IMPACT: HOW THE YAMAHA WAVERUNNER CHANGED THE WAY WE SURF By Sam George
Today, the Rip Curl Cup at Padang Padang would not even exist without the Yamaha Waverunner.
“Oh, it’s had a humungous affect on the progression of surfing over the past 30 years. No question. ” This from Frank Quirarte, the renowned surf photographer and heavy water safety expert from Half Moon Bay, California who, having recently returned from an epic strike mission to Cortes Bank, definitely knows what he’s talking about. What Quirarte is pointing to as having the single most significant influence on surfing over the past few decades is the Yamaha Waverunner Peahi, Teahupo’o, Aussie slabs, Mullaghmore, Cortes Bank, Uluwatu, Nazarè and of course every surf contest on earth, including the Padang Padang Cup, all are now tackled at size with a hand on the throttle. And in each case completely redefining the parameters of what is considered to be rideable surf. Then there’s the paradigm shift when it comes to safety, with the introduction of precise teamwork and coordinated rescue protocol. First, some super-condensed Yamaha Waverunner surfing history: Early 1980s: Veteran waterman Flippy Hoffman begins using a PWC (personal water craft) to explore and ride North Shore outer reefs.
1987: Herbie Fletcher, now using a souped-up PWC, tows young South African pro Martin Potter into a Second Reef Pipeline beast. 1988: Suitably inspired, legendary Island surfers and Hawaiian Water Patrol founders Brian Keaulana and Terry Ahue adapt new Yamaha Waverunners for lifeguarding duties, eventually adding the rescue sled. 1993: Having previously been towing into giant waves at Peahi with inflatable boats, Laird Hamilton is given a new Yamaha Waverunner. The light bulb goes on. And techniques are developed that are still in use with today’s elite. Today, the three-seat Yamaha Waverunner like the one Frank Quirarte piloted at Cortes Bank, weighs in at a light 754 pounds. And with a super-charged four-cylinder, four-stroke vortex high output Yamaha marine engine and double impeller intake, it generates almost 2,000 pounds of thrust. And the difference isn’t confined to the power plant. Another key improvement wasn’t about going forward, but backward.“A big game changer was putting the reverse lever on the handlebars,” says Quirarte. “All the new Waverunners have that now, which is a big deal when doing rescues. So when it comes to modern surfing, Yamaha Waverunners are here to stay”.