Need help selecting flat water free ride ski

Tommygunz

Tommygunz

Team PHP
Location
Wisconsin
This summer we will have a Hurricane, Kdx, Rickter, Circus and prolly a few other hulls to try. I'm sure you want to make a decision before then but if you have any questions feel free to give me a call and I can tell you all the feedback I have. 262-689-4063
 
B

billcruise

Pretty sure I'm coming to Wavedaze with the goal being to figure out what to buy (or actually buy it). Anyone who will be there with a flat water ski for sale, please send a PM and let me know what you have and how to get in touch with you at the event.
 
B

billcruise

Guys, I'm going to be at Wavedaze Friday and Saturday with my 10 yr old son. He just developed a passion for stand ups last year and is excited. I assume it's an age appropriate event? Also, my goal is to get a lot of exposures to the different hulls, builders, etc., but I'm not sure what's the best way to get hooked up? Should I go to the flat water Friday venue and just start talking to people? Any suggestions for that and Saturday? We're staying at the Quality Inn list on the wavedaze page. Will there be lots of skis up for sale at the event? If I find the right ski, I am ready to buy. Looking for more guidance. Thanks for all the help
 
Ducky

Ducky

Back in the game!
Location
Charlotte, NC
I dont have any experience with WaveDaze, but you should absolutely stop by Flatwater Friday..I think it starts around 9am and there will be some killer skis. Check everything out and talk to whoever you want...I dont think anyone will mind, since its all about the love for JetSkis. Age appropriate for sure...only thing that probably wouldnt be appropriate is bringing him to the club at night!
 
Ducky

Ducky

Back in the game!
Location
Charlotte, NC
billcruise said:
I'm very interested but I think it's important to follow the advice of people on this board. What I'm hearing is check out and ride different hulls and then make a decision. Will you be at Wavedaze?
Click to expand...

There will be a Rickter to ride whether he is there or not, so you should be able to experience that.
 
Wakerider26

Wakerider26

Peter Waldron -doing jetski tricks
Location
Alabama
I will not be at Wavedaze. However, if you would like to come test ride it anytime, I would be happy to accommodate.
 
B

billcruise

Matt Jones said:
We're you able to test ride any skis at WaveDaze?
Click to expand...

Here's what I rode... courtesy of Curtis Taylor and Jeff Bolte:
Rickter FS/R2 Evo 1100 (Curtis' ski), 850, and 701 (Jeff's ski)
Then later:
Krash Industries Foot Rocket 760
Superfreak Badass -4 701

Wow what an experience... There were so many differences from what I was used to riding. First off I had never ridden in surf before and because of winter I hadn't ridden anything for the last six months so I was definitely a little rusty. The first ski I rode was the Rickter 1100. For me the motor completely dominated the experience and I couldn't begin to get a clear feel for the ski because as soon as I throttled up, it felt more like the ski was riding me than the other way around. I even tried putting one finger between the handle bar and finger throttle as a built in governor. It helped and made it more manageable. I remember riding straight out to a small wave and 'goosed it' a little only to find myself upside down half way thru my first half back flip! That was a lesson and demonstrated this skis willingness to flip. Never before had I been on anything that was too much power but this definitely was. Curtis told me the 1100 was about 180 hp so we're talking 3X a stock SJ.

I also was struggling to adapt to the very short handle pole. I'm much more used to riding on the back of the tray but that's not how this ski was set up. This was a recurring theme with every ski I rode and I never really got comfortable with it. With adjustable length poles that's something that can be changed but it didn't help me when evaluating hulls. The other thing messing me up were footholds which I had no experience with . Of course the footholds were all set up for the individuals preference therefore none were right for me. Mostly I ended up positioning my feet around them which was less than ideal.

Curtis then offered a Rickter EVO 850 which I rode. The 850 was slightly less responsive but still way too much motor for me. This ski also didn't have front hull sponsons which the 1100 had. I preferred the handling of the sponsons. Then Curtis introduced me to Jeff Bolte who graciously let me ride his 701 B pipe/Head/MSD Rickter Evo. This was the right power for me and still surprised me with how responsive it was. By this time though I was physically whipped. What I was realizing though is that all of these skis were far more responsive to throttle, body English, and bar position, etc. Before getting on the Rickter, I had the impression it was one of the heavier, stable and slower responding skis. Don't be fooled though, they are extremely responsive as compared to an SXR or SJ.

Next up, I rode a brand new Foot Rocket that I think was a 760. The hull looked extremely short and what I noticed about this ski was that it seemed to ride high, more on top of the water than the Rickter and that the hull slid more in turns. Again this ski had a very short pole which was uncomfortable for me. I preferred the Rickter to the Foot Rocket and so they suggested that the Predator would be a better fit for me. I ran out of time though and never got to ride that.

During this time I was in contact with Phil from P&P and he talked to a gentleman who had a Superfreak Badass -4 (701) that he let me ride. I was blown away with how different this ski was. With the low sidewall around the foot tray there seemed to be nothing you could use to brace against. The ride was totally different though, much more stable and more "SXR like" than the others. The ski was still rippin fast and responsive but seemed like it would be an easier transition. In the end though I worried it might be too stable?

One ski I wish I could have ridden was a 701 Rage Brawler. I was really impressed with the quality of construction and attention to detail with this hull. Despite being short, it didn't seem to ride nose high and I was told it could be ridden at higher speeds without chine walk or other bad behavior. It struck me as a good all around ski.

I'm really glad people were so generous to let me try their pride and joy and I want to say thanks to the whole Wavedaze community for being so helpful and willing to answer my sometimes dumb questions. What I've come to realize is that I need more time to figure out what hull to start with and that I'll need to go to some more events to try more hull/motor combinations. Today I bought a 2014 SJ which I will promptly mod (pipe, head, grate, bars, etc.) and enjoy for now until I can get further with an A/M hull. My hope is this time next year I'll have that ski.
 
swapmeet

swapmeet

Brotastic
Location
Arlington TX
I always enjoy reading ride reports from people who've only ridden SJ's with 701's.

Good luck Bill.
 
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