It’s not often that I write in the first person narrative, but I thought I’d share this note to you personally: working as the Editor of Personal Watercraft Illustrated (PWI) was some of the best years of my professional career. The notion that someone would pay me quite a bit of money to write about jet skis, to spend days out on the water, and meeting some of the best folks in the world still baffles me to this day. In fact, it was my time at that magazine that spurred me into launching The Watercraft Journal in 2013, maybe at the very least, in an attempt to recapture that same joy.
Unfortunately, PWI closed its doors January 1st, 2010, thus ending the longest run of a print publication aimed for watercraft enthusiasts (having launched its first issue in June 1987). As I packed my office, I was keenly aware of the archive of back issues boxed and stacked deep in the storage room. These same back issues and all intellectual properties associated to the title traded hands for a few years until finally landing in the care of former PWI Editor Jeff Hain.
Hain, as many will know, was the publication’s longest helmsman (from late-1993 to mid-2002), and rightly steered the publication through some of the industry’s strongest and most vibrant years. While Hain has no plans to resurrect the paper publication, he does seek to keep the legacy alive by offering brand-new back issues of the now defunct magazine available for purchase on the official Personal Watercraft Illustrated Magazine Facebook page. Discounted prices are available for multi-issue purchases. You can order your back issues by messaging HERE.
That’s Awesome! I had a subscription from 93 to the last one in 2010. I kept every issue too. I referred to them as my bible. My wife thinks I’m crazy, but it is fun to go back and flip through the magazines. I won’t get rid of them either. I’m glad I found this website though. Didn’t know about it until a last year (or so) and ironically it’s the same editor as PWI…lol…Perfect!
“The notion that someone would pay me quite a bit of money to write about jet skis”
I didn’t think that was possible anymore! It seems that nobody in the PWC business makes much money.
Just received some of my copies that I bought and they are excellent!! Thanks!
Sweet! I was a subscriber for almost a decade until I took a break from jetskis in the mid 2000’s. I wore out a lot of my magazines from looking at them so much so this is a great option for us people who like to relive the glory days!
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