300/440/550 Riding tips for old JS skis?

[flgliderpilot]

I've been riding for a few months now.. but when I watch these old videos of guys racing JS skis in the 90s, they are all doing things like dragging inside foot, dipping inside knee into the water, etc, etc.

I figured someone must have written a book back then about Jet Ski racing techniques, but I couldn't find anything. I know these things handle differently than the newer skis. So any tips for going fast on a JS440/550?

All I've learned so far is to get low when turning, counter steer as you start to slide out, and try to use the back of the rail to carve. This really isn't much, I know there must be more.

Are these guys dragging a leg to turn tighter, or are they using it as support to keep from rolling too far?

Sometimes I see them pumping their legs.. or are they just flexing to let the ski move under them without porpoising?

 

[zzylstra]

I'm assuming you are talking about old IJSBA videos. Don't be fooled those skis where far from a run of the mill JS. Not to mention power to pull out of a hard carve. They used to "true hulls" for racing from what I understand. Someone else can chime in from that era. From my experience of JS hulls. Your absolute cheapest and easiest way to acquire this type of handling is a set of tubbies. And practice. Lol

 

[amitchell]

I noticed it really helped to get forward in the tray on my 550's, like toes on dash forward.

 

[screaming440]

no tubbies! just need to know how to ride them. here are the basics. when you turn you need your weight forward in the tray and over the inside rail. there are different ways to do that.

switch foot- is moving your feet so your right foot is forward in a right turn and left foot forward in a left turn. bend your knees and hang you ass over the side. this is hard to do on a 550 but common on an 800.
leg drag an bounce turns- always riding with the same foot forward. if you are riding left foot forward you bounce turn on left turns and leg drag right turns. bounce turn is just like above with your ass bouncing across the water. to leg drag put your front foot in the center of the tray or to the inside rail of the tray for more aggressive turns and hang your leg over the side
also to turn with the wrong foot forward when not leg dragging move it all the way to the inside tray rail and event partly up on the rail bend your knees over the top of the rail and push the handle pull down while keeping your upper body kinda straight.

 

[flgliderpilot]

AWesome thanks! What does the bouncing and dragging accomplish? Is it to give support in the turn, to brake going into the turn, or is it just to get the weight inside the turn so you can carve harder without sliding out (like dragging a knee on a bike)?

 

[screaming440]

"you need your weight forward in the tray and over the inside rail" these are just different ways to do it.

watch the footwork the videos here http://www.youtube.com/user/JetGirlsRacing?feature=watch

then reread the above.

 

[JT_Freeride]

I'm no expert but I have gotten pretty good at carving skis. You state that you have only ridden for a few months give it time and try different tray positions. You will eventually get it. Practice practice practice.

 

[flgliderpilot]

Hey I learned subs today!!

I've been trying them every time I go out but never got it to go under. Tried a few today and suddenly got a huge blast of water in my face and was like WTF just happened! Did it again and this time I crouched down after I dove it, got hammered what felt like the whole ocean. Opened my eyes to see my jet ski next floating next to me, except everything was green. Looked up to see about 3-4 feet of green water over my head and sunlight shining down through it! Floated back up and the jet ski started stumbling, had a hard time keeping it running. Rode into shore trying to believe what just happened, and pulled the cover and found the hull full of water.

Wow awesome! Did a few more, really cool. Rode it for awhile to get all the water out and rinsed the engine compartment with fresh water when I got home.

Riding just got a lot more fun!

 

[amitchell]

Time for dual bilge pumps!

 

[screaming440]

try a turn sub now. ride in a strait line turn quick to the side opposite on your front foot then quick the other way and push down with your front foot.

if you don't have a lot of power it can be hard to ride out of a sub but you can sub into a tail stand and then ride out of the tail stand.