Recognizing a good — and potentially profitable thing when they see it — Sea-Doo has jumped on this bandwagon, producing a boat tailored specifically to the wake rider’s needs. The Sea-Doo GTX 4-TEC Vans Triple Crown Edition builds upon Sea-Doo’s successful four-stroke platform, adding a retractable, extended tow pylon, grab handles for the spotter, a custom cover, and distinctive graphics.
Perhaps the biggest extra, however, is the Vans partnership itself. The recognized leader in core sports, the company features a Triple Crown competitive series in skateboarding, snowboarding, surfing, wakeboarding, BMX, and freestyle motocross. It’s a tie-in to a new generation of potential customers that Sea-Doo found hard to resist.
For the riders, however, the key is a boat designed for them. “Sea-Doo has really put together a great boat with that four-stroke,” says Horrell. “It’s just awesome.
“With that pole on it it’s just sick. It’s exactly what we need for obstacles and sliders. There are so many pluses it’s just amazing.”
One of those pluses is the craft’s four-stroke engine, a powerplant that is not only environmentally friendly, but much easier to hold at wakeboarding and wakeskating speeds, typically between 18-22 MPH. Throttle control is much more precise on the four-strokes, eliminating the surge often associated with trying to keep a steady towing speed behind a revved-up two stroke. Take everything into consideration and Sea-Doo does indeed appear to be on to something.
Naturally, the company does not plan to stop at simply producing a boat. Sea-Doo will also sponsor the Sea-Doo Pro WakeSkate series on this summer’s five-event Pro Wakeboard Tour, as well as a three-event series in conjunction with the Vans Triple Crown of Wakeboarding. At each event, riders like Horrell and Meek, or rising star Brian Grubb, will showcase their wakeskate talents performing stunts that include everything from lip tricks on the wake to tackling the various sliders and ramps. All the while, they’ll be exposing a much larger audience to the unique characteristics of personal watercraft as legitimate tow vehicles.
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