Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/437570
PWC 24 • December 29, 2014 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com Personal watercraft sales continued to grow in the first month of Q4. PWC sales in bell- wether states were up about 25 percent year- over-year in October, reported Info-Link Technologies Inc. Sales have been consis- tently up since August 2013, with a peak of a 30-percent increase in July 2014. Info-Link's data is based on new U.S. boat registrations. Bellwether states are geographi- cally dispersed states representing roughly half of the U.S. boat market, varying by mar- ket segment and time of year. YAMAHA FZR REIGNS SUPREME AT LAKE HAVASU Yamaha and the FZR WaveRunner put on a show at the 2014 IJSBA World Finals of per- sonal watercraft racing held in Lake Havasu City, Ariz. Yamaha took home seven pro, expert and amateur world titles. Highlighting the race weekend were brothers Aero and Aqsa Aswar, who domi- nated the competition all summer long with their Dean's Team-tuned Yamaha FZRs by winning the Pro Stock, Pro Open and Pro Limited National Titles. Aero Aswar took home a World Championship title in the Pro Runabout Stock class. The Yamaha FZR racked up additional pro world titles with Kuwaiti rider Yousef Alab- dulrazzaq winning the Pro Limited cham- pionship (aboard the #110 Yamaha FZR that Yamaha racer Troy Snyder won the Expert Runabout Veterans class with earlier in the day), and Peru's Paloma Noceda, who rode her way to the Women's Runabout title. "After winning three of the top four Pro Runabout titles this weekend, combined with winning all four of the major Pro Runabout National Tour titles, I think it's pretty clear that the FZR is the dominating watercraft in racing today," said Yamaha Watercraft race director Scott Watkins. "We congratulate our newly crowned world champions as well as the entire 2014 Yamaha team, who truly elevated the sport of personal watercraft rac- ing to new heights with their performance this year." Yamaha won more top runabout racing titles than any other brand, including addi- tional wins in the Pro Stock, Pro Limited, Women's Runabout, Runabout Open Slalom, Expert Runabout Veteran, Expert Runabout and Amateur Runabout world titles. PATENT PENDING STATUS FOR REMOVABLE TRACTION MATS Marine Mat, an Oldsmar, Fla., company, announced that it has obtained patent pending status for removable EVA foam traction mats. "This invention is a huge step forward in making EVA foam traction mats more appeal- ing to boat owners and competitive with traditional flooring products like carpet," said Greg Pickren, owner of Marine Mat. "Historically EVA foam has been glued down in marine applications," added Marine Mat GM John Salvatore. "Our removable traction mats snap in like carpet, which makes it very easy for boat builders to offer it as an upgrade." Marine Mat has named the product Snap It Series and will begin marketing the product in 2015. Custom colors, logos, and patterns will be avail- able to boat builders. The product line will be pro- duced at the company's new factory in Oldsmar. Marine Mat Inc. is a privately held Florida company sharing common ownership with the companies and brands of SBT Inc., SEI Marine Products Inc., API Marine, Watercraft Superstore Inc, and BlackTip Jetsports. SEA-DOO X-TEAM CLAIMS KINGS CUP BRP closed the 2014 watercraft racing season with a dominating performance at the King's Cup, winning six of the seven runabout championships featuring modern four-stroke models. Sea-Doo racers from around the world congregated in Thailand to compete in the last high-profile race of the year. Of the 21 available podium positions in the modern watercraft classes, Sea-Doo riders filled 16 of them. Current world champion James Bushell added the King's Cup Pro Open champion- ship to his accolades aboard the Sea-Doo RXP-X. Bushell led the charge on his 158-Per- formance backed Sea-Doo RXP-X in the Pro Open class. Bushell has claimed seven World Championships in the past four years aboard an RXP-X T3 hull-equipped watercraft and continued that momentum at this year's King's Cup. Bushell has relied on the T3 hull and staying connected to the 400-plus horsepower produced by his modified, turbo powered Rotax 4-TEC engine tuned by the Sea-Doo Centre. PRO WATERCROSS TOUR ADDS DALLAS STOP FOR 2015 The Pro Watercross Tour announced that the Dallas suburb of Lewisville, Texas, will be one of the 2015 tour stops. The Liberty Cup will take place on July 17-19 at Lake Park on Lewisville Lake. Lewisville Lake is considered to be the recreational hub of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. "Lewisville Lake is a tremendous tourism asset, and we're always looking for ways to bring more visitors and activity to the lake," said Lewisville CVB director James Kunke. "The Pro Watercross Tour is a great opportu- nity for us, and we're excited to bring such a high-profile event to the area." PWIA RECEIVES SAFE BOATING PRACTICES AWARD The Personal Watercraft Industry Asso- ciation (PWIA) announced that it has been awarded the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators' (NASBLA) Seal of Safe Boating Practices for its Personal Watercraft Renter Orientation DVD & Checklist. NASBLA's seal certifies that PWIA's boating safety videos and other educational materials meet the highest standards in quality, accuracy and effectiveness. All materials must meet the requirements and guidelines set forth by NASBLA to receive the recognition. Recipients of this award include the National Safe Boating Coun- cil, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and numerous boating safety programs devel- oped by government and private entities. "This recognition by NASBLA adds an additional level of credibility to our materi- als," said David Dickerson, executive direc- tor of PWIA. "Now, liveries across the U.S. who use our free Renter Orientation DVD & Checklist, can be confident that our materi- als meet the high standards of NASBLA, a nationally-recognized, independent expert in safety education." Today, PWIA has distributed more than 300 of the orientation DVDs and other safety training materials to liveries in 27 states as part of its mission to promote safety and enjoyable experiences on PWC. Along with its rental education initiative, PWIA sponsors the "Safe Rider" pledge program to promote safe riding practices among PWC owners and riders. By signing the Safe Rider pledge, PWC riders agree to the take the following steps towards safety and fun on the water: Scan the water for hazards and other boats Avoid aggressive maneuvers Follow local boating laws, including rules to prevent the transfer of invasive species Examine your equipment React to conditions Insist on a safe distance from other boats, swimmers and fixed objects Drive sober Evaluate weather and waterways Respect the environment by avoiding fuel spills and operating close to marine life The pledge form can be accessed at www.pwia.org, along with more information about the "Safe Rider" campaign. Information on instructional courses and downloadable safety materials, including a brief handbook titled Riding Rules for Personal Watercraft and PWC Orientation Checklist can also be found at www.pwia.org. PSB DIGEST The Snap It Series traction mats, as shown on a 2014 Yamaha 212X. 2015 PRO WATERCROSS TOUR DATES (TENTATIVE) MAY 9-10: Panama City Beach, FL MAY 16-17: Pensacola Beach, FL JUNE 20-21: TBA JUNE 27-28: Sparks/Reno, NV JULY 18-19: Lewisville, TX (Dallas) AUG. 8-9: Lake Hartwell, GA AUG. 15-16: Charleston, WV SEPTEMBER: TBA Yamaha's Aero Aswar won the overall title in Pro Stock at the IJSBA World Finals. PWC sales still going strong through October James Bushell rode the Sea-Doo RXP-X to the King's Cup Pro Open title in Thailand.