yamaslut
kill it
- Location
- Daytona Beach, Florida
2015 Thrust Innovations Daytona Daytona Freeride / January 15-18 2015
presented by:
Aquamoto League
Watercraft Superstore
Super Freak Skis
La Playa Resort
Pro Rider Watercraft Magazine
Exotic Signs
Hydro Turf
Wamiltons Customs
Jet Renu
MotoOption
Volusia County Beach Patrol
Team Xtreme
RaCu Graphics
After a little mix up in hotels this year we ended up at La Playa Resort for the 11th annual Daytona Freeride. Despite the last minute change, worked out very well. The new host hotel provided a much premium experience for the riders and spectators including a ballroom for parties, a tiki bar on the pool deck and a rooftop penthouse bar. I like being at a resort that provides an inclusive experience, so people do not have to leave unless they want to. Groups still went out, ate and partied around town, so it was a good mix.
This year contained all the hallmarks of a great free: rideriders going big, pushing the limits and partying hard all weekend. Although the 2015 Thrust Innovations Daytona Freeride began officially on Thursday, many people arrived up to a week before to enjoy the playful Daytona surf. The conditions were prime for riders with surf in the range of 3-4ft. Mother Nature blessed us with some consistant surf but the weather was typical Daytona. Good thing most people were coming from areas where the temps were in the below zero range making the 60F temps more like a balmy summer day.
The event started promtly at 9am on Thursday. Eager riders were waiting for the gates to open at 6am. Surf maintained in the 3-4ft range which is prime for an event like this. It gives riders enough to do most any tricks yet is still navigable for intermediates and beginers. There were lots of riders tearing it up all day and one thing many people noticed it wasn't just the pros out there killing it anymore. Tricks were getting thrown down by guys who a couple years ago were just beginners. I love seeing the progression at the Freerides these days. I think the influx of so many quality aftermarket hulls has made it easier for riders to progress. After a great day of riding we headed up to the rooftop bar and enjoyed some drinks and conversation.
Friday morning hit and just like Thursday riders were queued up to get prime spots on the beach. Riders were going huge all up and down the beach with photographers, as well as several video production crews capturing it all. I would like to thank our friends from down south "Spectrum Innovations" for coming again and representing our sport with the most professional videos I have seen. After another killer day of ripping up the Daytona surf we headed to the Daytona Freeride Meet and Greet sponsored by Jet Maniac. Cosponsored by the RadDudes, Tiger Craft, and Rage Composite Works. The "Meet and Greet" was held on the 2nd floor of the hotel in a huge ballroom. This was a welcome since in the past we were stuck doing parties outside in the cold on the pool deck. This made for a really fun night with free beer, food, DJ and dance floor. I want to thank the sponsors of the Meet and Greet for stepping up and securing the spot. It worked out really well and everyone was stoked. There were around 350-400 people in the room enjoying killer music and conversation. After we shut that room down we went up to the penthouse bar and kept it going till the wee hours.
The big day hits. Saturday morning and everyone is ready to get in the water like days past. Thanks again to SBT for bringing Playboy model Maggie May and providing lunch for everyone on Saturday. I want to thank all the industry sponsors for coming out too:
Industry Sponsors:
Blowsion Customs
SBT
Rickter Skis
Rad Dudes
Zorns Jet Ski Repair
Tiger Craft
Burn
Krash Hulls
Jet Maniac
Ormond Brewing Company
Fuel Clothing
Tiger Craft
Trinity Composites
XMetal
Saturday we have a couple planned events to beak up the freeriding and add a little bit of competition. A couple small competitions add to the complexity of the event and it gives spectators and riders alike the ability to watch top riders go at it. At around 1pm we kicked off the 3rd annual MotoOption Surf & Style competition. Surf was still good and riders battled it out for the top honors. The Surf & Style is setup like a surf competition, with all tricks performed while in the wave. No jumping out of the back of the wave or anything like that. This competition is about surfing the wave and doing it with style.
2015 MotoOption Surf & Style comp.
1) JD Hunt
2) Mark Gomez
3) Carter Brackett
All the riders killed it like usual and the beach was packed with spectators. Thanks again to all who participated.
After the Surf & Style competition we got ready for the Aquamoto League "King of Daytona" motosurf races. We had some quality talent from the race scene joining us for the competitions. Here's how the riders ended up after the checkered flags dropped:
800 ski:
1)Bill Haig
2)Trevor Allred
3)Shawn Mayo
GP Ski:
1) Mark Gomez
2)Jordan Carroll
3)Johnny Smith
Sport:
1)Mark Gomez
2)Brian Baldwin
3)David Gone
Overall top 10:
1)Mark Gomez (King of Daytona)
2)Bill Haig
3)Trevor Allred
4)Shawn Mayo
5)Josh Block
6)Jordan Carroll
7)Johnny Smith
8)Brian Baldwin
9)John Stevens
10) Scott Hike
This year we decided to have an overall winner: "King of Daytona" Mark Gomez took the top honors.
He clearly dominated the field on his Rickter Edge freeride/freestyle ski. Mark lapped riders performing tricks and basically running away with the race comps he entered. Mark even cleaned up riding the brand new "Wammer Jet". After the race excitement toned down it was back to the freeride
I can't thank Chris "Fish" Fachetti enough for providing insurance and race directing for the entire event. His energy and excitment for racing is infectious and I am happy to be teaming up with him to provide safer, more exciting and overall better freerides in the future. Look for more Aquamoto League events coming up in the next year. After the sun went down we all crammed into the penthouse bar again and shut that down. After that the crown dispersed went to various places around town with all kinds of entertainment and libations. It was a blur for some peope, if you know what I mean. The day could not have gone better.
Final day of event. The beach was still pretty well packed but you could feel the event winding down. Some people hung out and nursed hangovers, while others were up early ripping the clean smaller surf. I love Sundays, because all the hard work is done and I can sit back and enjoy the Freeride. Participants rode all day till the beach was shut down and we put another event in the books.
I want to thank all the riders from all over the world. Thanks to all the crews, from recreational riders all the way up to the top pros, international riders: Rick Roy, Zach Bright Jake Bright, Abraham Ho, Mark Gomez, Taylor Curtis, Brandon Lawler, Tanner Thomas, Michael Ratti, "Peg Leg" Pete McAfee, Johnny Havell, Cuong Son, Wayne Barnett, Gil Burnier, Tiago Geitens, Jullien Herpsont, Jason Bleasdale, Kim Bleasdale and to anyone I forgot, please forgive me.
I also want to thank my crew: Mike Nolan, Jason "FancyPants", Lisa Price, Boober, Jessica Blocker, Chris Fachetti and my beautiful wife Sara. I would not have been able to do this with out you guys
We killed it this year!!!!
After everything was tallied up we registered 320 riders with around 400 skis. This was 100 more than last year and makes me think that there is still room for growth in our sport.
Thanks again to Thrust Innovations for stepping up and being the title sponsor once again. I love working with such a classy group of guys that provide the best service and parts in the business.
Look for more information regarding next years Freeride here: Facebook/Daytona Beach Jet Ski Event and "Like" page: Facebook/Daytona Freeride Jet Ski Event.
Next years event will take place January 14th-18th 2016 at the La Playa Resort. Book your rooms now because it will sell out quick. See you next year!
Nicholas Foederer / Event Coordinator
presented by:
Aquamoto League
Watercraft Superstore
Super Freak Skis
La Playa Resort
Pro Rider Watercraft Magazine
Exotic Signs
Hydro Turf
Wamiltons Customs
Jet Renu
MotoOption
Volusia County Beach Patrol
Team Xtreme
RaCu Graphics
After a little mix up in hotels this year we ended up at La Playa Resort for the 11th annual Daytona Freeride. Despite the last minute change, worked out very well. The new host hotel provided a much premium experience for the riders and spectators including a ballroom for parties, a tiki bar on the pool deck and a rooftop penthouse bar. I like being at a resort that provides an inclusive experience, so people do not have to leave unless they want to. Groups still went out, ate and partied around town, so it was a good mix.
This year contained all the hallmarks of a great free: rideriders going big, pushing the limits and partying hard all weekend. Although the 2015 Thrust Innovations Daytona Freeride began officially on Thursday, many people arrived up to a week before to enjoy the playful Daytona surf. The conditions were prime for riders with surf in the range of 3-4ft. Mother Nature blessed us with some consistant surf but the weather was typical Daytona. Good thing most people were coming from areas where the temps were in the below zero range making the 60F temps more like a balmy summer day.
The event started promtly at 9am on Thursday. Eager riders were waiting for the gates to open at 6am. Surf maintained in the 3-4ft range which is prime for an event like this. It gives riders enough to do most any tricks yet is still navigable for intermediates and beginers. There were lots of riders tearing it up all day and one thing many people noticed it wasn't just the pros out there killing it anymore. Tricks were getting thrown down by guys who a couple years ago were just beginners. I love seeing the progression at the Freerides these days. I think the influx of so many quality aftermarket hulls has made it easier for riders to progress. After a great day of riding we headed up to the rooftop bar and enjoyed some drinks and conversation.
Friday morning hit and just like Thursday riders were queued up to get prime spots on the beach. Riders were going huge all up and down the beach with photographers, as well as several video production crews capturing it all. I would like to thank our friends from down south "Spectrum Innovations" for coming again and representing our sport with the most professional videos I have seen. After another killer day of ripping up the Daytona surf we headed to the Daytona Freeride Meet and Greet sponsored by Jet Maniac. Cosponsored by the RadDudes, Tiger Craft, and Rage Composite Works. The "Meet and Greet" was held on the 2nd floor of the hotel in a huge ballroom. This was a welcome since in the past we were stuck doing parties outside in the cold on the pool deck. This made for a really fun night with free beer, food, DJ and dance floor. I want to thank the sponsors of the Meet and Greet for stepping up and securing the spot. It worked out really well and everyone was stoked. There were around 350-400 people in the room enjoying killer music and conversation. After we shut that room down we went up to the penthouse bar and kept it going till the wee hours.
The big day hits. Saturday morning and everyone is ready to get in the water like days past. Thanks again to SBT for bringing Playboy model Maggie May and providing lunch for everyone on Saturday. I want to thank all the industry sponsors for coming out too:
Industry Sponsors:
Blowsion Customs
SBT
Rickter Skis
Rad Dudes
Zorns Jet Ski Repair
Tiger Craft
Burn
Krash Hulls
Jet Maniac
Ormond Brewing Company
Fuel Clothing
Tiger Craft
Trinity Composites
XMetal
Saturday we have a couple planned events to beak up the freeriding and add a little bit of competition. A couple small competitions add to the complexity of the event and it gives spectators and riders alike the ability to watch top riders go at it. At around 1pm we kicked off the 3rd annual MotoOption Surf & Style competition. Surf was still good and riders battled it out for the top honors. The Surf & Style is setup like a surf competition, with all tricks performed while in the wave. No jumping out of the back of the wave or anything like that. This competition is about surfing the wave and doing it with style.
2015 MotoOption Surf & Style comp.
1) JD Hunt
2) Mark Gomez
3) Carter Brackett
All the riders killed it like usual and the beach was packed with spectators. Thanks again to all who participated.
After the Surf & Style competition we got ready for the Aquamoto League "King of Daytona" motosurf races. We had some quality talent from the race scene joining us for the competitions. Here's how the riders ended up after the checkered flags dropped:
800 ski:
1)Bill Haig
2)Trevor Allred
3)Shawn Mayo
GP Ski:
1) Mark Gomez
2)Jordan Carroll
3)Johnny Smith
Sport:
1)Mark Gomez
2)Brian Baldwin
3)David Gone
Overall top 10:
1)Mark Gomez (King of Daytona)
2)Bill Haig
3)Trevor Allred
4)Shawn Mayo
5)Josh Block
6)Jordan Carroll
7)Johnny Smith
8)Brian Baldwin
9)John Stevens
10) Scott Hike
This year we decided to have an overall winner: "King of Daytona" Mark Gomez took the top honors.
He clearly dominated the field on his Rickter Edge freeride/freestyle ski. Mark lapped riders performing tricks and basically running away with the race comps he entered. Mark even cleaned up riding the brand new "Wammer Jet". After the race excitement toned down it was back to the freeride
I can't thank Chris "Fish" Fachetti enough for providing insurance and race directing for the entire event. His energy and excitment for racing is infectious and I am happy to be teaming up with him to provide safer, more exciting and overall better freerides in the future. Look for more Aquamoto League events coming up in the next year. After the sun went down we all crammed into the penthouse bar again and shut that down. After that the crown dispersed went to various places around town with all kinds of entertainment and libations. It was a blur for some peope, if you know what I mean. The day could not have gone better.
Final day of event. The beach was still pretty well packed but you could feel the event winding down. Some people hung out and nursed hangovers, while others were up early ripping the clean smaller surf. I love Sundays, because all the hard work is done and I can sit back and enjoy the Freeride. Participants rode all day till the beach was shut down and we put another event in the books.
I want to thank all the riders from all over the world. Thanks to all the crews, from recreational riders all the way up to the top pros, international riders: Rick Roy, Zach Bright Jake Bright, Abraham Ho, Mark Gomez, Taylor Curtis, Brandon Lawler, Tanner Thomas, Michael Ratti, "Peg Leg" Pete McAfee, Johnny Havell, Cuong Son, Wayne Barnett, Gil Burnier, Tiago Geitens, Jullien Herpsont, Jason Bleasdale, Kim Bleasdale and to anyone I forgot, please forgive me.
I also want to thank my crew: Mike Nolan, Jason "FancyPants", Lisa Price, Boober, Jessica Blocker, Chris Fachetti and my beautiful wife Sara. I would not have been able to do this with out you guys
We killed it this year!!!!
After everything was tallied up we registered 320 riders with around 400 skis. This was 100 more than last year and makes me think that there is still room for growth in our sport.
Thanks again to Thrust Innovations for stepping up and being the title sponsor once again. I love working with such a classy group of guys that provide the best service and parts in the business.
Look for more information regarding next years Freeride here: Facebook/Daytona Beach Jet Ski Event and "Like" page: Facebook/Daytona Freeride Jet Ski Event.
Next years event will take place January 14th-18th 2016 at the La Playa Resort. Book your rooms now because it will sell out quick. See you next year!
Nicholas Foederer / Event Coordinator
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