- Location
- Northwest, CT
Makes me sick just thinking about how bummed he was. He trains so hard for one day to show his skill.
This was taken straight off his Facebook page
Upon my arrival to Havasu 2011 I went straight to camp EME to test my new competition ski, 1200cc with the new Arieal 8 Hull.
The ski was suppose to have been previously tested as surely anyone would have expected? un to my knowledge actually my first test of the ski on Thursday morning was in fact the first ever test of the Arieal 8 hull it had never been on the water since production so not a great start..I was extremely shocked when Eric was asking me how the ski works? So just to clarify this is Thursday, 2 days prior to the first freestyle event and the hull had never been tested!!
After my first test the engine was working great as always in fact better than expected, but the Hull and Pump and issues, it would not turn to the left, so survially that making a barrel roll was impossible..this was due to wrong prop combinations and also loosing so much pump pressure that it had no drive.
To quote EME "
We came to the World Finals expecting no less than another World Title for Lee and the Team. We brought an Aerial 8 with a 1200cc engine/pump combo which we were excited to debut and which exceeded all past equipment seen in competition. Lee wanted modifications that ultimately changed the performance of the boat in unsatisfactory ways"
This is Correct, EME did previously test this product that "exceeded all past equiptment" What EME forgot to mention by accident im sure, is that the previously tested ski for World Finals was infact not on a Ariael 8 Hull, And also using a Kawasaki Pump set up with Kawasaki Steering, When in fact my WF ski was using a different hull with Yamaha Pump and Yamaha Steering system, Somthing completely different to what EME had tested.
We then worked to 4am changing pumps to different sizes as EME believed we maybe had to much water pressure so we needed to lower pump size, We then tested at 4:30am and still had the same issues, Friday morning we changed props, nozzles, intakes and constantly tested through out the day and still ski was un ridable, we carried on working utill 5 am that morning and tested and 5:30am again still nothing..(This whole process of riding at early hours every morning is on video with the ski running terribly)
The following morning after 2 hours sleep we started working again, EME thought maybe it was a hull design problem so we infact had pieces of scrap rubber glued on the underside of the hull in the intake area to reduce size, the pump was held together by silicone as nothing actually fitted propery, so Saturday morning qualifying came and I had around 4 hours sleep in 3 days due to working to get the ski actually ridable,
Right up until my qualifying the ski wasn't ready we were still waiting for glue to dry on the add on rubber parts to the hull I was on the start line waiting whilst the ski was still trying to be fixed, eventually the ski arrived on the beach 20mins later, I ride my qualifying and the ski was in fact even worse, (By watching the video back you will see no tricks were performed to the left, my 360 was in fact the opposite way to normal as that was the only way possible) saturday evening we worked again up until 6am changing exit nozzles, pumps, steering nozzles, props, adding pieces to the hull and constantly testing through the night.
Sunday morning comp time and I had not 10minutes practise on the new ski, the freestyle warm up had started and we were still trying to fix and at this point I physically could not ride the ski as it it was terrible, At this point I asked EME to test the ski for the first time and asked a direct question, 'Would you ride this product if it was you competing' the answer i got was 'No i wouldnt' and to add to everything else I didn't ride as I was informed my engine would not run with the correct fuel that we needed to run, in fact EME told me we had to run an illegal fuel for the engine not to blow up which I refused to do!
So at this point it was clear it was impossible for me to ride so EME asked me and my whole team and family as a friend not to inform people of ski problems and just say a neutral answer of, problems happen! As he didn't want to harm his business! So the whole sunday morning before the competition i was in constant tears devastated i couldnt show off my hard work and training and try to defend my title! Yet i had to stand on the beach during the competition just brushing off peoples questions by saying "problems happen" When all i really wanted to do was burst out how hard i had trained and wanted to compete but couldnt! But i didnt as i gave EME my word that i wouldnt say a bad word about the company and as being close friends with the team i didnt want to hard the business in any kind of way.
I then left havasu monday and agreed and gave EME my word that I would not have a bad word to say about eme or tell the truth about what happend!
Which he was extremely thank full for!
Then I find out EME go behind my back and blame me as a rider and my bad choices as to why I was un able to ride! As you can imagine was very very disappointing to read! I actually read the post just as i landed from my flight home and as soon as i read it i instantly felt sick and headed to the bathroom, knowing people would now think that it was my choice just not to ride after so much hard work i put into this event but most of all that a very close friend of mine who i had worked for 4 years very closly with and had huge respect for would then go behind my back and under mind me as a rider and ruin such a good friendship and relationship over trying to pass the blame! I was devastated!
I'm sorry to have to write this, and down grade any company's product because this is not my intentions at all, i dont normally write posts like this, in fact i never have but I feel I have no option as such underhand sly commets have been made!
I had trained extremely hard for this years WF and was ready to raise the level of freestyle once again and absolutely devastated that I was unable to show my skills but 1 thing for sure is that 2012 I will be back, bigger,better an stronger than ever with my own ski built and ready to rock!
I also apologise to all my sponsors who have supported me and put a lot of backing into me leading up to this years world finals that i was unable to give back something for all there help.
I leave you with 1 question.. If what EME states is true and my post is made from untruths and it was my choice not to ride and the ski was extremely competitive, why would Eric himself not represent his product on the water?
Many Thanks
Lee Stone
Lee-Stone.Com
This was taken straight off his Facebook page
Upon my arrival to Havasu 2011 I went straight to camp EME to test my new competition ski, 1200cc with the new Arieal 8 Hull.
The ski was suppose to have been previously tested as surely anyone would have expected? un to my knowledge actually my first test of the ski on Thursday morning was in fact the first ever test of the Arieal 8 hull it had never been on the water since production so not a great start..I was extremely shocked when Eric was asking me how the ski works? So just to clarify this is Thursday, 2 days prior to the first freestyle event and the hull had never been tested!!
After my first test the engine was working great as always in fact better than expected, but the Hull and Pump and issues, it would not turn to the left, so survially that making a barrel roll was impossible..this was due to wrong prop combinations and also loosing so much pump pressure that it had no drive.
To quote EME "
We came to the World Finals expecting no less than another World Title for Lee and the Team. We brought an Aerial 8 with a 1200cc engine/pump combo which we were excited to debut and which exceeded all past equipment seen in competition. Lee wanted modifications that ultimately changed the performance of the boat in unsatisfactory ways"
This is Correct, EME did previously test this product that "exceeded all past equiptment" What EME forgot to mention by accident im sure, is that the previously tested ski for World Finals was infact not on a Ariael 8 Hull, And also using a Kawasaki Pump set up with Kawasaki Steering, When in fact my WF ski was using a different hull with Yamaha Pump and Yamaha Steering system, Somthing completely different to what EME had tested.
We then worked to 4am changing pumps to different sizes as EME believed we maybe had to much water pressure so we needed to lower pump size, We then tested at 4:30am and still had the same issues, Friday morning we changed props, nozzles, intakes and constantly tested through out the day and still ski was un ridable, we carried on working utill 5 am that morning and tested and 5:30am again still nothing..(This whole process of riding at early hours every morning is on video with the ski running terribly)
The following morning after 2 hours sleep we started working again, EME thought maybe it was a hull design problem so we infact had pieces of scrap rubber glued on the underside of the hull in the intake area to reduce size, the pump was held together by silicone as nothing actually fitted propery, so Saturday morning qualifying came and I had around 4 hours sleep in 3 days due to working to get the ski actually ridable,
Right up until my qualifying the ski wasn't ready we were still waiting for glue to dry on the add on rubber parts to the hull I was on the start line waiting whilst the ski was still trying to be fixed, eventually the ski arrived on the beach 20mins later, I ride my qualifying and the ski was in fact even worse, (By watching the video back you will see no tricks were performed to the left, my 360 was in fact the opposite way to normal as that was the only way possible) saturday evening we worked again up until 6am changing exit nozzles, pumps, steering nozzles, props, adding pieces to the hull and constantly testing through the night.
Sunday morning comp time and I had not 10minutes practise on the new ski, the freestyle warm up had started and we were still trying to fix and at this point I physically could not ride the ski as it it was terrible, At this point I asked EME to test the ski for the first time and asked a direct question, 'Would you ride this product if it was you competing' the answer i got was 'No i wouldnt' and to add to everything else I didn't ride as I was informed my engine would not run with the correct fuel that we needed to run, in fact EME told me we had to run an illegal fuel for the engine not to blow up which I refused to do!
So at this point it was clear it was impossible for me to ride so EME asked me and my whole team and family as a friend not to inform people of ski problems and just say a neutral answer of, problems happen! As he didn't want to harm his business! So the whole sunday morning before the competition i was in constant tears devastated i couldnt show off my hard work and training and try to defend my title! Yet i had to stand on the beach during the competition just brushing off peoples questions by saying "problems happen" When all i really wanted to do was burst out how hard i had trained and wanted to compete but couldnt! But i didnt as i gave EME my word that i wouldnt say a bad word about the company and as being close friends with the team i didnt want to hard the business in any kind of way.
I then left havasu monday and agreed and gave EME my word that I would not have a bad word to say about eme or tell the truth about what happend!
Which he was extremely thank full for!
Then I find out EME go behind my back and blame me as a rider and my bad choices as to why I was un able to ride! As you can imagine was very very disappointing to read! I actually read the post just as i landed from my flight home and as soon as i read it i instantly felt sick and headed to the bathroom, knowing people would now think that it was my choice just not to ride after so much hard work i put into this event but most of all that a very close friend of mine who i had worked for 4 years very closly with and had huge respect for would then go behind my back and under mind me as a rider and ruin such a good friendship and relationship over trying to pass the blame! I was devastated!
I'm sorry to have to write this, and down grade any company's product because this is not my intentions at all, i dont normally write posts like this, in fact i never have but I feel I have no option as such underhand sly commets have been made!
I had trained extremely hard for this years WF and was ready to raise the level of freestyle once again and absolutely devastated that I was unable to show my skills but 1 thing for sure is that 2012 I will be back, bigger,better an stronger than ever with my own ski built and ready to rock!
I also apologise to all my sponsors who have supported me and put a lot of backing into me leading up to this years world finals that i was unable to give back something for all there help.
I leave you with 1 question.. If what EME states is true and my post is made from untruths and it was my choice not to ride and the ski was extremely competitive, why would Eric himself not represent his product on the water?
Many Thanks
Lee Stone
Lee-Stone.Com
