Ride by Day, Wrench by Night

This episode is with one of the industry's most colorful characters - 1991 World Champion, Chris 'the Flyin Fish' Fischetti The Fish was one of the rock stars of the early 90s and was always easy to spot, even amongst the bright colors, due to his signature shark fin that he wore on his back. Not only was the Fish a weapon in the water, but he was a great leader in the community out of it, starting the Fish Syndicate. His dad, affectionately known as Pops, was his leading mechanic and between them they had some amazing machines, at times having an edge over their rivals at PJS. Listen in for not only some amazing set up tips, but some crazy stories from the scene in the 90s with all your favorite legends Show notes: You're loved in the community, you started the Fish Syndicate, tell us about that Everyone who ran the show for the jet skis went straight to X Games You guys were rock stars back then, it was a beach party with a jet ski event Running into Troy Lee It must have been so much fun to be on a tour like this Fish's Adventure - tell us about that Scott Watkins was the best rider who did Jet Dreams and then moved to Jet Pilot - he was the guy The jet ski tour really blew up after the big jetski videos Tell us about the Paris indoor race series in Bercey, that must have been great! What do you remember about the Australian Surf Series racing against Todd Ross and Scott Miller? How did you all go over to race in Japan? Jet skis were manufactured in Nebraska and distributed from there Where did your shark fin come from? Your business Hole Shot Engineering and the X2 650 Supercharger The supercharger giving you the edge against the PJS riders You had fierce rivalries but were great friends off the track, what trouble did you guys cause back in the day? Fort Worth, Texas race in 1990 and you have a throttle linkage issue and ended 15th You're always doing R&D, everything you needed you had to bring with you You had good support from a bunch of sponsors: Hole Shot, Mariner, Sano Pads, Solas Impellers, Jet Pilot, Oakley, Arai Helmets, Graydon Proline and Gold's Gym to name a few I started off racing for Fun Tech who made “The Wedge” What's the story with Bum Bum? Tell us about the 1990 World Finals 1991 you became World Champion, but you got badly injured in a car accident! Two weeks after the crash was the first of the Hot Water Tour, I hit someone's ski and I fractured my arm Your dad was a monster engine builder involved with Indycar His race savvy was a huge advantage 1991 was the pinnacle for the 550 engines with an engine your dad made for you It forced us to run a stock flywheel Explain the water cooling system for the bearing Was that your favourite 550 engine? How did you modify the pump? We built the pump, bent and tuned the props, lightened drive line, worked on the steering and intake, dad build the cranks, pistons and the carbs My dad hand built all of this in our garage What was it like competing against a factory backed rider using your own parts? Secrecy in the pits Jeff Jacobs used lead on his ski to keep the nose down, did you do that too? Scoop grates and the ride plate length are important What did it feel like winning the World Championship in 1991? There was no social media, you had to attend events Handling: Fish Sticks - Rhaas Five5Zero Sponsons: tell us about them! This is the first mod that you should do to your ski Having the handle pull height right and having a short steering plate, to make the steering Wedge some foam under the handle pull to stop it dropping too low Engine setup: Have a good set of carbs that you can tune well Your best racing memory: Famous desert parties and the World Finals How many “real” world champions are there on pure jet ski hulls? The journey is more important than the race results

Today's episode is with Rob Hallstrom, former editor of SPLASH magazine! He was definitely a lucky man in the right place at the right time to ride the wave of the golden era of the Jet Ski world. Get an insight into the inner workings of SPLASH Magazine, what it took to put together, some of the challenges they faced and some of the unreal perks he got as an editor covering a sport that he loved! We hope you enjoy this interview with a man at the forefront of the Jet Ski world! Important times: 01:20 Hello and welcome Rob 01:40 How did you get involved in the world of Jet Skis? 04:15 What work did you do outside of Jet Skis? VW Trends Magazine 06:20 The perks of being editor means you always have a great ski 07:55 What does an editor actually do? 10:00 How did you start at Splash Magazine? 13:45 How did the interviews work back then? Technology has changed! 16:00 Splash Magazine's had the best colour 17:20 What makes a good interview? 18:30 In Your Face 20:25 Bad interviews 21:45 Getting onto the cover of the magazine 25:40 Getting to test Jet Skis 26:35 New model releases 29:50 We always got to test the latest tech 32:45 Trips to Australia with Jet Pilot 36:20 Yamaha special testing with new Jet Skis getting to ride 120 miles 37:55 The right time at the right place 39:00 Big money changed the industry 42:15 Ed Miller's PJS Ski the VHP 44:40 The Fish Report 47:55 Custom Corner 49:40 Custom of the Month 52:05 What was your favourite part of the magazine? 53:10 Splash Bash and the Mex Rager 57:00 Riding motorcycles on Route 66 with Spat 01:01:30 The infamous riot 01:03:30 The end of your Splash Magazine career and starting with European Car Magazine 01:06:25 The demise of the magazine as a concept 01:09:00 What are you doing these days? 714 Media 01:10:15 What does your Splash collection look like? 01:12:15 Thank you so much for your time! 01:12:40 Outro

Today's episode is with the 2021 Vintage Class Jet Ski World Champion, ‘Dangerous' Dan Fitzgerald! Coming up through the ranks from the early 90's, he is still riding, racing and winning! Join us as we go down memory lane and relive his early races, the fierce battles he was in, tech innovations like EFI systems, balancing a career being an accountant with wrenching, starting a business and what competing in the 2021 World Finals was like. Dan has a wealth of knowledge about Jet Ski racing, you're in for a treat with this one! Dan's career has spanned for over 30 years and has seen him regularly earning top 5 positions against the big names of the sport in the ProMod class during the early 90s before he went on to even bigger heights. We cover an incredible play by play race recap of when Dan took out the last race of the 1995 national tour in Dallas in the 1200 runabout class We ‘Nerd out' on the differences between MRD mechanical fuel injection and the Triton EFI system, Dan has run them both How he managed a full time accounting career whilst balancing his ambitions to become a pro jetskier as a privateer with only minimal sponsorship support And how his grit and determination paid dividends when Factory Yamaha, Team RIVA,  came knocking on his door with an opportunity he couldn't refuse We finish with some in depth advice from Dan on how to modify your 550 for the best performance possible plus so many more interesting insights along the way. Dan found a way to build his passion into a business with the launch of Jet World Power Sports. If you'd like to find out more about what products Dan has to offer then head to his website at JetWorldPowerSports.com Important Times: 00:13 Intro 01:47 Hello and welcome! How did you get started in Jet Ski racing? 03:50 How and when did you get into wrenching? 07:30 Your dad's role in your wrenching and your first race 11:20 Regional races with worn out motors 13:00 How did you become friends with Jeff Jacobs with the age difference? 16:55 Senators Wash 18:25 Australian Pursuit and the value of riding with better riders 21:30 Funny story about Jeff Jacobs 23:40 What racing memories do you have with Jeff? 26:00 The 750's equalized the racing 27:30 My gear wasn't as fast but it was very reliable 28:35 The beginnings of business 29:45 Finding performance in reliability meant focusing more on the bottom end 31:55 Did you ever train with Jeff? Did you ever get to ride his race skis? 33:50 You had a big list of sponsors in your pro years then none in your expert years 37:30 A story about L&S 40:50 It was inspiring to see you out there financing yourself 43:50 1991 tour you ended 5th place, what was that like? 45:50 White Brothers and Good Time Racing 47:50 Riding 650's 50:00 I switched to a 750 with MRD fuel injection for the World Finals and getting injured 51:50 What is your professional opinion of MRD fuel injection? 54:15 I had a 750 with a Triton EFI as well 56:10 How engine tuning worked 01:01:40 How did you measure performance? 01:05:40 Did you ever see Victor Sheldon or Jeff Jacobs EFI? 01:08:25 Standups to Runabouts and a very tough 1993 01:14:02 This is what dreams and legends are made of 01:22:05 I made over $100 000 just racing jet skis! 01:23:48 What was it like having a professional career while racing? 01:30:15 Starting your own business 01:33:35 The hulls flexed so much that it wrecked the drive coupler 01:35:35 Last round of the national tour 01:44:00 Big battles in the World Finals 01:49:30 You haven't stopped racing but now you had a business: Jet World Powersports 01:52:40 Mike Cohen from PJS came to work with me 01:53:05 We do Sea Doo Watercraft, CanAm Spyder, Beta and Husqvarna Motorcycles, Polaris, Yamaha and Kawasaki, Torrot Electric Motorcycles and Electric Motion 01:55:20 You are the current World Vintage Class Champion taking it away from Wyland Redon, what's it like racing today vs the old days? 01:57:50 Walk us through your setup: Rhaas 750 Conversion kit and choosing a nozzle 01:59:50 Intake grate: set up to go fast in rough water 02:03:21 Engine bay: RND, Mariner and Kaufman pipes 02:06:58 Running 220 Psi compression using a PJS head 02:07:37 3 Channel MSD ignition and a stock FX1 Waterbox 02:08:18 Air flow: pair of 48mm Carburetors 02:08:45 What was the World Finals like? Moto 1 and the log jump 02:12:30 Moto 2 02:15:30 Physical condition and weight is important 02:17:20 The final results of the 2021 World Finals 02:18:18 I wish we had more people doing this 02:21:00 Your best handling tip: Make your ski parabolic, add front and rear sponsons 02:22:35 Engine setup: have enough cooling, add compression and do some porting and an aftermarket ride plate. You can also use a Reed motor. Maintain your parts! 02:26:00 Favorite memory on a jet ski: Helping surfers stuck in massive surf in Ventura 02:30:45 Thank you so much for your time! 02:31:38 Outro

Today's episode is a special one, we are focusing on getting the most performance out of your jet ski using tricks and tips from one of the best in the business, 2020 Vintage Class World Champion Wyland Reden! We've saved some of his top engine and handling tips for this episode to help you get ready for the World Finals! If you want to race with the best in the sport or just enjoy riding with your friends more, this episode is for you! YOUR JET SKI 01:00 So tell us about your ski: dual 46 carbs, reverse jets that's tuned well, west coast cylinder with hand done porting, Kaufmann full pipe, for a good top and bottom end. Full length, hand ported intake manifold. 03:15 What head do you use and under what compression? West Coast head at 195 compression, 200 and over just damaged the engine. 04:40 We use a normal but lightweight crank. 04:50 We replace the PJS pistons every 6 months of racing. 05:30 Waterbox and exhaust. 06:24 Pump: I use a Rhaas 750 conversion kit bored to almost 800 with a big swirl prop, impellers at a high angle as well as an 800 pump nozzle that automatically drops as you turn. 07:17 We have settled on a flat ride plate extended 3 inches out and size 21 rings. 08:10 Top end vs low end performance. 08:44 Advice for people getting into the 550 class. 09:21 It has become necessary to have a 750 pump to be competitive. 10:36 What did you use before the 750 pump? 12:00 It's very difficult to weld anything onto a ride plate. 13:08 We use 2 washers on the ride plate to angle it slightly down. 14:25 How do you fill the gaps between the ride plate and the hull?. 15:14 That's a good way to stop the ski from bouncing around too much. TOP SPEED 15:43 They used to use a radar gun on the back straight to measure top speed, how do you measure it today? We use the GPS data from a GoPro, a phone as well as using a radar gun. 17:09 Your highest ever speed on a 550: 56mph. 18:24 You have to choose between acceleration and top speed. 19:12 Picture of Jeff Jacobs going 57mph. 20:15 Top speed run:what intake grate do you use? Rhaas top loader. FUEL 22:02 How much do you put in? ¾ tank. 23:43 Which fuel do you use? VP 110 Racing Fuel that is kept super cold. PREP FOR RACE 24:30 What is your process of prep to get ready for the start line with your holder? 26:43 What do you do on the line to get your jet ski ready for the race? 30:48 How do you prepare yourself for the start of the race? 30:39 Reading the conditions and mentally preparing. 34:38 Troubles in the season: narrowly avoiding a fire. 36:26 I turn on the bilge pump at the last minute because it uses battery power. 38:13 Ignition system and flywheels, don't play with reverse magnets. GET READY TO RACE 39:48 Why do you rev before the race? To clear the water. 40:47 How to time the start. 42:26 I prefer the inside split, it's tighter and shorter. My ski turns sharply or not at all. PRIZE MONEY IN RACING 44:05 No money in the US but some good cash prizes overseas like in Thailand. 45:08 My team is a big part of my racing. 47:00 Did you see Harry Goatcher and Jeff Jacobs? PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR 47:57 I won't leave the 550's but I'm moving to the Pro Class. 49:42 We are trying to start a stock spec class, no modifications and far cheaper. 53:31 There's something special when you go back to how things used to be.

Ty McFarland is best known for having a garage full of amazing skis and bringing some great products to the market. Over the years, Ty has built one of the most impressive vintage jetski collections in the industry, including v-hull 400s and has owned numerous Jeff Jacobs' race skis including the most legendary of them all, Jeff's 1991 World Finals winning Electronic Fuel Injected PJS 550. Listen in for a great story about how he also owned a race boat belonging to the Flyin Fish, Chris Fischetti for just one day. In recent years, Ty started Fly-N-Ty JetSki Products and has been creating OEM Reproduction Tanks for the 550s. Plus, there are now brand new tanks available for all those X2 fans out there! I know right, these have been in hot demand in recent years and they're finally here. Now if you want to freshen up your ski ready for the water you can find all these tanks as well as difference variations and colors by heading straight to vintagejetski.com/fuel 00:17 Introduction 01:42 Hello and welcome to Fly-n-Ty! How did you get involved in the sport? 04:38 The police didn't mind me, the regular boats were mad at us 06:02 Meeting Bruce Phelped and the fasted jet ski ever, he used a custom ride plate to get to top speed 10:18 Pushing the limits of what is technically a Jetski 12:45 You did a lot of freestyle riding, did you race too? I liked tricks more than racing 16:03 Your ski inspired mine, how did you design your ski? 20:36 Tell us about your freestyle career, you have some very cool tricks. How do you do underwater tricks? 25:00 Entering your first freestyle events, they were strict with where you can practice 30:05 Tips for new riders, tow your ski backwards 32:50 What's your favourite part of a vintage jetski? 35:13 Confusion with warning lights, red for off or red for warning. 36:39 Difference between 4 stroke SuperJet vs old school 550 40:57 You have the biggest collection of vintage jet skis. Tell us about the A and B version of the V-hull 400's 45:06 How to read the VIN number 50:02 What else is unique about the 400's 52:44 White and silver SX skis from Japan 53:20 What prices are we talking about these days? All based on supply and demand, people these days buy multiple skis at once 56:15 How does colour influence the price 59:16 Interchangeability is a huge advantage on a vintage jetski 01:01:48 Using a 440 pump that's tuned well will get a higher top speed than a bigger pump 01:04:45 You have several Vintage racing JetSkis How have you managed to find and budget for them? Save a little every month and use UShip.com 01:09:19 How to tell if you have a real authentic racing jet ski. Match up the scratches and dents 01:11:55 How to get these great skis: Act fast, have the money ready and use UShip.com (or take vacation time to travel to the seller) 01:13:36 You owned Fischetti's ski for 1 day? 01:16:41 Buying Jeff Jacob's ski from PJS Man's brother - from the Du Pont's, fuel injection came in a box - the batteries don't last, 44mm carbs to replace the fuel injection - PJS said please don't contact us anymore, it's a one off race ski and we can't keep fixing it up for you 01:24:00 Touching up vintage jet skis: I don't touch up race boats 01:26:40 Tell us about the Indycar styled fuel injection 01:27:43 Jeff Jacobs did his own undercover mods, his dad developed their own pump and used other parts he didn't tell anyone about, he would take them off before end of the season 01:32:47 Any other secrets you stumbled across? 91 Reed engine and how Jeff beat 700's on his 550 01:39:52 Jeff comes out of retirement and rides in boardshorts and absolutely smashes the competition, did you own that SuperJet? 01:43:42 The Vintage Jetski museum, the history and where it went wrong, plans for the future 01:49:49 Meeting the Godfather of Jetskis: Clayton Jacobs Snr 01:53:29 You also met Fred Tunstall 01:57:13 You make reproduction tanks, tell us about how that came about? 02:00:42 What is the “Fill Delete” tank? 02:02:55 Why should I buy a new tank? Good build quality and safety + how to test your tank 02:05:32 Is there an X2 tank coming out? Yes! We did a crowd survey asking if people want a bigger tank or more room for a bigger pipe 02:09:15 Does it use standard X2 straps? 02:10:10 Where can people find these tanks? 02:11:15 Handling tips: PJS ride plate, Jettrim mats, add traction pads on the hood to stand on it, pads underneath the handle pull, 3 bilge pumps, AME grips, 15 degree bars. The SX railing caps keeping coming off, DIY railings with PVC 02:19:03 Engine setup: 550 Halfpipe, charging flywheel, milling your head, porting, bore the nozzle and aftermarket impeller. I prefer single carb 02:20:58 Your best memory: That Jeff Jacobs boat sitting in your backyard 02:22:27 Thanks for being on the show! 02:23:14 Outro  

This week we chat with Rachel Cummings, one of the rising stars of the sport, on racing, wrenching and getting started in Vintage Jetskis. Rachel has motorsport in her blood with years of experience riding enduro motorbikes with her dad, but it wasn't until she was 20 years old that Rachel was introduced to the sport by her boyfriend, Andrew. Between them they've racked up countless hours of wrenching and admit their passion for the sport has driven them to build race skis faster than they were designed to go. Join us as we go into detail about those modifications, setup and engine tips that Rachel uses to get the best out of her ski. Checkout all this and more on the Ride by Day, Wrench by Night podcast.   00:15 Introduction. 01:52 How did you get into jet skiing? 04:24 You have a boyfriend who loves jet skis too. 07:30 You started on an X2, when did you get a superjet? 09:50 Innovation is great, it leads to the whole industry going forward. 10:27 Finding your SuperJet just before spring break. 12:12 How we converted the ski for the surf. 14:02 Disappointed with the performance at first. 15:35 Chasing whaleboats at Pismo. 20:20 Your first real jet ski event at Huntington Beach. 22:34 Andrew's family has a house at Lake Havasu. 24:09 I was racing just to finish. 25:20 How did your first race go? 26:58 Scrambling to get gear last minute. 27:39 I was the only girl who signed up. 29:04 We realized we were actually competitive. 29:41 We pitted next to Michael Prodanovich. 31:04 So you ride dirt bikes too? Tell us about that. 36:58 Risk vs reward became more important. 37:31 How did you go from your SuperJet to a vintage ski? 40:28 Andrew has been collecting parts for years. 43:20 Mark Gomez riding without a hood. 44:07 Your ski in particular is really nice, tell us about where that started. 46:21 How did you budget and plan for your ski? 47:49 Wrenching is the fun part, it gives you a greater connection to your gear. 51:46 Mod parts do change your style, it really is personal preference. 53:37 What's your preference on steering? She prefers a slower turn to combat over-adjusting. Steering takes priority over the engine when upgrading. 56:32 Tell us about your 750 pump, what difference could you feel compared to a 550? 59:20 What is your recommendation on impeller pitch? We bend them ourselves and test. 01:00:20 Tell us about your intake, they are very aggressive. 01:01:14 Tell us about your ride plate, what adjustments have you made? Cut holes into it. 01:02:42 We are all here to help each other, Andrew is very open with what he does. 01:03:41 Engine bay: 550 Reed engine, RC520 Cylinders, custom porting. 01:04:14 Compression: Over 200 psi. 01:06:37 Intake: Dual carburettor setup, the rest is custom and secret, but it is tuned well. 01:07:17 Ignition: Lightened flywheel with MSD Ignition using the older analog chips, The downsides of Total Loss Ignition. 01:10:14 Batteries: We always buy good batteries, I get a whole day out of a charge, you can use a lightened charging flywheel for a compromise between stock and full mod. 01:11:57 What are your best memories of that build? 01:13:49 Why do you use a halfpipe in your engine? We just tried it and liked it. 01:14:30 What about the waterbox? It is custom made as well. 01:14:52 What are your goals for 2021 and the World Finals? 01:15:42 2020 World Finals goal was to finish in the top 10 01:18:04 How are you preparing differently this year vs last year? Skills vs fitness? Signing up for more races. 01:24:01 Tell us about women's racing and your experience of it. 01:27:17 What is your favourite part about the Vintage Jetski community? Why would someone want to join? Final Questions 01:30:10 Handling setup: Sand the grooves in your hull to make them even and a bit deeper, use bed liner to keep it safe and strong. 01:32:24 Engine tips: Put duel carburettors in it, high compression head, make it tunable. 1:34:01 Favourite races: Mark Gomez GoPro footage of Rachel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MhSzTk0DxE)  01:42:37 Hardest fought race was at the ISJBA World Finals Qualifier, ending 5th out of 9. 01:45:56 Thank you Rachel!

Today's episode is with Neil Bollmann, Jet Ski painter of the stars! Neil was around for the glory years of Jet Ski racing and has made a big name for himself as a legendary painter, people thought his paint jobs were stickers, they were so good! Have a listen as we go back through the golden years and hear what it was like from his perspective and get many valuable tips for doing your own paint jobs. We hope you enjoy this episode and we can't wait to see your own paint jobs after hearing these tips!   00:17 Welcome! 01:29 When did you first see a Jet Ski? 02:08 How much did your first ski cost? 02:53 How did you start painting? Was this your trade? 03:27 First job painting 04:29 “If your Jet Ski runs shitty, bring it to Jet Ski City” 05:04 Jet Ski City's ski was the only one that was painted 06:03 Right time, right place 06:59 89/90 was when my painting really developed with the Candy Apple colors 07:47 How he used to do a paint job 08:07 Candy Apple colors 08:32 House Of Kolor 09:33 How did you meet some of the big names in Jet Ski racing like Scott Watkins? 10:55 The first real taste of fame and Splash Magazine 12:16 Selling good numbers in England and the Hot Water Series 12:56 Live Jet Ski racing on TV 14:49 Heading to the world finals in Havasu 15:20 Driving the van and getting pulled over 17:25 What's the atmosphere like in the glory years? 18:50 New idea for painting Harry's ski 21:17 What's your favorite ski that you've painted? 22:01 What did a paint job cost? 23:26 People were spending a ton of money 23:55 Using lacquer primer, Imron paint, urethane, clear coat and epoxy primer 25:51 You were becoming world renowned at this point 27:07 What about race helmets? 28:12 Troy Lee (Troy Lee Designs) sees Harry's helmet 30:20 People thought his paint jobs were stickers 31:27 Paint jobs started losing their impact in the mid 90's 32:47 Meeting Vanilla Ice 34:53 Vanilla Ice: The Jet Ski Racer 37:59 Pulling up to my house in a white Porsche 38:46 I want to get into painting my own jet ski, what are the stages of painting a ski? 39:49 Take the stickers off (Xylene to remove glue) 41:21 Take the handle pole, pad, exhaust and pole bracket off 41:42 Reinforce with resin and fiberglass 42:16 Tell us about the resin 42:57 Painting is 90% prep 43:58 How much fiberglass do you need? 2 layers on the inside and 2 on the outside - paint inside with Imron-type paint 45:17 Electrical box needs reinforcement too 46:41 Sand it with 80 grit and put epoxy primer on 46:50 You must paint within 72 hours - the paint etches into the epoxy 47:33 Tell us about epoxy 48:40 I was basically a chemist, once the base coat is down and protected, you're good to go 49:21 BEST ADVICE: Read the can! 49:57 What do I need to do this myself? Paint guns 51:22 Urethane primers  51:42 A guide coat is a handy trick 52:07 Sand down with 80 grit, epoxy primer on, choose color, apply base coat - what's next? 52:25 Use Intercoat Clear when you have a lot of white in your design 52:56 Stripe work: Tape is important 53:46 The clear coat allows you to fix mistakes  54:31 Can I do this in my backyard? 55:39 You want to do this over a few days 56:21 Get a Porta-shade and a 20 gallon air compressor with a 25 or 50 foot hose 57:08 Adding your own stickers - clear coat is the last stage 58:14 Taking your paint to the next level 59:51 Things to save time and fix mistakes - 400 grit wet sand paper 01:00:36 Using Pre-Kleano to clean the surfaces BEFORE painting 01:02:36 Tell us about the sandpaper 01:03:24 When do you use 2000 grit sand paper? At the end to make it shine 01:03:52 What is your best memory from back in the day? 01:07:01 Your son's Youtube channel RC Supremacy 01:08:11 How can people contact you? Instagram @neilskicustom 01:08:39 Where did your nickname Neilski come from? 01:09:29 Where to see some of your designs 01:10:03 Thank you for joining us Neil Bollmann!

Hailing from Alaska didn't stop this legend from becoming an incredible 8 time world champion, with a unique racing style using his famous leg drag turns, Victor “The Slasher Sheldon needs no introduction! We cover his career from his first experiences in the water, racing for Butch's Jet Ski Shop to being on the big factory teams like Kawasaki, Pro Tec Yamaha and Polaris. We go through how he got his name “The Slasher”, the cutting edge innovations he used to get ahead of the competition and stories of his time racing at the very top of the sport. We hope you enjoy this episode from a true legend from the world of Jet Ski racing! 00:13 Intro and welcome 01:22 How did someone who grew up in Alaska turn into Victor “The Slasher” Sheldon? 02:27 Spending your last $1500 03:00 1986 World Jet Ski Finals 05:25 MotoX and snowmobile skills carried over 06:24 How much wrenching did you do? 07:02 Travelling with David “The Flash” Gordon 08:12 Bill Chapin 09:03 Your first years in racing, from Arizona Jet Ski to Butch's 11:00 How he became “The Slasher” 12:45 How did you start with Butch's? 14:20 “We kept it fun” 16:38 Travelling with The Fish 21:34 Disqualified from slalom 24:05 Jet Ski innovation really got going in the late 80's and early 90's 27:48 Jet Ski spec'd to the max 28:19 What were you doing to the pumps? 30:10 Testing days 31:13 91' and the new fuel injection systems 36:35 History of the Jet Ski 39:00 92' and the 750 42:09 You finally become “The Man” and win the national championship 43:11 World Finals race in 92' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-iIi5bTv2I) 48:44 The leg drag turns 50:43 94' Season and Kawasaki started supporting riders 53:20 Great stories about Bill Chapin and training with Christy Carlson 54:43 How Kawasaki helped the individual riders 55:43 The downfall of innovation 57:41 95' Season and the sit down's 59:15 Bonus money became big money 61:06 Kawasaki gave you an ultimatum, take it or leave it 62:23 The reality of being on the biggest team 63:54 What do you ride now and the test ski 66:00 Mechanical issues in the lead 67:53 “We have a deal for you” 69:30 Going over to Yamaha and Pro Tec 70:59 How did you get onto the Polaris Octane? 74:14 Yamaha SuperJet painted like a Polaris 75:32 Building a nice little team of your own 77:38 Where did Jet Skiing go wrong and how can we make it big again? 81:26 What is your setup? 83:50 Secret tech tips from back in the day 84:49 Ignition 85:43 Compression 86:40 Carburetors 87:11 Best racing memory 90:27 Thank you Victor and final thoughts 93:42 Outro and Cam's final thoughts

Today we are talking to the team behind the "Run Whatcha Brung JetSki Regatta", which will be returning for its 7th year on the 5th of June 2021, at Pirate's Den in Parker Arizona. The three guys running the show are Mike Kemp, Jason Schriner and Jason Rivera, who are raising money for two very worthy causes that help families going through the effects of cancer: "Cooking for Cancer" and "Milemarkers Therapy". They run one of the best raffles the industry has seen. You can go in the draw to win a 1989 Kawasaki JS550 Race Hull or a 1989 "Goodtimes Racing" Kawasaki X2 - just get to vintagejetski.com/raffle before 31 May 2021 to enter.

Lisa Price has been involved in the racing scene for decades and has a wealth of experience both on the track and behind the mic. During this episode, Lisa and Cam go over what's involved in putting on a race series, the history of where JetJam began, what you need to get yourself on the line, this year's racing schedule and all the companies who have supported making the event series happen! You can find all the details, including the dates for the rest of this year’s series at www.jetjam.racing. And if you want some professional photos during the race make sure to hit up Kenny Wong @KDWPhotos

Wyland Reden became the 2020 Vintage World Champion at just 16 years old. Join us on the journey of how it all unfolded, starting from his early days on Lake Elsinore, to the feeling of crossing the line for the Championship. He is articulate, humble and very funny and has some great tips on getting the best out of your Kawasaki 550.

Hailing from Northern California, a young Larry ‘the Ripper’ Rippenkroeger, was on the path to achieving his dream of being a pro-motocross rider. However, after purchasing his first ski in ‘76, a Kawasaki JS400, there was no turning back. With Larry’s self-proclaimed ‘go for broke’ style, he won his first world title in ’82. He then joined Ed Miller's Performance JetSki and went undefeated in '84, adding a second world title to his long list of accomplishments. Since then he has worked as a sports commentator for ESPN, including alongside Bruce Jenner, and was involved in the development of the SuperJet at Yamaha's headquarters in Japan. Larry then used his jetski skills as a launch pad into the film industry. He worked on Water World with Kevin Costner and was even a stunt double for Bruce Willis in Die Hard. Larry has recently finished creating his exciting new film production: Hot Water, which was shot in Lake Havasu, the heart of jetski racing.

We are back with the highly anticipated part two of our interview with Haulin Harry Goatcher. In this episode, we begin with Harry’s race in Australia that left him with a pretty serious injury. His reaction to the nurses cutting off his favorite JetPilot wetsuit will have you in stitches. Harry moved from R&R JetTech to WestCoast in 1991, but only spent a year there before moving back and you’ll never guess the reason why. You’ll also hear more about what he considers his biggest achievement, which might not be what you’d expect, as well as the season where nothing went right. As always, Harry tells it as it is. So, get ready to have a good laugh and we hope you enjoy the rest of our trip down memory lane.

If you’re looking to hear what it was like to be back in the glory days of jetski racing then we have the perfect guest to kick it all off and bring a smile to your face. 'Haulin' Harry Goatcher began his career at the ripe age of just 17 years olds. He made his professional debut for L&S Engineering in '89, and went on to carve out a career of more than 100 races in the pro mod class, also riding for the likes of R&R JetTech and Westcoast Performance, for whom he claimed a podium at the 1990 World Finals in Havasu Tune in and you’ll hear great insights into what it was like to be up against a number of other legends of the era including Victor Sheldon, Larry Rippenkroger, Chris Fischetti and of course 10-times world champion: Jeff Jacobs In fact, Harry has so many amazing stories to tell that we’ll be bringing you this interview over two episodes. So settle in and enjoy.

Ride by Day, Wrench by Night, is a new podcast presented by VintageJetSki, bringing you great stories, modification tips and amazing insight into the world of Jetski racing from the glory days as well as today.