The history of Jetskiing

Although it is used as a generic term encompassing all makes of personal watercraft 'Jet Ski' is actually the brand name of the personal watercraft manufactured by Kawasaki. These days it is acceptable to call all personal watercraft by the name Jet Ski sometimes shortened to just 'Ski'.

There are two basic types of Jet Ski the stand-up version which is used by freestyle competitors and the sit-down version which is better suited for cruising and recreational use. The main differences being that the stand-up version has a pivoting handlebars and no seat which allows greater freedom and movement to the rider. Freestyle riders use this freedom to perform stunts such as jumps, rolls and backflips.

The sit-down version has a larger hull and can either be made for one rider or up to three riders on a family sized watercraft. These PWs are more comfortable for longer distances and are suited to cruising and pleasure rides.

There are global competitions for both type of Jet Ski. Which include Freestyle championships awarding prizes for the best stunts, races and endurance competitions where the PW would be ridden for a longer distance.

Kawasaki was the first manufacturer to start building jet skis and produced the first stand-up JSs as early as 1973. The JS came to the general public around 1976 Kawasaki stated to mass produce JSs and the sport as we know it was born.

Jet skiing has gradually gained popularity throughout the decades and the early 90s saw the sport evolve to competition level. As the personal watercrafts became more capable and more powerful competition level riding became more than just a hobby and riders started to attract sponsorship. This allowed riders to commit themselves to training full time and develop the sport to the skill level we see today.

Competitions run throughout the year at venues across the globe and the sport boasts a massive worldwide following of fans, enthusiasts and competitors.

WaveRunner is another name for personal watercraft. WaveRunner is the trade name of Yamaha PW. There are four main manufacturers of jet skis Kawasaki and Yamaha being widely considered the forerunners. There are also Polaris and Bombardier who do a good job of holding their own.

For more articles about Jet Skiing and the UK Jet Ski scene visit our site http://www.ukjetski.com

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