Flyboard World Championships 2015 & The Progression of the Hydroflight Industry
From December 3rd to 5th, Skydive Dubai, on the Persian Gulf in the United Arab Emirates
(UAE), will be the epicenter of the hydroflight world, as XDubai hosts the 2015 Flyboard World Championships, and the
top riders from every major nation will be on-site to show off for the judges in hopes of taking home the coveted Flyboard world champion title.
Last year, the XDubai jetpack favorite, Damone Rippey, was upset by a young upstart from Thailand by the name of Suksan Tongthai. Watch his winning run.
This year, the flyboard water jet pack competition will be stronger than ever, with the explosion in the hydroflight industry and even more riders vying
for a spot on the podium, but the underlying story has been the progression of the sport as a whole and the lack of inclusion from the event sponsor,
Zapata Racing. Zapata Racing founder Franky Zapata deserves credit for pushing the sport forward since he introduced the Flyboard in late 2011 and
creating an almost cult-like following in the years since, but he has also become well-known for his online attacks of competitors, first Jetlev and,
more recently, X-Jets, and his handling of his worldwide distributors.
In an attempt to open up a new element of competition, X-Jets organized a freestyle event this year, also in Dubai, as a chance for some of the riders
to check out X-Jets’ competing Jetblade product and do some flying with their new Jaxx feature.
Interestingly, shortly after the event was scheduled, X-Jets was “informed” by local authorities that the event could not receive the required permits.
The consensus is that there were some conversations behind closed doors, but you be the judge.
This was yet another example of a new sport being fractured by an unnecessary us vs. them mentality. In the beginning, it was Jetlev, standing behind
its patents, suing Zapata for infringement, now it’s Zapata trying to control the market. What the world needs and what the market will eventually
dictate is an open forum where individuals can fly what they want and the manufacturers can build better and better equipment. And the whole industry
will be stronger for it.
Along these same lines, we at Jetpack America are proud to announce that we are no longer brand-centric. Understanding the evolution of the hydroflight
industry, our goal is to provide our customers and clients with the best equipment on the market and let them decide what is the right fit for them.
If you check out our Equipment Page, you’ll see X-Jets next to Jetovator and Zapata.
We see the merits in each and we’re happy to share our thoughts with you about whatever catches your eye.
So as the Flyboard World Championships kicks off in Dubai this week, we hope that everyone out there takes a step back to see where this sport and industry
can go, if we stop roadblocking each other and start collaborating.
See you in the sky!!
Watch the Flyboard World Championships LIVE on their YouTube feed:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCestCe7S4eFDa7OeN751SzA/live
