After visiting the IJSBA site and reading the recommendations for freestyle I have to wonder if and when someone besides all of the freestylers is going to ‘get it.’ If you read the following exerpt from the IJSBA, you will notice that even though Rick Roy attempted to make his point (which is the point of many freestylers), his efforts went unnoticed. The IJSBA noted: “hull technology has changed rapidly and the relationship between Freestyle and use of an OEM PWC has diminished rapidly”… Really? Is that because the OEMs have chosen to completely ignore the freestyle market, not creating a freestyle friendly ski in years. Kawasaki hasn’t made a freestyle usable ski since 1994 and Yamaha just dropped their freestyle friendly Super Jet design in efforts to go after the stand-up racing segment again. Can’t an OEM design more than 1 stand-up? And what is with all of the replication terminology? The IJSBA should take note in the increase of jet ski (freestyle) related shops that create and sell those new aftermarket hulls. Screw the OEMs. Let’s build the sport on the backs of shop owners like grass roots sports are supposed to be.
From IJSBA –
Freestyle
For years, the Freestyle classes stayed remarkably constant. The most notable names in Freestyle pushed competition and tricks to heights that were so noteworthy that clips and segments of these performances started making global news. Remarkably, these pioneers shared their skill and helped develop hulls and other products which allowed the general public to perform the same tricks. What followed is an entire generation of Freestyle Competitors who are all capable of the same dazzling tricks that once guaranteed only a small subset of athletes could make the podium. In doing so, the hull technology has changed rapidly and the relationship between Freestyle and use of an OEM PWC has diminished rapidly. What is most notable about this is that the proliferation of the more exotic hulls and engine combinations has actually increased Freestyle participation (likely because the hulls help with the tricks).
same.
The IJSBA strongly believes in protecting the sanctity of only using homologated watercraft for competition. Such a policy ensures that there is a link between the public perception of store purchased PWC being relevant to the action seen on the water. Interest in branded PWC increases sales and increased sales support the life blood of sanctioned competition. With this said, competitors are having difficulty adhering to homologation requirements in the hulls and having the freedom to use the best packages for homologated engines.
Therefore, the IJSBA Managing Director is recommending that the IJSBA adopt the policy that Freestyle Ski PWC be allowed to use a generic hull/topdeck configuration that resembles the look of a pole equipped Ski. This policy would set forth the requirements for a Ski appearance including: general shape, angles, and minimum/maximum measurements. Rather than have a freestyle homologated hull, hulls would be approved by IJSBA and the homologation requirement would rest on a homologated engine package or a reasonable replica of a homologated engine package. This policy would require that the competitor use an OEM case engine or cases that are replicas of OEM cases. A replica would require that some bolt patterns remained constant with the OEM patterns and/or than an OEM crankshaft could be used in the replica cases. Displacement requirements would remain the
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