Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/258703
PWC Aftermarket traction mats, seat covers now available BY DAVE McMAHON EDITOR IN CHIEF Hydro-Turf owner Arno Olbricht had not rid- den the new Sea-Doo Spark as of mid-January, but he hopes the new PWC from BRP is a hit with thousands of riders. Despite his lack of hours on the craft, Olbricht is plenty familiar with the new light- weight PWC that brings an entry-level MSRP of $4,999. In fact, he called a local dealer in order to secure a Spark to get the specifications for the California-based company's traction mat products. But that wasn't quite as a simple as making a phone call. "He did have one, but it was pre-sold by the time I reached him, so he contacted the cus- tomer and asked if it would be OK if we used the ski to make the pattern and actually put mats and a new seat cover on it for him," Olbricht said. "So yeah, the customer was stoked that he got new product on there, the first of its kind." Olbricht quickly made patterns and did photo shoots, and had the job completed in less than a week. The standard seat cover and HT Premier line of seat covers were both added to the product lineup for Spark. "We tried a couple of different colors of pads as well. It all came together pretty quickly," he said. "We made the patterns for the pads, had the tooling made. We put on one set of pads and realized they didn't work as well as we wanted, so we quickly replaced them and made another set and put those on." Spark's entry into the market could bring additional business to Hydro-Turf. "I think there's going to be a fairly large market for it," he said. "It's on the smaller side, but it's definitely a great entry-level boat. I haven't ridden one personally, but I imagine they're fairly lightweight and fairly agile. I like the new materials they're using to make the ski. It's pretty innovative and there's a lot of future potential for that type of development." The maneuverability of Spark makes it an ideal candidate for traction mats. "I think only one of the three models has any traction mats on it, so we're able to pro- vide something that's not factory," Olbricht said. "And they don't have anything where the knees go, so we add a knee pad as well. And the seat covers certainly enhance the look as well." Hydro-Turf posted a strong performance once again 2013, with the boating, stand-up paddleboard and PWC divisions all experienc- ing a rise in sales compared to 2012. Olbricht also noted the success of the HT Moto line for sport and freestyle motorcycle riders. The Spark, powered by a Rotax 900 ACE engine, costs close to 40 percent less than its nearest competitor and is the most fuel-effi- cient PWC in the industry, according to BRP. Its all-new Exoskel consists of a lightweight durable Polytec material. PSB Hydro-Turf quick to react to Spark 32 • February 17, 2014 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com PWC sales trend positive in December Sales growth of personal watercraft con- tinued posting year-over-year gains at the close of 2013, according to the latest figures released from Info-Link Technologies. PWC sales growth decreased from nearly 20 percent in November to approxi- mately 8 percent in December, a positive increase over the end of 2012. PWC sales growth for 2013 peaked in September after dipping into negative territory through the first half of the year. For the month of December, 15-foot-plus powerboat sales growth leveled off slightly to 10 percent above the previous December. Ski boat sales growth has remained very consistent throughout much of 2012 and 2013, staying at or above 10 percent year-over-year sales growth. December's ski boat figures show growth dipping from approximately 22 percent to just more than 10 percent for the month. Outboards continue marching along as the healthiest segment of the marine mar- ket, due to many factors including growth of the pontoon market. Sales growth of outboards 15 feet and over decreased slightly to remain at or slightly above the 10 percent market. This category has been in positive territory since April 2011. The data is based on new U.S. boat reg- istrations. Bellwether states are geographi- cally dispersed states representing roughly half of the U.S. boat market (which varies by market segment and time of year). SPARK BECOMES IMCI CERTIFIED The International Marine Certification Institute announced its certification of the new Sea-Doo Spark. According to BRP, the 2014 Sea-Doo Spark watercraft is intended to create an entirely new segment of Sea-Doo lineup designed for the young family looking for simple and accessible fun in compact and lightweight platform. The Spark is powered by the Rotax 900 ACE engine family, a very compact and economical 4-stroke watercraft engine. IMCI announced that all requirements of the Recreational Craft Directive have been met by the Spark and issued a State- ment of Conformity. PSB DIGEST Hydro-Turf has launched its traction mats and HT Premier seat covers for the new Sea-Doo Spark. Hydro-Turf also offers a standard seat for the Spark. Sales of PWC in December showed gains compared to the year-ago period. P32-PSB3-PWC.indd 32 2/5/14 11:18 AM