how did you get involved ????? fun thing

[Andrew1289]

great thread!

Craigslist. SN very cheap!. hooked.

 

[Conquistador]

Every summer in the 80's, the family would go to a friend's house on the Albemarle Sound in North Carolina (near Edenton). Our friends down there had a 1982 440 that they were riding for years. I rode it for the first time in 1990 at age 7. My buddy & his family bought a 650 that same year & he started riding too (4 years old!). They also went their family summer home off of the sound in Snug Harbor. For years, they would let me ride their skis. In 2002, I got a part-time job with the Norfolk Tides baseball team and saved every penny from that job (carried about 7 jobs @ the time, more now :crazy and bought a 1994 550sx for $750. I have ridden the ski since and have made several mods including converting it with a 750 engine this past spring. In 2006, I rode with the Wavejunkies for the first time and can't get enough. In 2007, I finally put my degrees, bachelors & masters in sport management from Old Dominion University, to use and co-organized our Freeride up here in Virginia Beach, WaveDaze. I'm waiting to really put them to use and get a full-time job, haha. That's my story, 25 years old, 18 on jet skis.

 

['Crockett]

I rode dirt bikes for years then did a short stint with sprint carts before hanging up motorsports completely for about 8 years while I raised kids. I was still restoring old cars for a hobby but that's just not the same as riding something so I still had the "itch".

Anyway . . . A buddy of mine showed up at the Machine shop I was running back then and asked me to mill the heads for a couple of jetski's (440 Kawi's) he'd bought and was "hopping up". . . . . . . . . well after getting involved in building up his 2 ski's I was interested, but concerned that if I went out and rode these things I'd get "hooked" and the next thing you know I'd have some crazy ass project going and a bunch of tore apart modified ski's around the garage. (I know me !)

Long story made short . . . . I started going to the lake with these guys and got hooked ! . . . . . of course !

I built a 550 first then bought a Squarenose hull for $200.00 and built an MRD Injected 5mil stroker to go in it <---- remember my "crazy ass project" statement ? It was crazy fast and kept me happy for a few years until I got my first Roundnose to build.

My old square found it's way to a 11 year old "newb" this fall and I'm really glad to see it will be helping to introduce the next generation to riding Stand-ups . . . . . . .


Hope you guys all have a Great Holiday . . . . . . .

 

[The Timmer]

lol this is my best thread yet keep them comin boys this is fun reading

Timmy

 

[SXIPro]

First ski I rode was a 93 Kawi SX that my brother Dave owned. I had a blast on it, but at the time buying a toy was not in the cards. I had a one year old, a 3 year old and was in the middle of putting an addition on and renovating my house. I was strapped for time and even more strapped for cash.

Fast forward 8 years or so, and my wife decided 'one of those sitdown jetski things' might be fun. I had a boat by then and loved to slalom waterski. She was not a waterskiier, but wanted to play on the water. We picked up a 1995 Kawi 750 STS. She loved it, and still does. I enjoyed it too, but figured we'd have more fun if we both had one, so I picked up a '97 750 SS for me. We had a blast riding together for a couple years.

Then my other brother Mark shows up at my dock with a totally modded Ultra 150. I take a ride. Holy shiot!! This thing was a rocket. It was a white knuckler. Getting off that ski and getting back onto the 750, just wasn't gonna work for me. So I needed to do some research so I could choose the right next ski....I couldn't have my little brother leaving me in his wake.

I stumbled upon PWCToday, and did a lot of reading. For the hell of it I watched some vids of Malone, Kenney, Pancake Pete, Slutty, Saki, all those guys and that was it.
The idea of getting a super fast couch went out the window.

I picked up a 98 SXI Pro 3 years ago and spent a lot of time swimming. I was not a kid, I was 40. I loved it.

Picked up a Blaster for my son the next year. Last February I got my 2004 SJ. :love: Sold the SXI Pro. Picked up a square this fall that I was gonna resell, but now it'll be a father son project this winter, and we'll keep it.

God I love to ride. Last ride of the season for me was mid November. I had to crunch through a skim coat of ice in my cove to get to the open water of the main lake. I toured the whole lake and played around a bit. People were looking at me like I was insane....then again, I was doing what I enjoy the most, and they were splitting wood, raking leaves and putting snow fences up....so who's insane??? I am going through serious withdrawal right now.
Everytime I walk downstairs and see the RN and SN sitting down there in drydock, I get an ache in my soul.

 

[YamaDave]

Always saw standups at the lake, but never rode one.

I went to a customers house to get his car, and in his garage was a '76 440, started talking to him about it, he had bought it new rode it two summers and had been sitting ever since, this was now 1992.

I bought it on the spot for $ 400.00, took it home, changed gas and plugs and went to the lake the next day, never looked back since then.

I now have moved to the lake and become addicted for life, and have addicted my wife and kids......Bad...Bad Influence !! :veryhappy:

:beerchug:

 

[Lakeman]

My parents had a lake house on Grand lake, I grew up with all kinds of boats and loved to water ski. Then in the 70's I saw my first stand up and always wanted to try it. But my dad was into ski boats and the like so he wouldn't think of getting me one. I was just out of college in 84 and I had bought me a Compaq personal coumpeter to learn how to use it. Then my boss bought one at work and the last think I wanted to do was go home and work on the computer. This thing cost me $3500.00 new. I had a freind who had a new 440, but didn't know how to use a computer so I sold him on the idea that he really needed to learn now and don't be left behind on this new trend. People who know how to use computers are more valuable than ones who don't. He bought it hook line and sinker. We traded straight up. Pretty much a new 1984 440 for a computer. One year later you couldn't give that computer away. But the 440 with trailer was still worth $1500 - $1600 easliy. I was hooked from there. Now I have more in my stand up than most people have in there ski boats. Not fair.
Dale

 

[DsmRacing]

I always loved the water, love going to the beach, grew up in CA. I grew up with motorcycles, ATC's, BMX racing, and eventually drag/street racing. By my mid 20's I was married, and my new wife and I would rent jet ski's at Cherry Creek Res in CO. The next year, we drove to Utah and picked up a Blaster II and a barely ridden HX with double trailer. Played with those for 2 years, I loved the HX, I was the only one that could really ride it. Never had any problems with the ski's :arms: Towards the end of the season, we met a guy that had a 750sxi at the lake. We became somewhat friends, and he let me try it out....I was hooked! I wanted one badly! The wife at the time thought it was cool. I got orders and we sold the ski's and decided we would get a boat and a standup when we got to FL (atleast that was my plan :fingersx. I purchased a 90 SN without ever riding it in FL along with a couple hulls and parts. I finally drove out to get it shortly after moving to FL. I cracked the cylinder after only 2 rides....I was pissed. It sat for about a year, and instead of fixing it, I ended up purchasing an FX-1. I fell in love all over again, and have been modding it ever since. During this time I met Tim and his brother, and then Tom who ended up doing a lot of work on my FX-1 and later finished repairing my SN. Anyhow, Stand ups are my new hobby and my new money pit...lol Currently I'm deployed, and Tom is working on putting a bigger pump, prop, and fixing some cosmetic stuff while I'm away....I can't wait to get back and go ride! Sucks, I'm going to miss Daytona again:thumbsdown:

 

[cambo au]

i first rode my uncles 550 when i was 5 could only kneel then raced motorcross till i was 16 got in to cars after i sold my9sec street car i thought i would buy a jetski for some cheap fun and fitness how wrong was i about the cheap part i cant help it i moddify every thing still a heap cheaper than a drag car
any way that was 2 years ago and i am hooked

the pic in my avtar is the motor in my street car

 

[Ottis]

My first ski was a 77 440, I bought it in 89, what a piece of crap, I would work on it all week to ride it on the weekend. In 1990 I got one of the first superjets (still have it) That year I took it to daytona, Riding in the surf added a whole new demension, in those days they had a zone, but no guards or no passes. It's been a incredable ride and after all these years and several sjs later I'm still as stoked as I was on the first ride.

 

[brett]

my step-dad grew up riding skis out of ventura harbor and the oil peirs in the 80s. i rember him selling the skis (an '80 440 and '82 550) when i was 8. ii rode th 550 once on my knees and that was about it. when i was 12 my parents bought a '95spx and i rode the poop out of that thing and got in big trouble when i almost sunk it. so i begged and saved and finally, at age 14 i got my 89 650sx. i put a r &d intake great and a k&n filter(ooh) and was stoked. i sold it when i was 19 to pay for a new truck, and didnt start riding again till i was 24, april of 06.
now, my finances are ruined forever

 

[surfjetlouie]

1982 I tried a 440. then few week later right before Christmas I found one 440 at a garage sale for $400 in mint condition then got my self on a trade for for my motocross a 550 sold the 440 got few 550 I even got a wavejammer in 89 till 1992 I purchased a new 500 yam for the wife to go ride with me. well in the divorce I got the ski and my daughter and was happy with that.

 

[aqua]

Ever since I was a kid I have always love jetskis. My grandfather had a cabin at the lake and the people across the cove from us had a couple of 550's. They could ride backwards and I thought that was the coolest thing. I would sit there and watch them zip back and forth around the cove.....i was totally fascinated. I wanted to ride one but back then skis were about 30/hr to rent and I could not get my parents to do it. This was when I was about 10yrs old. Fast forward about 7 years my buddy had an uncle that had a cabin at the lake and also had a couple of standups. We got the 650 out and rode it around. I was bad and could not standup at all. Loved it though as this was my first time on a ski. About 4 yrs after that my buddy had gotten his own skis.... a 650sx and a 750sx. We use to hook the little trailer to the fourwheeler and drag them down the hill to the river and ride. It was a blast. Near that time I had a really built Suzuki Quadzilla that I sold so I had a little money to spare. Now I wasnt very good at riding standups so I bought a 900 zxi. My friend the whole time was telling me that I didnt know what I was missing out on. My response was that I could go fast and carry a passenger. Well I watched a couple of videos in the surf of guys on standups and as I started to get a little better at riding them I finally realized that standups were where it was at. I sold the sitdown and bought a 750sxi pro. Rode that for a season and sold it because I could not get anyone to ride with me. None of my other friends really like standups. The next season I found a 650sx for sale from a friend in kansas city so I bought it originally planning on it being for me. My brother liked it so I sold it to him and made a trip to florida to buy an 04 sj because from what I had read. Ported it and piped it with a prop....installed bars and footholds and I was in love. My friend who got me into standups had an sxr and within a few months the sxr became his wifes ski and he bought a piped sj. We rode for two years like this and a couple of months ago just bought some new 08 sj's. He sold the sxr and his old sj is now his wifes ski. Finally there are starting to be more people that are local getting into riding standups. We are rareity around this area and when we ride alot of times people will stop their boats to watch us do inverts and fountains.....little kids love it especially and I love that because I can remember how fascinated I use to be as a kid. This next year will be a blast!

 

[Super Dee]

About 7 years ago, one of my buddies traded two 10" subwoofers and an amp for a Kawi 650sx in running condition. We used to go to the lake and take turns riding around while the other person waited and watched from the dock or shore. After a couple days experience I decided I wanted one and started to look around. It wasn't until the following summer that I picked up my first Jet Ski, a 1986 Kawasaki js550. I still have it to this day (after rebuilding every possibly piece and making many modifications) along with a '95 SuperJet that was added to the collection this fall.

 

[Fro Diesel]

I had always loved watching all types of jetskis when i was at the lake all summer (chippewa lake near Big Rapids...we still have the cottage). I had never ridden one when i passed by one this summer on the side of the road. I went a talked to the guy about it and he said he would let his 89 650sx go for 400 with quite a few bolt-ons. I didn't have the money at the time, but i somehow rationalized it because i had just survived cancer. I realized you only live once so why not get the most out of every summer. Some people (like parents, gf's) have a hard time understanding the addiction. I managed to flipp a house this summer and buy my first yamaha 650sn.

After selling the kaw almost immediatly, I have now recently upgraded to a ported 701 and bpipe. Finished the install last week, but no time or weather to ride. Guess i'll wait until daytona to tune or park it until spring when i can bild another ski or wb. Thanks to the x for getting me hooked up with some killer riders in the Westmichigan area, Team Alpine for all the support and thank the x one more time for freeride, ride event info.

 

[Wave Chaser]

I had never even heard of a Jet Ski before '89. I grew up in So Cal and Surfed for 10 years when in 1989 my brother in law took me out on a pair of 1984 JS 550's out of Dana Point Harbor and we went surf jumping. I WAS HOOKED. 6 months later I was living in Galveston Texas with a pair of 84 550's of my own and surf riding several times a week.
I modded my 550 until I got tired of it blowing up all the time and that was when Yamaha came out with the FX-1. A friend bought one and when I tried it I bought one the next week. Added a Raider and Blaster within the year and have been hitting the waves as often as I can.
Now my son is 15 and he has gotten me back into going out more often. We have ressurected the old 550 with a 650 conversion for him and have a venture for the small kids to ride on back. Now the whole family is hooked and can't get enough. I love It!

 

[SuperjetSteve]

My cuzin got a standup.I told him i would never ride one of those stupid things.Next thing i knew i was riding it non stop.Rode it for 2 summers, then bought my first 750 last summer.This winter i just picked up a superjet

 

[skinnyman]

I was in rehab trying to keep my nose clean when I got out this guy let me ride a stand up. I knew I should have stayed away but something drew me to it.I am now homeless, jobless,I stand on the corner begging for race fuel all day

Rented one in 81 baught one in 82 and have never looked back

 

[WaveDemon]

I always loved the water, love going to the beach, grew up in CA. I grew up with motorcycles, ATC's, BMX racing, and eventually drag/street racing. By my mid 20's I was married, and my new wife and I would rent jet ski's at Cherry Creek Res in CO. The next year, we drove to Utah and picked up a Blaster II and a barely ridden HX with double trailer. Played with those for 2 years, I loved the HX, I was the only one that could really ride it. Never had any problems with the ski's :arms: Towards the end of the season, we met a guy that had a 750sxi at the lake. We became somewhat friends, and he let me try it out....I was hooked! I wanted one badly! The wife at the time thought it was cool. I got orders and we sold the ski's and decided we would get a boat and a standup when we got to FL (atleast that was my plan :fingersx. I purchased a 90 SN without ever riding it in FL along with a couple hulls and parts. I finally drove out to get it shortly after moving to FL. I cracked the cylinder after only 2 rides....I was pissed. It sat for about a year, and instead of fixing it, I ended up purchasing an FX-1. I fell in love all over again, and have been modding it ever since. During this time I met Tim and his brother, and then Tom who ended up doing a lot of work on my FX-1 and later finished repairing my SN. Anyhow, Stand ups are my new hobby and my new money pit...lol Currently I'm deployed, and Tom is working on putting a bigger pump, prop, and fixing some cosmetic stuff while I'm away....I can't wait to get back and go ride! Sucks, I'm going to miss Daytona again:thumbsdown:

we'll put together a group ride when you get home!

 

[ghost183]

1991, me and my cous were trying to figure out what to do for the summer, both being avid offroaders, dirtbikes, quads, etc.. we were already looking at powersports, bigger, quicker bikes, streetbikes, then it hit us, sitting on the floor in his living room,

riding suits, leathers, 2/4 stroke engines, 90-100 degree temps under the sun = SWEAT

so we decided to beat the heat, with.. the obvious.. water.. hence f*ck it.. lets get a pair of skis, took about 20 mins of back and forth, settled on yamaha, bought them about 8 days later, south jersey, pair of sn's, a dealer left over and a current, picked them up tuesday night, wednesday we stared at them for a little, thursday we both took the day off to go break them in.. and that was it!! we were hooked

i think they lasted about a month stock.. then the props went in, coffmans, which btw, was the best back then, ride plates, toploaders, intakes.. i remember our second day out we were already opening magazines looking for parts when we got home..

fuuugedaboooout iiiiiiiit

lol...