Question for the ski retirees

[Pro-pulsion]

I'm currently at the local boat launch where I exclusively go...we have others but not as nice as this one... it's windy, it's wavy, it just looks beautiful and it makes me wonder. For anyone that has retired from the freeride life, or knows someone that has, do you or they miss it? My reliable copilot and good friend retired this year and sold off his ski. He says he doesn't miss it because he can't do it anymore but I don't know, I feel like there's more to it than that. I feel like he does he just doesn't want to admit it lol. I know I miss having him out there with me and seeing him progress into a really good freerider. When he first started into the freeride with me you could see he was at a beginner level but in only a couple of years he really improved and would always say this was the thing, this was his thing that totally dissolved all the stress. It now has me wondering how many that have either decided it was time to retire or were forced into it actually miss it. I think I will when my time comes and with it going back to just me out there flying solo I imagine my time will come sooner than later. I've had my share of breakdowns in the surf and spending 2-3 hours floating around while very slowly swimming my ski back. It's a lonely world out there when you're the only nut in the big waves and no other boats will even dare try what we find mild and entertaining. I'm not looking forward to my end date in the freeride department, but I definitely don't mind not killing myself trying to swim a ski back to shore from a few hundred feet out in 5-7 foot waves lol.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

When I worked at the Seadoo stealership an 80 year old man came in and traded in a JS550 on a Seadoo SP , from then on my thoughts have been if he can still ride a 550 at 80 years old then so can I . When I had the hip replacement one of my biggest concerns was if I would still be able to ride standups, so far the answer is yes ,I am not at the level of most guys here , all this freeride stuff came way late in the game for me.

 

[Pro-pulsion]

Same here, I didn't really start pushing my limits until about 8 years ago and what is pushing it for me, is probably what a lot if not most of the guys here would consider close to beginner level. I can't backflip or barrel roll and to me, when I finally get those down then I will consider myself good enough for my time lol. One of my other friends in his mid 50's sold off his SXR800 and went with a runabout. I think it was an STX1500 but even that ended up getting sold off only a few years later and that was the end of it for him. I think I remember him saying he wished he could still be out there with me and when his son was in town the three of us would get out there, but that was a long time ago now, at least 5 years ago. Since then he has just been doing travel with his wife, I don't hear much from him anymore. He and his son introduced me to this site back in 2009 or so. Once I learned about the SuperJet here, I started looking for one and found mine in 2012. The group I used to ride with has all faded out. I hear from one maybe two of them once in a rare while but that's about it. We used to be a group of about 7 strong. Now it's back to just me

 

[WFO Speedracer]

I have been in this long enough to have seen several cycles of people getting into the sport , going crazy doing all the mods to their skis then selling off everything , maybe about the third go around for me ,I think I got into skis around 1988 -89 with a modded 440, big bored with Kawasaka H2 pistons in it and cylindersc ut all the way from the transfer ports to the bottom of the cylinder. when my friends all ditched there skis I always kept mine , I just found new people to ride with.

 

[Pro-pulsion]

Unfortunately around here there's not much of a population of ski peeps and what is there for the most part, isn't the type I would be willing to associate with. I don't ride with anyone that doesn't respect others, keeps a healthy distance from all boats and each other unless there's a good reason, and doesn't respect the ramp by blocking it or leaving their vehicle in the ramp while they strap down their skis or prep them for launch. That can be done in the parking lot before going in the launch, but they do it all the time here. They'll clog up the ramp for 15 minutes or more while they figure out what they're doing, what they need, talk to their buddies...etc etc...while a line up is forming. I don't want to be seen as a part of those guys so I am pretty choosy about whom I get out with. That does remind me though that a neighbor has a relative locally whom is respectful and responsible that goes on his own too. He has a Spark so he's kind of in the freeride genre. I need to go and horrang that guy a bit to get me in touch with this fella lol.

 

[faceplant2]

I don't freeride but I started when I was 45. Now 60 and never plan on getting out of the sport. I hear that most people are only in the sport for a couple of years then they sell their skis. Could never understand why.

 

[mthomps]

I don't freeride but I started when I was 45. Now 60 and never plan on getting out of the sport. I hear that most people are only in the sport for a couple of years then they sell their skis. Could never understand why.

A lot of guys want to do freestyle and buy all the expensive equipment you need to do it, then get surprised that it's not just "easy mode" from there on out like hitting the throttle makes you do combos. Then they realize those high end drivelines need routine rebuilds and things break, and the cost of repair is much higher than a 701.

I too have had a hip replacement and I'm not really that old. I'll be 37 in a couple of days actually. But I got arthritis young and had my right hip done when I was 33. That, combined with working odd hours and not a lot of people around or available when the lake gets big kinda brought me in to riding a few times a year to none at all last year. The one time I went out on a big day alone I broke down.

I was/am In to wave riding. I'm not even that in to jumping or any aerials at all. I'll always hang on to my main superjet, or at least some ski, if I ever hang it up and get the itch years later.

 

[kevbo]

Very few stay with this hobby for long. You would be very fortunate to find quality people who will keep a ski running for decades. I completely understand the difficulty with finding another jetskier that you can stand being around. If you are a long term rider keep a spare ski running for any good kid that will tag along.

 

[Pro-pulsion]

I've been a ski owner since I was 13 and I'm 46 now. I know that my 96 RN is not only a rare thing to have around here but I also rebuilt everything on it and know every inch of it. I once in a while question if I should sell everything off but then just like mthomps I get out for that odd ride and like my friend, I remember how much stress relieving it is and just how much I love it. I do some aerials, one handed can-can I think it's called where I will raise my left arm straight up off the bars and the kick my right leg across the tray in front of my left leg and outside of the tray while also partially looking sideways, or a one handed look back and point, nose stabs, no handed jumps, one handed jumps. Just the feeling of being able to do that is something else and nobody else around here is even willing or thinking about trying it, it draws in crowds. I never realize it until I get turned around facing the shore line. I'll see the usual walking traffic before I start acting like a clown but after I get my first good aerial in, that's when the cameras come out. My friend said he spoke to the local police once asking if them if we were ok to be doing this stuff because he respects the water just like I do and doesn't want to be a problem out there. The officer said heck yes! We come down here in the windy days to watch because it helps break up our days when they are slow. I don't want to give it up and like you say kevbo, I'll likely hang onto the ski for as long as possible just in case a good lad does turn up again looking for someone to get out there with. I know there's a few standups somewhere in the general area but by that I mean covering a 50 mile radius so I'm betting they're cottage country riders on the virtually no waves back lakes. We need some media coverage around here to spark some new life into it lol. I made onto our national weather network as a photo of the day thing they were doing lol. It was 3 seconds of fame but hey, I'll take it

 

[JC-SuperJet]

I dunno....a 64 year old feller Racer just ordered the Fast Powersports F1...He's been riding a 70 mph Kommander GP1 for the last couple of years and he still tears up the buoy course like he's the Ghost Rider on a night ride. This Guy is a Legend 'round these parts. An Elite Rider that will never quit.

LET"S RIDE:!!!

 

[WFO Speedracer]

My oldest son loves to ride but he is where I was at, he has two small children to take care of, he never gets to ride , I plan to ride with him some after I retire which I will partially do next year, once his kids see us riding then maybe just maybe I can get his son or daughter interested in standups , I am sure going to give it my best shot.

 

[mthomps]

@Pro-pulsion years ago the local talk radio guy had a 45 footer that kicked up a big wave. By chance a buddy and I saw him idling in to a river mouth and he sped back up to trawl and kicked us up a big wake. I wrote in an email and they mentioned us on the air for like a minute. That's my 47 seconds of fame. lol!

 

[fx1mark]

When I was in my forty's I surf rode my fx1 with friends on a wb1 and wb2. They were both 10 years younger than me. I teased my buddy on the wb1 that when I get too old to ride my fx1 I would get a blaster. I'm now 66 and did get a blaster to ride in the surf. I still have the skill to ride my fx1 in the surf but I hurt for weeks so I dont. I now also have a gp1900 and recently moved close to a lake. I currently rotate which one I ride but the fx1 and blaster are of course more fun than the gp. I mostly take the gp to the beach now because everyone In my family rides couches.
My 69 year old brother races motorcycles and does well at it.

 

[E350]

A body in motion stays in motion.

 

[Ryan Declark]

All I ever dream about is riding and building skis. I think if money was of no object that's what I would do. Problem is always money for me. This isn't really the easiest sport to maintain either. The know how on the maintance side of things is the other half.

That being said there are literally groups of passionate people who want to ride with others on this site. I know when I get my v3 done and hit the surf finally for the first time I'm gonna want to go with some people as my friends aren't into it standups like I am.

Put a post up. If I was local to you I'd take my fat ass out on my rebuilt 550 waterscooter out for as long as my arms could hold on.

 

[smoofers]

I dunno....a 64 year old feller Racer just ordered the Fast Powersports F1...He's been riding a 70 mph Kommander GP1 for the last couple of years and he still tears up the buoy course like he's the Ghost Rider on a night ride. This Guy is a Legend 'round these parts. An Elite Rider that will never quit.

If you're talking about Mark, yes. He is a legend and a solid human being.

 

[bored&stroked]

I got caught in a storm on the lake once, came out of nowhere. I was on a yamaha raider...nice fairly stable sit down. Waves got big. My buddy whos upper 50's/lower 60's was on his sxr800. We both booked it back to camp, and he was staying right with me while I had this raider pinned. I could not have ridden a stand up that well, so that gave me hope for the future.
But then again, when I can't ride a standup I'll still have a blaster. And that's cool.

 

[WFO Speedracer]

I am building a Seadoo 3D just in case the worst happens I should still be able to ride a standup of some sort , years ago these were made fun of because of the size but now with the humongous 4 strokers out there it doesn't seem that big anymore lol.

 

[PAUL C]

I have been riding for 34 years. First ski was a 88 js 550 went to world finals in 1994 saw a fx1 and came home and bought a brand new one. Rode it for 18 years then bought the one I heavily modified that I ride now. 4 superjets a rickter and a revolver also over the years. Still love my fx1 . I'll keep riding until I can;t. All the guys I have ridden with over the years have all been younger than me but they never treat me like i'm to old to ride with them so that keeps me going. 67 next month so my advice is never give up.

 

[Mike W]

Got into standups about 20 years ago when I was in my mid thirties. I just sold my SJ a couple months ago but honestly I could still ride if I just cruised around and did nothing aggressive. If I did I couldn’t walk for two days so what fun is that? Went back to my roots and bought a B1.