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Jet ski
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Jet Ski is the brand name of personal watercraft (PWC) manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The name, however, has become a genericized trademark for any type of personal watercraft. Jet Ski (or JetSki, often shortened to "Ski") can also specifically refer to versions of PWCs with pivoting handlepoles known as "stand-ups."
"Jet Ski" became foremost the colloquial term for stand-up personal watercraft, because in 1973 Kawasaki was responsible for a limited production of stand-up models as designed by the recognized inventor of Jet Skis, Clayton Jacobson II.
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Jet Ski is the brand name of personal watercraft (PWC) manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The name, however, has become a genericized trademark for any type of personal watercraft. Jet Ski (or JetSki, often shortened to "Ski") can also specifically refer to versions of PWCs with pivoting handlepoles known as "stand-ups."
"Jet Ski" became foremost the colloquial term for stand-up personal watercraft, because in 1973 Kawasaki was responsible for a limited production of stand-up models as designed by the recognized inventor of Jet Skis, Clayton Jacobson II. In 1976, Kawasaki began mass production of the JS400-A. JS400s came with 400 cc two-stroke engines and hulls based upon the previous limited release models. It became the harbinger of the success Jet Skis would see in the market up through the 1990s.
In 1986 Kawasaki broadened the world of Jet Skis by introducing a two person model with lean-in "sport" style handling and a 650 cc engine, dubbed the X-2. Then in 1989, they introduced their first two passenger "sit-down" model, the Tandem Sport (TS) with a step-through seating area.
For 1992 Kawasaki updated their stand-up line with the JS750 featuring a more stable hull and more power. In 2003, Kawasaki celebrated the Jet Ski brand by releasing a special 30th anniversary edition of its current stand-up model, the SX-R, which has seen a revival of interest in stand-up jetskiing. The X-2 has also been updated, based on the SX-R platform and re-released in Japan. Kawasaki continues to produce three models of sit-downs, including many four-stroke models.
The four-stroke engines have come on since the late 1990s; with the help of superchargers and the like the engines can produce up to as seen in the newly released Kawasaki Ultra 250X .
As the riding of personal watercraft evolved through the 1990s, other companies like Yamaha, Bombardier and Polaris joined the sport to make it into a worldwide sport in both racing and freestyle.
Freestyle
Freestyle riding of personal watercraft is done on a stand-up PWC, with the exception of a few other PWCs including the Yamaha Waveblaster. Modern freestyle utilizes primarily the Yamaha Superjet, as it is lighter and smaller than the Kawasaki SX-R. Jetski freestyle consists of many different tricks, including big air, hood tricks and technical tricks which, just like in BMX and Motocross, are judged on the quality and skill shown in routines.
The IJSBA freestyle started in the 1980s with Larry "the Ripper" Rippenkroeger and Brian Bendix, and then moved on to new tricks by Dave "The Flash" Gorden. The sport saw a new style in the early 1990s with Scott Watkins on a stand-up and Jeff Kantz on the X-2. The mid 1990s saw the invention on the biggest change in freestyle, the "barrel roll." Rick Roy was the first to really perfect this move, which was invented by Jeff Kantz. New riders like Marc Sickerling and Eric Malone soon became forces in the sport. Eric Malone went on to become an 8-time freestyle champion, while perfecting the back flip on flat water. The sport has recently taken another turn with Typhoon Tommy Nuttall combining forces with the WFWA and Eric Malone to create the WFWA National Freestyle tour.
The sport of Jet Ski freestyle has also seen many other additions over the years, including great female freestylers and freestyle on runabout PWCs. In the beginning all PWC racers had to do freestyle, so we saw the likes of Cristy Carlson and others freestyling. The early 1990s saw Patti Mogan take to the freestyle water against many top riders, then later Rambo Rosie Nuttall became a force in freestyle doing her patent "figure skating" style tricks.
Freeride
Freeride is all about riding in the surf. This is the most extreme form of jetskiing, where the rider surfs waves like a surfer would and uses the waves as a jump ramp for aerial manoeuvres. Pioneered in the early days by Scott "Hollywood" Watkins, the re-entry would become the move that defines freeriding. The re-entry is how a rider jumps off a breaking wave and lands back on the wave, continuing to ride the wave.
Riders such as Randy Laine, Chris MacCluggage, Jeff Jacobs, Rick Roy, Clay Cullen, Joe Kenney, Mark Tearle and Fuzzy Boyd paved the way for what we now know as Freeriding. Riders began emulating the moves done by surfers. Joe Kenney became a standout freerider and household name among jetskiers with his trademark side-on surfer stance, huge tricks and aggressive wave riding style.
The "Ricter Invert," first done in 1998 by rider Rick Roy, raised the bar for trick difficulty with the introduction of the first back-flip. This move can now be done on flatwater by freestylers.
Today the sport of freeriding is international, and growing stronger every year.
Popular Culture
Kawasaki has lent their Jet Ski name and designs to the video game Wave Race 64, developed and published by Nintendo.
See also
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