Jet ski
Encyclopedia : J : JE : JET : Jet ski
Jet-Ski is the brand name of personal watercraft (PWC) manufactured by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.. The name, however, has become a genericized trademark for any type of personal watercraft. Jet ski (or jetski) can also specifically refer to versions of PWCs with pivoting handlepoles known as "stand-ups".
Jet ski became foremost the colloquial term for stand-ups because, in 1973, Kawasaki was responsible for a limited production of stand-up models as designed by the recognized inventor of jet skis, Clayton Jacobsen II. In 1976, Kawasaki then began mass production of the JS400-A. JS400s came with 400cc two-stroke engines and hulls based upon the previous limited release models. It became the harbinger of the success Jet-Skis would see in the market up through the 1990's.
In 1986 Kawasaki broadened the world of Jet Skis by introducing a two person model with lean-in "sport" style handling and a 650cc engine, dubbed the X-2. Then in 1989, they introduced their first two passenger "sit-down" model, the Tandem Sport (TS) with a step-through seating area.
In 2003, Kawasaki celebrated the Jet Ski brand by releasing a special 30th anniversary edition of its current stand-up model, the SX-R, which has seen a revival of interest in stand-up jetskiing. The X-2 has also been updated, based on the SX-R platform and re-released in Japan. Kawasaki continues to produce three models of sit-downs, including two four-stroke models.
See also
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