It’s hard to believe there’s a jet engine in the 6’6” Cory Lopez is holding here.
But it’s true. It’s his WaveJet and he controls the engine with a small device strapped to his wrist.
We can probably all recall a time we’ve been fighting against a strong rip trying to maintain position for an entire session and thought, “I wish my board had a motor?”. Well that’s were the idea came from, and WaveJet have been refining their gadget for a couple of years now. This has allowed them to fit a powerful little motor into the 6’6” their team rider uses to get barrelled.
This past Saturday, 20 June, WaveJet South Africa invited Cory Lopez to Cape Town to help promote their venture along our shore. The official launch of WaveJet SA started with a demo day at Muizenberg beach, which was open to the public and offered them a chance to give one of the powered boards a go.
Cory Lopez was zipping all over the Berg surf on his WaveJet.
After the excitement down at the beach, the party moved indoors for the launch party at the Blue Bird Garage. An epic time was had by those who attended, and Nick Franck scored himself a complete WaveJet surfboard system valued at R50 000. His days of fighting rips are over (if he wants).
Nick Franck gets congratulated by Patrick Skeates and Luke Green before claiming his prize.
The Blue Bird Garage was buzzing with excitement.
Mike Railey explains the Wavejet system to an eager young mind.
A look inside the workings of the system.
A good time was had all.
Check out some more photos of the demo day down at the Berg on surfers-corner.co.za
WaveJet have also uploaded a Facebook album full of rad moments from the after party.
Read the official press release below.
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NICK FRANCK WINS R50 000 WAVEJET SURFBOARD AS CORY LOPEZ SHOWS HOW TO RIDE THE WAVES IN MUIZENBERG
An elated Nick Franck (centre) celebrates winning his WaveJet surfboard system valued at R50 000 with the WaveJet crew at the launch party in Muizenberg on Saturday. (Left to right) Jordon Voloshin, Mike Railey, Cory Lopez, Nick Franck, Patrick Skeates and Luke Green
Nick Franck from Plumstead in Cape Town was the winner of the WaveJet surfboard system valued at R50 000 at the launch party for WaveJet South Africa attended by surfing legend Cory Lopez in Muizenberg on Saturday night.
“I’ve never won anything in my life so when my number came up I was in awe,” said an elated Franck. “I’m really stoked and looking forward to putting my new WaveJet to good use in the surf.”
The prize includes a full 7 ft Evo model WaveJet system built by Frankie Oberholzer in Durban with a WaveJet Power Pod, a Blank Pod for non-powered use, a Seatooth®-enabled Wrist Controller and a Charging Station.
After a series of raffles with prizes totalling more than R25 000, the winning ticket for the main prize was drawn by Cory Lopez, the Florida based former World No. 3 ranked surfer and three-time X-Games winner renowned for his fearless charging in big, hollow waves in Hawaii and Tahiti.
Lopez is in South Africa on a promotional tour with WaveJet inventor and CEO Mike Railey and Marketing Manager Jordon Voloshin. The trio displayed the latest product offerings, including 6’6” (two metre) surfboards manufactured with high strength carbon fibre, in the waves at Muizenberg beach on Sunday.
Their tour will take them to Jeffreys Bay later this week, where they hope to test the WaveJet designs in the legendary waves of Supertubes before moving up the coast to Durban.
For further information contact WaveJet South Africa’s Patrick Skeates at 082 824 7426 / patrick@wavejetsouthafrica.co.za
The WaveJet South Africa Launch Party was proudly supported by Vonzipper, Sector 9, Xcel, O’Neill, Rock Star, Xpressions on the Beach, Corner Surf Shop, FCS, Island Tribe, shift*eight VoIP, First Impressions, Long Beach Brewery and the Muizenberg Improvement District (MID).
About WaveJet:
WaveJet is a revolutionary, one-of-a-kind Personal Water Propulsion system that will change the way you interact with water. A clean, quiet, battery-powered dual jet drive, the WaveJet Power Pod is fully modular and universally sized to be interchangeably popped into any WaveJet-ready personal watercraft, including surfboards, stand-up paddle boards, boogie boards, fishing craft, rescue boards and more. WaveJet overcomes the traditional limitations of surfing and paddling. It puts you where the action is. Fast. WaveJet lets you break free.
WaveJet South Africa, an authorised distributor of WaveJet products in South Africa, introduced the systems to this country in September 2013.
Rentals of the WaveJet systems are available on Muizenberg beach, at Surf Shack or online at http://wavejetrentals.co.za/ WaveJet SUP boards can be rented from Xpressions on the Beach.
Purchases of WaveJet systems can be made at Corner Surf Shop, Xpressions on the Beach or online at www.wavejetsouthafrica.co.za.
See more on WaveJet South Africa at www.facebook.com/wavejetsouthafrica
