it’s the team or regular riders out there having a good time making waves on their Raddin Jetboards. They have a ready-made form on their website that you can fill out with your info and upload your content.
A helpful list is included to guide you through the process of getting your content to them. It includes instructions on how to hold your GoPro or phone when filming and other important information so you can get it right.
You can upload up to 5 photos or videos on one form and you can fill out as many forms as you like after each session. You can also include a clip of yourself talking into the camera using the prompt: “My name is [name] and I make waves in [place]”
No picture or video clip is too small, and it doesn’t matter what your skill level is, everyone is welcome to submit content. If you’re just learning, grabbing footage of waterways, or an established rider, Radinn wants to see your stuff!
Fort Lauderdale, USA - January 14, 2013: Water Police Boat, Fort Lauderdale, USA
Fort Lauderdale, USA – January 14, 2013: Water Police Boat, Fort Lauderdale, USA
A news report from Fort Lauderdale’s WSVN 7 News, states that Marine Patrol is making it difficult for jet ski rental operators to conduct business in the area. Bill Schneider owns Hot Scooter and Jet Rental has been in business since 2014. His crew has always used the boat ramps at George English Park to launch their jet skis. Petrina wellington owns Lustre Watersports and uses the same ramps to launch their rental PWC.
Everything was fine until the Fourth of July weekend when one of Schneider’s employees was slapped with a trespassing warning from a Marine Patrol officer. Wellington’s business also received a trespassing warning. They were both hoping for a super busy weekend and instead were forced to temporarily shut down.
The business owners called 7News for help who contacted the City of Fort Lauderdale. City Manager Greg Chavarria said: “…due to an influx and substantial increase of commercial activity, as well as resulting safety concerns … the City has stepped up its enforcement and, with regards to Jetski rentals, has opened up a bidding process and awarded a contract to an authorized vendor.”
Schneider and Wellington were not aware of the bidding process which had occurred in October of 2021. The company that secured the bid has exclusive rights to operate motorized and non-motorized watersports rentals at George English Park. Wellington is operating out of Boca Raton for the time being and Schneider’s jet skis are sitting on their trailers. They both plan to appeal the ruling in hopes of keeping their businesses afloat. This is a developing story and we’ll let you know when we hear more.
The Music City Grand Prix Invitational, held August 5-6, smashed its way through “watercraft racing norms” from start to finish; from the invitation-style race roster, to the Friday-Saturday schedule, to new racing formats for both the Friday slalom drags and the Saturday Closed Course race – not to mention functioning as a “supporting cast” instead of the lead actors in the weekend event. Everything about the Nashville weekend was unfamiliar and different – and those differences led to a plethora of racer comments – both positive and negative – to this photographer over the weekend.
Each “new” aspect gained its proponents and detractors, and in many circumstances, racers saw both positive potential, and frustrating downsides to each of those aspects. And there was little doubt that the promoters felt the same rollercoaster reaction to the groundbreaking experiment in opening up new PWX avenues.
While Nashville was not the first “invitation only” race the PWX community has ever seen, it is a rare occurrence in stateside races, and especially in the Pro Watercross Tour. And, while there were online mutterings here and there about who was, and wasn’t, invited.. The fact remains that the race rosters were some of the fullest I’ve seen in many years, with riders representing almost all regions of the country.
The inclusion of the PWC races with a larger event is also not completely new – Can-Am Watercross’ Belle River race in conjunction with the SunSplash Festival, and several HydroCross Nationals races held as part of community events, come to mind. But the inclusion of the Nashville races with the Music City Grand Prix Indy Car event took this concept to a whole new level, opening up watercross racing to a huge population of potential new fans – not only Indy Car aficionados, but the location – in downtown Nashville – meant exposure to a large audience of “unintentional” spectators. Not to mention the added “after race” enjoyment for the race family – from touring IndyCar pits, to adjacent access to Music City Row and some memory-making nightlife, to a Tim McGraw concert.
But, this partnership with MCGP meant that the watercross races – promoters, racers, crews and family – were cast in the unfamiliar role of being minor players on a big stage. Racers felt it, but even moreso, promoters felt it. Choices, schedules, formats and logistics that are normally fully within the promoter’s discretion were rigidly controlled by the MCGP rules and parameters.
Which brings us to the technical formats for both Friday and Saturday’s races – Friday’s head-to-head slalom races, organized under the innovative direction of long-time Pro Watercross familiar face and Team Faith leader Brian O’Rourke, and the one-day, heat-based closed-course format put in place by Pro Watercross’s AJ Handler and team. But the discussion of those formats – the technical components, the challenges they posed, the potential they represent, and the racer reaction to them – will far exceed my word count limit for this article, so I am going to convince Kevin to let me tackle each of those in an individual follow-up article, and instead close out the Nashville Invitational wrap-up with a comment from SlalomDrags.com mastermind, Brian O’Rourke:
“I didn’t want to produce just another jet ski race. The watercraft racing industry has been doing basically the same thing since its inception over the last 40 years in terms of format and general layout and anatomy of a race. Things like starting from the shore and having the first turn the farthest away from the audience of potential fans, huge tracks where there are very few passing opportunities and the average non-enthusiast coming up to a race site can’t make heads or tails of the layout, and so many classes competing that nobody, including the racers, have the attention span to watch them all.
“These are the challenges we face as an Industry for creating more fans for our Sport, I believe. As much as I love closed-course racing and even offshore endurance racing, those disciplines have proven to be difficult to acquire the new fan base we all think our sport deserves, and I’d like to thank AJ and the entire crew from Pro Watercross for supporting me and giving me the opportunity to try this new race format on such a huge stage.
“I came up with this format featuring arguably the best PWC racers from all over the US coming together to showcase a brand-new racing format with side-by-side racing on 2 identical tracks consisting of slalom turns and long drag straightaways. Starting from a stationary launch pad, competitors try to time the Drag-style light tree for the best reaction time because the fastest elapsed time leads to the Overall Victory.
“It’s easy to understand for anyone, the racing is exciting and entertaining, the starts are equal and fair for each competitor and the focus is more on the rider than on the equipment they ride. Pair this with recognizable on-air talent for TV like Supercross’ Daniel Blair, Lucas Oil Off-Road and Watercraft racing’s own Dave Arnold, and Snocross’ Arica Alread as pit reporter and put the race smack-dad in the middle of downtown Nashville during the Indy Car Music City Grand Prix and now you have an event that has the potential to help grow the fan base of the Sport!”
Slalom Drags: Pro/Am Ski GP: Matthew Richuk; Sport Spec: Sammy Nehme; IROC Stock: Ryan Rasmussen; Jr. Ski 10-15: Maddox Haynes. Pro Watercross Closed Course: Pro/Am Ski GP: Jimmy Wilson; Sport Stock: Matt Johnson; Jr. Ski 10-15: Maddox Haynes; IROC Stock: Ryan Rasmussen
Sea-Doo is entering the hydrofoil market with the electric Rise. It is geared toward most everyone who wants to have fun on the water. With the ability to transition as its rider gains more experience, you won’t outgrow it. This makes it accessible to the entire family.
The Rise is super innovative and versatile. It is equipped with a retractable handlebar, which is a really cool feature. It enables you to ride standing up or on your knees. It will help the new surfer build confidence as they’re learning how to stand up and balance. Fold it down, when you’re ready, and go surfing!
Another cool thing about the Rise, is that you don’t have to use the foil. It folds up inside the board. That is a cool feature. You can also partially deploy the foil and ride it like that. When you’re ready to get going, click the handheld remote, select your cruising speed, and zip across the water.
The Rise is extremely quiet too, so you can enjoy the sounds of nature and focus on your ride. The board is simple to use and easy to charge. Sea-Doo is bringing a truly elevated experience to their already packed lineup of watercraft. The Rise will allow you to maximize your fun on the water. It is scheduled to be available in the summer of 2024, so we have a while to wait. For now, check out the video clip and some pics of this neat little hydrofoil.
If you haven’t purchased a Bopenski Kickback Chair by now or are considering buying another, now is the time. Bopenski Watersports has them marked down to $139.00, that’s $30 off the regular price. These chairs are great, and they offer versatility to your jet ski life. Take a break from racing around on the water and kick back in one of these comfortable chairs. It only takes a minute to set up. You can chill with your favorite beverage or do some fishing. We hear they’re great to rest your eyes in too.
The chairs can hold a couple of pockets for holding your drink and other small items. The chairs support up to 225 pounds and fit most 3-seat makes and models of jet skis with a tow-eye or pylon. They are built to last and have a 1-year warranty.
We’ve raved about the Bopenski chairs for years and will continue to do so because they are one of the best aftermarket jet ski accessories to hit the market for the recreational rider. If you own a 2020-2022 model Sea-Doo without the pylon or tow eye, Bopenski carries the strap you need to attach your chair to your PWC. Order a Bopenski Kickback Chair today! You will be glad you did! Your days on the water will be forever changed, in a good way of course. Happy riding!
More than fifty personal watercraft riders headed to Florida’s Atlantic Coast at the weekend where Daytona Beach lived up to its reputation as being the most challenging round of the season, with riders battling the Atlantic and some being forced to switch to backup watercraft mid-event.
With the Hard Rock Hotel providing the backdrop, the Grand Prix was the penultimate round of the 2022 P1 AquaX National Championship that comprises a total of five venues in Florida and Indiana over five months. Short Block Technologies (SBT) the largest pwc aftermarket parts company in the world, is the title sponsor of the series, which receives national television coverage on Bally Sports Regional Networks.
On the opening day, racing was curtailed as thunderstorms rolled through in the afternoon.
Image courtesy of P1 AquaX
In the Pro Enduro class, Broward Motorsports rider Dustin Farthing performed consistently all weekend to claim the overall win, with teammate Jimmy Wilson in second place. An impressive ride by Vanjae Ramgeet took him into third place and enhanced his reputation in the topflight.
Jay Finlinson, the young gun from Indiana, took top spot in the AM 300 class ahead of Eric Diaz and Jason Williams. Sam Nehme continued his domination of the 200 Enduro class, proving that he is more than ready to advance to AM 300 racing. Kevin Sullivan and French rider Yoan Feron finished second and third. Ride Now PowerSports of Daytona provided hole-shot prizes that went to Vanjae Ramgeet, Jimmy Wilson and Dustin Farthing.
The final round of the AquaX National Championship will take the riders to St. Petersburg on Florida’s Gulf Coast on the weekend of September 3-4.
When you’re on a jetboard, that makes the day so much better. You can really let loose without the worry of a lot of traffic on the water.
The crew is always uploading new content, whether it’s the team or regular riders out there having a good time making waves on their 
