In addition to the obvious attention-grabbing news at Sea-Doo’s press intro last week, the company also introduced a new ECO mode on numerous craft, including all but the base GTI model.

At first glance, it would be easy to dismiss ECO mode as just another take on a rev limiter. Limit the top speed, and in turn, limit the fuel consumption. On closer inspection, however, it’s apparent that ECO mode goes a step further than a simple rev-limiting system.

ECO mode uses the engine management system to tailor the engine’s performance to deliver the best fuel economy. In short, it looks for that sweet spot, which is typically around 41 mph. But in addition, it limits the boat’s rate of acceleration as well, choosing a gentle curve that maximizes fuel efficiency throughout the new powerband.

Sea-Doo engineers claim activating ECO mode will improve fuel economy by a total of eight percent.

What kind of numbers are we looking at? The GTI Limited now includes fuel consumption on its information display. With ECO activated, fuel consumption registered five gallons per hour at the craft’s top speed of 41 mph. That’s exactly half the total consumption the craft consumed at its non-ECO top speed of 58 mph.

One last, almost cutesy touch? When you activate ECO mode, the fuel pump icon on the display suddenly sports, what else, a smiley face. Check out the lower righthand corner…

Reports out of California this morning are that Cycle News has ceased production as of yesterday. Why is that of interest to PWC fans? Longtime enthusiasts (heck, make that enthusiasts as recent as only a year ago) may remember that Cycle News’ parent company was also the publisher of the long-running Personal Watercraft Illustrated, a publication that hung in there for nearly 25 years before abruptly biting the dust at the end of 2009. The company’s weekly Cycle News was a mainstay in the motorcycle market, and led seemingly forever by Paul Carruthers, a guy who gave me some of my first assignments way back when, and one I almost went to work for at one time. Yes, it’s another blow to print publishing but it’s also the closing of a chapter in our sport’s history.

“At this point I’m not sure I should give a damn, but I do,” Carruthers wrote this morning on his WordPress blog. “There’s a lot of history there… for every photo on a proof sheet that was chosen for publication and circled with a blue grease pencil, there are 35 other photos of equal importance. There are bound volumes of every issue ever printed, file drawers full of photos of heroes past and present. Of motorcycles from then and now. And I worry that whatever vulture that ultimately gets their hands on the remains won’t fully comprehend what it all means. I fret not for the things that will be saved, but for the things that will probably get trashed. I fear someone going through the wreckage who knows nothing of Dick Mann, of Giacomo Agostini, or of Kenny Roberts or Roger DeCoster.”

Might I add a few more names, like Rippenkroeger, Jacobs, Gordon, Sheldon, Fischetti, MacClugage. Magazines, especially those with history, are a shame to lose…no matter what the sport.

I recently got some information from Discovery River Tours on their remaining PWC tours for 2010. For those unfamiliar with Discovery River Tours, they’ve been around since 1993, and run all-inclusive touring packages in the southeastern United States. The owners, Sam Thomas and Vicki Williams, still lead each and every tour, and as anyone who has been on one can attest, they run a first-class operation. Tours typically last 2-5 days, and visit some of the more scenic and unique spots found in the south.

Remaining trips on this year’s schedule include the Pee Dee-Waccamaw River Trip (Sept. 17-19). Here’s the description:

This popular South Carolina trip offers extraordinary accommodations, great food and spectacular scenery. Don’t miss this opportunity to experience a river adventure in style!

We begin this trip near McClellanville, SC on the Intracoastal Waterway. From there you’ll travel some sections of the South and North Santee Rivers and through a portion of Winyah Bay before we stop on the Historic Georgetown, SC Riverwalk for lunch. The afternoon will take us on to the Great Pee Dee River, where we’ll pass through the narrow, trail-like sections of the Samworth Wildlife Management Area. As the river begins to widen again you’ll see the splendor of the old rice plantations which can only be seen by river. After a short run down beautiful, unspoiled Bull Creek, the group will head north on the Waccamaw River to our destination of Conway, SC. We’ll cap off this fabulous first day with a private dinner catered just for our group.

Conway is a historic riverfront town located on the Waccamaw River. Our home for two days is a beautifully appointed Bed & Breakfast Inn located on the town’s River Walk; conveniently located near restaurants, shops, a riverside park and the PWC friendly marina.

Day Two is spent in the Conway area offering a 52- mile run on the narrow and twisting Upper Waccamaw River (seen in the photo above). This ride is exciting and the scenery is great…….definitely one of the highlights of the trip! You’ll have time in the afternoon to do what you want to do; perhaps just relax on the front porch, get a massage at the Inn, or explore the town by land. The group will close out the day dining in town on some of the most delectable Low-Country cuisine available in the region. On Day Three you have a full day on the water as you make your way back to the start point via PWC, completing your 325 mile river adventure.

Following it up in October is the Okee-Kissimmee Lake & River Tour (Oct. 24-26)…

Come be a part of this scenic ride that takes you across the state from east coast to west coast. You’ll experience a piece of “old” Florida where sugar cane, citrus and cattle ranches cover the landscape instead of theme parks and shopping malls.

You’ll enjoy this 350-mile river tour in the warm October climate of the Sunshine State. We begin the trip in Historic Indiantown (near the east coast of Florida). After traveling the St. Lucie Canal we’ll lock through into Lake Okeechobee and travel across on it’s most protected route along the southern rim. After navigating through another lock on the west side of the lake, we’ll begin travel on the peaceful and beautiful Caloosahatchee River. From there we’ll travel through two more locks and into Ft. Myers for the night. We’ll land at our first class lodging overlooking the Bay in North Ft. Myers just in time for the opening of Stone Crab season! On Day 2, the group will head east back across the state to Indiantown for an overnight at the historic Seminole Inn. Loaded with history and lovingly cared for, the Inn provides a special peek at what much of Florida was once like.

On Day 3 we’ll drive a short distance to run our route on the nearby Kissimmee River, currently under restoration to revive parts of the old, winding, original river channel. There’ll be lots wildlife and very little civilization on this adventurous and technical part of the ride. This is a beautiful ride and we like this part so much that we’ll do a second run on the narrow and winding restored section, time permitting.

This Fall trip is a great way to extend your riding season, so if it’s hard for you to say good-bye to your PWC at the end of the summer, head south with us on this classic PWC adventure.

This isn’t an ad; in fact, Discovery River Tours isn’t even aware that I’m sharing the info. But I’ve done projects with Sam and Vicki over the years, and I’ve had multiple co-workers join them on their trips. I know they’re fun, well run, and a great way to get out on your PWC. (For a glimpse of what a tour is like, here’s a link to a story from my Boating Magazine colleague David Seidman.)

If you’re interested in registering for a tour or getting more information, call DRT at 770/493-1PWC, or check out their website at www.pwctours.com.

After several years of attention on high-tech — and high-priced — watercraft, Sea-Doo is turning its attention back to the Introductory/Recreational market for 2011, redesigning the GTI series into a feature-packed, cutting-edge design line of machines that one Sea-Doo rep not-so-surprisingly labeled “VX killers.” Meanwhile, at leastone high-end machine has received attention. The RXT-X is now available in a manual-suspension variation that should prove a favorite for ocean riders.

The new craft were unveiled to the press last week in Florida. My first impressions? Multiple points immediately stand out on the GTI. First, they look awesome, the result of a makeover that gives the boats some of the lines of the GTX series, but a unique personality all their own. Forget the dated design the previous GTI touted for years. These boats are ultra modern and could pass for flagships. Fit and finish has also been raised. Remember that wimpy hood and latch on the GTI? That hood is now solid and finished on the interior, and that hinge is now abeefy, sturdy arm. It’s a wholesale departure from the former line, and one that should turn heads both in the showroom and on the water.

That design incorporates some clever ergonomic features. Footwells now feature a consistent slope, or arc, rather than the abrupt angular changes that have become the norm. That keeps the foot in constant contact with the footwell, no matter what the leg position. Footwells are also canted inward to match the natural angle of a rider’s knees and ankles. The low-slung styling incorporates a lower seat and handlebar angle, dropping the boat’scenter of gravity closer to the water. The seat narrows at the knees for comfort, but also to make stand-up riding easier. For that same reason, the info display has been moved forward to stay in view.

For an entry-level machine (the base GTI 130 starts at $8,999), there are some high-end features. Intelligent Brake and Reverse (iBR) means these craft will have not only the braking ability of Sea-Doo’s high-end models, but also the simple, intuitive handling provided by a craft that starts in neutral, and can be shifted easily from forward, neutral, and reverse via the handlebar-mounted throttle and brake/reverse lever. That makes it simple to launch, load, and maneuver around a tight dock area, an area that has proven over time to be one of the most intimidating to the Introductory audience. GTIs also now get elements of Intelligent Throttle Control (iTC). They start in “touring” mode, which features a gentler acceleration curve; override it for “sport” mode and the full acceleration and power of the engine is on tap for more experienced riders.

One thing hasn’t changed. While there are tweaks — the water inlet has been relocated to improve pump efficiency and top speed and the material is now the long-fiber injection material introduced on the S3 hulls in 2009 — the basic hull design is still the GTI of old. That means the boat is still more playful than the locked-in machines that dominate the PWC market.

The end result is an impressive combination of style, ride, features, and price that should shake up the entry-level market Yamaha has dominated for years. You can find more of my thoughts on the GTI on PersonalWatercraft.com.

As to that big-wave RXT-X? The aS (Adjustable Suspension) model features a manual suspension that uses a nitrogen-charged remote oil reservoir to adjust the stiffness of the suspension, as well as an adjustment screw under the seat to change the preload. The overall system has been calibrated for 2′-5′ wakes, and should prove popular with offshore riders. It even has a custom, racy look, with the oil reservoir cylinder visible through a window in the glovebox door.

Find the details on the entire line in my article on PersonalWatercraft.com. Check out Sea-Doo’s own details at www.sea-doo.com.

Yamaha released the details of its 2011 line on the company’s own website Thursday afternoon, and the big news is a pair of craft — the VXR and VXS — that promise high-performance at a low price.

As some web observers had speculated, the craft take the VX hull, made with lightweight NanoXcel technology, and pair it with the 1.8-liter engine of the FZ line. The combo allows Yamaha to offer high-performance without superchargers or intercoolers, and keep the price below $11,000.

“We challenged ourselves to create a WaveRunner that could run out in front of the most high performance watercraft on the market, and to do it at a price thousands less than anything else,” said Scott Watkins, Yamaha’s product development manager. “We achieved it by matching our 1812cc engine, the largest displacement in the industry, with a lightweight compact platform. By doing this, we didn’t need to rely on a supercharger or intercooler to meet the top end of our performance benchmarks, which helped keep the price low. And the performance continues to run laps around the competition.”

Here’s Watkins doing a video walk-around of the new models…

The UWP-IJSBA National Championships wrapped up last weekend in Charleston, West Virginia, and the results are in on who took the titles. Congratulations to all the racers, as well as all those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to keep personal watercraft racing in the limelight.

And now, meet your new champions…

Pro-Am Ski GP — Rob Flores

Pro-Am Runabout Open — Erminio Iantosca

Pro-Am Runabout 800 SS — Eric Lagopoulos

Pro Freestyle — Jeremy Parr

Pro-Am Ski Stock — Rob Flores

Expert Ski Limited — Alec Hohnadell

Pro-Am Runabout Stock — Troy Snyder

Sport Modified — Vincent DeVito

Womens Runabout Limited — Sabrin Basile

When it rains, it pours.

Just almost exactly at the moment when much of the boating press will be assembled at an undisclosed location for Sea-Doo’s unveiling of its 2011 lineup, Yamaha has announced that it will be unveiling its own 2011 lineup of WaveRunners on the company’s website — www.yamaha-motor.com.

Yup, tune in to the Yamaha site at 12 noon PST on Thursday, August 27th, and you’ll see exactly what the manufacturer has in store for the coming model year. The unveiling will beat Sea-Doo to the punch by several days, as Sea-Doo’s information is embargoed until August 30th.

Just what will we see from the Japanese manufacturer? It’s anybody’s guess at this point, but as previously stated here, the hottest rumors of the moment continue to be a fun, inexpensive craft. Some have predicted the 1.8-liter engine will also find its way into the ever-popular VX line.

Personally, I’ll wait to see what shows up on the website Thursday afternoon. Should make for good conversation at that night’s dinner table…

Holy shnikes, how did I ever miss this one?

McGraw Insurance is behind a contest dubbed Highway to Havasu, which will award one lucky winner and guest the opportunity to not only attend the IJSBA World Finals, but to also get their in “rock-star style” aboard a private jet! If that’s not enough, also included are deluxe accommodations and entrance to all the racing and parties that make up the World Finals weekend.

The deadline for the contest is September 12th, 2010, so get to highwaytohavasu.com now to sign up. Hey, somebody’s going to win it, so it might as well be you…

Good news, movie fans. Larry Rippenkroeger’s eagerly awaited PWC racing flick, Hot Water, now has an official Facebook fan page — www.facebook.com/pages/Hot-Water/141980195841938.

Yes, just the mere existence of the page seems to make the project more of a reality. But check it out and you’ll also see that a few more details about the movie are disclosed, including the initial poster (let’s just say it stretches reality by showing racers negotiating a buoy seconds before a 30-foot wave slaps them silly while also suggesting there might be a little “what happens on tour stays on tour” romance), the screenwriter (yup, it’s Rippenkroeger himself), the tagline (“Fun, sun, speed, and adrenaline, what every summer should have”) and this initial glimpse at the plot (kid gets into one too many crazy mishaps, so Dad decides to get rid of unruly teen for the summer by sponsoring a team and sending him on the pro race tour).

Don’t think I didn’t catch the irony of that last part…

Anyway, those of you on Facebook may want to “Like” the page to keep updated on any further developments, including what’s going on with filming during the Lake Havasu World Finals, as well as some upcoming filming this winter in the Hawaiian surf.

Freeride events are gaining popularity fast, meaning there’s a lot of anticipation for the upcoming Blowsion Surf Slam, scheduled for September 10-12 in Pacific City, Oregon.

This year, the Surf Slam combines the second round of the IFWA Freeride World Championship Tour with the IJSBA Freeride World Cup and Motosurf Western Championship. That means there will be a LOT of action on the water at the Tierra Del Mar Beach Resort, located just north of Pacific City.

According to organizers, both Pro and Amateur Freeriders will compete in a head-to-head, double-elimination format. A panel of professional judges will score them equally on both wave surfing and aerial maneuvers. I’ve been to Pacific City before, and besides being just an awesome section of coastline, it should crank up some great surf. Competitors will be looking for aerials in excess of 20 feet, while performing tricks including multiple-rotation backflips, barrel rolls, floaters, look backs, aerial re-entries and no-handed landings.

New this year for Saturday is the K&S Kuwait Big Air Showdown. This air fest offers the top pros and aggro rookies the opportunity to go out and win the best aerial trick and the $500 top prize.

The action will also take place on the race course, with the top 20 Pro, Pro-Am, and Amateur wave racers duking it out in the IJSBA MotoSurf Invitational.

Freeride qualifying will begin on Friday, September 10th. Motosurf racing will take place on Saturday and Sunday Sept 11th and 12th. The main events will take place Saturday and Sunday from 8am-4pm. Rounding out the amenities of this action-packed weekend is a vendor and sponsor display area created to add to the festival environment and allow the top vendors and sponsors to show off their wares.