Is the sport / market declining?

[JeskiBoji]

the market is cooling for sure but still far better than pre covid. Still a lot of people with money and that won’t change any time soon. You can’t judge the market off trying to sell one item. The people with money can just as easily build the ski they want vs buying somthing that might not be exactly what they want. A nitro will be a harder sell than a Rickter a revolver or tigercraft. People don’t know exactly what they are and there’s a lot less enthusiasm for that brand compared to the more common manufacturers. My opinion probably wrong

 

[IceRocket1286]

I've noticed an increase in stand-up riders on Lake St Clair the past 4-5 years, predominantly on older skis of all kinds with a few "flip skis" and 4 strokes mixed in. It's been nice to see. There are a lot of riders out there in small groups, would be cool to see them all for a gathering. With the high entry cost of new skis, it's nice to see companies developing and offering parts to keep the old skis alive. While I got rid of facebook in 2010, I can still see some content like marketplace and parts of some "groups" and the information there just isn't the quality that we have here, which is a shame. Maybe one day it'll come back around.

 

[Big Kahuna]

Maybe if we talked more about jet skis and less about politics people would want to hang out here.

Have lost friends over trying to keep political post to a minimum................ Glad someone else gets it!

 

[bird]

I would say the sport is alive and well. Standups have never been everywhere, you see them when you're looking

I chase down everyone on a stand up. I can tell you 90% of the people riding one on the river.... I saw a guy with three on a trailer and I tried to follow him... Saw a chick in a thong ripping a Blaster better than I can, followed her with my drone to get the footage.

Another guy got two 2008+ SJs in 2020? I see his sons riding them often. They were little then, now they're tall.

A guy lives in the same apartment as me with a 550, I've been trying to ride with him all summer.

Other dude sold his Chicken and got an FX1. I see him riding at dusk like myself on busy days.

My best riding buddy got married two years ago, he rode like twice last year and has not been out this year.

The best time to ride is September and October. The kids are back in school, still summer, and WAVES are up on the Great Lakes.

 

[Scorn800]

I've seen more stand up in ther last few years than in the previous 10 years. I've owned stand up's for the past 30+ years. I also have owned sit downs for the past 20 years. Which I ride alot as I store them on a jetdock behind my shore house. The last 2 years my stand ups didn't see water but I did get to ride other peoples. I was at the lake 2 weeks ago and saw a dude on a 650sx who had just bought it this summer. He let me ride it for a few than couldn't believe they could turn like how I was riding it. I explained to him how to transfer weight and carver a turn, he was stoked. These days all my stand up friends live far away and it's just not as much fun to ride solo. My kids are getting older now and my daughter will be legal to ride by next summer so hopefully get the stand ups out and get them in the water,

 

[fletcher]

When the primary major manufacturers... Yamaha and Kawasaki... got out of making ready to ride 2-stroke stand ups, the future trajectory of the sport essentially died. Can/will they/do they want to/is there demand for lighter skis... I wouldn't hold my breathe. Smaller niche manufacturers won't sustain an entire sport at large. It's essentially over from a big picture perspective sense unless a major manufacturer flips the script.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

All the guys I used to ride with got out and onto other things , this is about the third time this has happened thus far , there is a younger group now riding on Lake Martin that I just haven't got in with yet, I know a few of them alreadt so it should just be an issue of showing up. and riding.

 

[sturat]

The sport is on its death throes. Prices for most skis and parts have gone back to pre-COVID pricing, albeit with some stupid people holding out to the last drop. Round noses with a b pipe in Florida are selling for 3500 bucks, SXRs can be found for under 3k... just like someone else said, it's usually somebody selling to leave the sport or waxing a price to fund their next rig.

The majority has been priced out of freestyle. A halfway decent rig costs more than a good used car and the support to keep it running is barely there. With more and more places banning two strokes, it's only a matter of time. Skis will be disappear into the ether when the remaining bones have all been scavenged and nobody supports repairs or has parts. It's already happening with grey market bikes like NSRs and TZR's (Which is what I devote my time to now). Parts are drying up, everyday enthusiasts are priced out and the scene is Dead. They went from being ridden and enjoyed to dust collectors in somebody's living room in a matter of 5 years.

 

[E350]

This is a "political" statement:

With more and more places banning two strokes, it's only a matter of time.

Jet skiing is a "freedom" sport.

More regulation = less jet skiing.

Anyone who votes for environmentalism or the green new deal or anyone who is not for reducing regulation on 2-strokes is responsible for killing our sport.

I was at the range yesterday and a guy was picking up a new gun and I asked him if he was registered to vote. He said he was but "didn't know who to vote for" and was disgusted with "all politicians."

What a dumf*ck !

If you want to use your Second Amendment, you have to vote for people who will protect it.

If you want our sport to grow, you have to vote for people who will reduce environmental regulation.

If you don't vote at all.

Shut the f*ck up. Because you are part of the problem and have no right to complain.

Period.

 

[kevbo]

The sport is on its death throes. Prices for most skis and parts have gone back to pre-COVID pricing, albeit with some stupid people holding out to the last drop. Round noses with a b pipe in Florida are selling for 3500 bucks, SXRs can be found for under 3k... just like someone else said, it's usually somebody selling to leave the sport or waxing a price to fund their next rig.

The majority has been priced out of freestyle. A halfway decent rig costs more than a good used car and the support to keep it running is barely there. With more and more places banning two strokes, it's only a matter of time. Skis will be disappear into the ether when the remaining bones have all been scavenged and nobody supports repairs or has parts. It's already happening with grey market bikes like NSRs and TZR's (Which is what I devote my time to now). Parts are drying up, everyday enthusiasts are priced out and the scene is Dead. They went from being ridden and enjoyed to dust collectors in somebody's living room in a matter of 5 years.

Plus riders tend to be fickle, everything they do must be cheap and easy. A small hurdle for a few is a big fence for these guys.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Sturat is correct about the support going away , for over a year now I have tried to find someone local to bore cylinders for me, the guy that did mine is now in a wheelchair and he has had this last set of Seadoo 951 cylinders for 8 months now.

I have called everyone I know , dealers , independent shops you name it within a 50 mile radius of here with no results, there is one place in Prattville that said they could do but they need to look at the cylinders first and if they can do it it's $260.00 labor , ummmm let me think about that one for a minute, noooooooooooooooooo.

But yeah that is the kind of BS stuff I am dealing with here.

 

[sturat]

Sturat is correct about the support going away , for over a year now I have tried to find someone local to bore cylinders for me, the guy that did mine is now in a wheelchair and he has had this last set of Seadoo 951 cylinders for 8 months now.

I have called everyone I know , dealers , independent shops you name it within a 50 mile radius of here with no results, there is one place in Prattville that said they could do but they need to look at the cylinders first and if they can do it it's $260.00 labor , ummmm let me think about that one for a minute, noooooooooooooooooo.

But yeah that is the kind of BS stuff I am dealing with here.

Send it down to Wade Chapin in Sarasota. $60 a hole. Give the ole man something to do

 

[kevbo]

This is a "political" statement:


Jet skiing is a "freedom" sport.

More regulation = less jet skiing.

Anyone who votes for environmentalism or the green new deal or anyone who is not for reducing regulation on 2-strokes is responsible for killing our sport.

I was at the range yesterday and a guy was picking up a new gun and I asked him if he was registered to vote. He said he was but "didn't know who to vote for" and was disgusted with "all politicians."

What a dumf*ck !

If you want to use your Second Amendment, you have to vote for people who will protect it.

If you want our sport to grow, you have to vote for people who will reduce environmental regulation.

If you don't vote at all.

Shut up. Because you are part of the problem and have no right to complain.

Period.

Both sides will lie to you as look at you. Last time I voted for a president, he won! Then he appointed a new FAA administrator who quickly granted over 200 new foreign repair station certificates. Many in Mexico and South America. All the airlines sent their heavy maintenance out of the country forever. It hurt thousands of lives unnecessararily

Sturat is correct about the support going away , for over a year now I have tried to find someone local to bore cylinders for me, the guy that did mine is now in a wheelchair and he has had this last set of Seadoo 951 cylinders for 8 months now.

I have called everyone I know , dealers , independent shops you name it within a 50 mile radius of here with no results, there is one place in Prattville that said they could do but they need to look at the cylinders first and if they can do it it's $260.00 labor , ummmm let me think about that one for a minute, noooooooooooooooooo.

But yeah that is the kind of BS stuff I am dealing with here.

Same problem here in Texas. I have found a shop but $220 for a twin. They want an extra $50 to go from 81mm to 84mm. I have 6 cylinders on the shelf, I think Im going to look for a boring bar.

 

[holygoat]

This is a "political" statement:


Jet skiing is a "freedom" sport.

More regulation = less jet skiing.

Anyone who votes for environmentalism or the green new deal or anyone who is not for reducing regulation on 2-strokes is responsible for killing our sport.

I was at the range yesterday and a guy was picking up a new gun and I asked him if he was registered to vote. He said he was but "didn't know who to vote for" and was disgusted with "all politicians."

What a dumf*ck !

If you want to use your Second Amendment, you have to vote for people who will protect it.

If you want our sport to grow, you have to vote for people who will reduce environmental regulation.

If you don't vote at all.

Shut the f*ck up. Because you are part of the problem and have no right to complain.

Period.

I swear you talk more about politics than skis.

 

[E350]

Only in threads which talk about markets or freedom or money. Please help me choose an intake grate for my 2019 Siper Jet.

 

[holygoat]

Worx WR201, next question.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Both sides will lie to you as look at you. Last time I voted for a president, he won! Then he appointed a new FAA administrator who quickly granted over 200 new foreign repair station certificates. Many in Mexico and South America. All the airlines sent their heavy maintenance out of the country forever. It hurt thousands of lives unnecessararily

Same problem here in Texas. I have found a shop but $220 for a twin. They want an extra $50 to go from 81mm to 84mm. I have 6 cylinders on the shelf, I think Im going to look for a boring bar.

I have been looking myself , I found bunches of boring bars not no tables as most of them were just used on automotive blocks and they mount to the block , without the table they are useless to me , if you do find the whole setup it's $5000 or more , I want a Cyclecyl boremaster , all it needs is a sturdy shop table to mount it to and you are good to go .

 

[Jhucke]

Worx WR201, next question.

08+ you want a 228 for rec riding or JD. Really depends on your nozzles, exit nozzle angle, and rideplate though too. Need downforce and braking in the buoy course, look at WCoT or the Push Industries copy of the R&D LTD.

 

[Jhucke]

Boring cylinders is one thing, try to find someone to rebuild a crank that has a decent reputation and uses decent bearings. They are out there but there doesn't seem to be many left.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

Send it down to Wade Chapin in Sarasota. $60 a hole. Give the ole man something to do

I did call WADE and they are going to fix me up , they are at $80.00 a hole now which I believe is still reasonable.