
DATE: Tuesday, July 29, 1997                TAG: 9707290442

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SERIES: HAMPTON ROADS AT PLAY

        Each Tuesday through Labor Day, The Pilot is bringing you the sights

        and stories associated with summertime recreation in the region. Some

        pursuits have a niche following and other activities have thousands of

        participants.

SOURCE: BY LEE TOLLIVER, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:   99 lines

CATCHING AIR ON THE WATER

Out of breath and soaking wet from an hour of play on the Atlantic Ocean, Jenny Corbett was surprisingly anxious for another spin on a Jet Ski.

And why not? Her first experience had all the right elements for a roaring good time - the sun on her back, the wind in her face and water all around. Not to mention the rush of instant speed and all the thrills of a roller coaster.

``That was so much fun,'' the 16-year-old Danville, Ky., native said. ``That was a great time. Going up and over those waves. . . wow! We even got air a few times.

``I want to ride it again before we go home. I think it's something we should buy.''

Corbett isn't alone.

Every weekend on local waters you can find hundreds of people riding personal watercraft, more commonly referred to as a Jet Ski after Kawasaki's 1976 introductory model. Veterans simply call them PWCs.

According to the 10-year-old Tidewater Personal Watercraft Club, there are more than 2,500 of the craft in South Hampton Roads. The Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, which licenses PWCs in Virginia, says there are nearly 8,000 around the state.

``The thrill is the freedom,'' said David Gaskins. Gaskins is a former Tidewater club president and current national race director for the International Jet Sports Boating Association national series - formerly the Bud Jet Sports Tour, which featured a stop in Virginia Beach from 1990 to 1996.

``And the raw power at your disposal is very exciting,'' Gaskins said.

Riding a PWC can be as extreme as the rider wants it to be. Professionals are able to soar 20-30 feet off the water when wave jumping. Freesytle riders can submerge their craft and make it shoot water 30 feet in the air.

For others, simply screaming along flat water at anywhere from 30 to 60 miles per hour is plenty of excitement.

Another Rudee Inlet tourist, Steve Johnson of Winchester, couldn't get over the craft's response - probably the most remembered aspect of PCWs among rookies.

``You push the throttle and vroom, you're gone,'' the 23-year-old said. ``It's just so quick. Just like a motorcycle.''

In fact, a PWC resembles a cross between a boat and a motorcycle.

Powered by an impeller - a propeller inside a tube used to shoot out a stream of water that pushes the craft forward - PWCs are also highly maneuverable.

Skilled riders can make one spin 360 degrees at full speed.

PWCs come in a wide range of makes and models. There are standup and sitdown models and some are big enough to seat three people.

While the thrills are obvious, there are some people who wish PWCs had never been invented.

As with other high-performances vehicles, there are riders who simply take too many risks. Accidents and deaths occur.

Fighting for their right to use the waterways, organizations like the Tidewater club and the IJSBA constantly battle with city governments to prevent over-regulation.

``We're pushing for nationwide licensing for all boaters,'' said Gaskins. ``But regular boaters don't want that. And they are the side who let 10-year-olds drive a boat in crowded waters. You have to be 16 to ride a PWC. Even with that, the city would rather try to ban than to police.

``It's the old thing of a few bad apples. PWCs aren't dangerous, but some people who ride them are.''

Most rental places avoid problems by giving riders a short course in the basics of the machines before escorting them out and supervising while they ride.

``If they go out there and start acting like idiots, we pull them off,'' said David Parker of Rudee Inlet Jet Ski Rentals. ``The veterans and most other people know how to act. But it's the personal owners who aren't supervised and don't ride safely that give us all a bad name.''

But when ridden responsibly, there is no question that PWCs are a wonderful avenue for the thrill seeker. ILLUSTRATION: WATERCRAFT

GRAPHIC

[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]

[Color Photos]

MOTOYA NAKAMURA Photos/The Virginian-Pilot

The dog doesn't look like he's enjoying the ride, but most people,

like rider Stephanie Smith of Ocean View Water Sports, love personal

watercraft, commonly known as Jet Skis.

Ocean View Water Sports co-owner Ronnie Boone takes a wave. ``The

thrill is the freedom,'' says David Gaskins, a former Tidewater

Personal Watercraft Club president. ``And the raw power at your

disposal is very exciting.''