Rick Roy - Mr adjustable
Initially RickRoyProducts appeared in the personal watercraft market by releasing the adjustable handle pole and three years later Rick Roy presented his own Freestyle race craft that made its debut in the 2008 World Finals.
Words:Vasilis Moraitis
Photos:www.jetskiworld.gr, RRP
A firefighter from Canada shocked the personal watercraft scene in the mid nineties with his slick moves in the Pro Freestyle class. He did not only make a point, back in those days but he created a whole new school in the Freestyle class. His unique flat water barrel role made him famous and a few years after the outstanding Rickter Invert raised the level of competition. Rick Roy’s freestyle places all around the world had only one scope, to promote the sport and create new ideas as well as to develop new riders.
In 2005 Rick Roy entered the pwc scene as an aftermarket products manufacturer and his adjustable handle pole was an outstanding design that not only got the best reviews from the top riders of the sport but also there were many others who tried to copy –with no such luck- his innovative design. Since then the famous RRP (RickRoyProducts) company has released many other products related to the steering system of the stand ups. The important feature on his products is that they are fully adjustable. This unique feature made his trick handle pole a best seller and the rider’s best choice around the world. Additionally, the same feature was introduced to most of his products like the turn plate or even his new Ski which incorporates many adjustable features.
Last year Rick Roy presented his first ever modified hull especially made for Freestyle and Freeride use. There is no doubt about it that who ever saw his athletes performing on this hull understood that he meant business. Though, during the World Finals several issues occurred and some sponsors of the event where anxious whether his hulls (and Eric Malone’s one) were legible to participate… Freestyle is all about providing new tricks and a real show to the crowd. Personally I never understood why all those problems came about at the technical inspection site last year. Undoubtedly Rick Roy made once again a point with his fine product that many well-known tuners founded very interesting… I present his new Ski along with an exclusive interview referring to the business and to his latest freestyle hull design aspects.
How come you thought to become an aftermarket pwc product manufacturer?
Throughout my career I was designing all my own parts and modifying my own ski.
Then my sponsor was using my idea to make the parts and then selling it to the market which was ok at the time but at one point I decided to sell them directly.
Initially, were you thinking of producing parts for Freestylers or Ski riders?
First free style but it ended up been more popular to racers.
Who designs your products? Is that person an engineer or do you simply feed them with the appropriate information?
I design all my products make the proto myself and test them. The only thing I don’t do yet is all the 3D drawing.
Who makes these products for you and are they made in Canada or elsewhere?
Most of them in Canada some in Taiwan, Thailand and China.
You had made a strong point at the pwc market with your adjustable handle pole. How did you come up with this idea?
I had it in my mind since long time ago. This is the truth about me, it should have been like this for years, is like bars on motorcycle if they were fixed. Its nonsense, I finally decided to make it I thought about it for about 7-8 years.
Then, you released more products referred to the steering system of a Ski. Do you find the present steering systems less competitive or did you simply want to design something very special?
To me this is also a problem with all the existing steering systems, it doesn’t make sense that you want to turn right you have to lean to the right and your hands are going to the left?
That is because we were to far from the pivot point that’s the theory behind this steering system
In terms of sales, do you think that the capital you invested in the first place has started paying off?
Yes it did but I always put it back into making new products.
You were rivals with Malone in the past, though the last three years I have seen you hanging out a lot, at least at the World Finals. Do you have some means of cooperation?
Not at all, I tried before to work with him but some people have a different vision. I try to see long term not right in front of me.
Prior releasing your innovative steering system did you test the present steering systems that were available in the market?
I have been riding long enough to know what is out there is a lot of good product well manufactured but the geometry is wrong. You just need to look at it to know.
Lots of tuners have built their own hulls for freestyle or freeride use. Which of those do you think are being more successful?
Throughout my career I only used stock hulls because the handle is good As soon as you make them light they don’t handle at all that’s why the shape has to be modified if you want a make them light. Malone has made a good ski not because of the hull but because of the engine built by Mark Baxter Lenzi, Bun , They have some real freestyle hulls, I simply hate those hulls they ride nose up so much you need to be really talented to ride this well and they do it but its not for every one. I only started to ride aftermarket hulls when I made my own.
Freestyle has changed a lot thanks to you and nowadays riders spent more time on air than diving into the water like they did in the early ‘80’s. What are the basic characteristics of the modern freestyle-freeride hull?
If you ask me what people are looking for it’s a hull that can do back flips, that’s the only thing people want. If you want to know what I am aiming for, is a hull that handles good that stays hooked up, that turns really sharp, a hull that rides flat and at the same time that can do back flips and barrel rolls. That hull will perform as good in the surf than in Free style.
In order to get up on the air easily you need a combination of a powerful engine and a tricky hull. So what are the specs of such a hull?
Everybody thinks big power and light hull. Power OK but if you go light hull that means that the pump is less in the water because of more flotation that means less time in the water before coming out of the water during a jump. One is against the other, one you need power, light hull and pump hook up.
What are the features that make RRP hull unique compare to the rest?
Our hulls are hooked to the water because of the hull design not because of the pump.
The ski is really wide for stability, super short hull for manoeuvrability, no bumper on the nose for not catching during back flip, front rail is going up like a surf board it will not go down in the face of a wave also it allows you to bring the nose lower for jumps the more you bring the nose down the more your pump will stay hooked to the water before coming out and getting the maximum push from the pump, handle pole mounted really far forward provides you lots of pull and push and also a real low pivot point will gave you more stability, breathing for the engine from the handle pole the pole is the last part coming in the water and the first out that means less water .
Adjustable foot hole this is just like the adjustable pole it should have always been like this. Imagine a wake board with no adjustable binding. Moving forward and back makes a huge difference also, wider tray in the back to sit comfortably during break just kidding more leverage with the feet and better position with wide feet stance, I think that’s it.
How long do you need to make such a hull and how many people are involved in the manufacturing process?
I made all the tests one by one using a super jet. I cut the ski in half, made so many changes just to confirm my theory that is the ski named Frankenstein. That’s where the FS1 came, than I made my own hull starting from scratch tested it again and then I went to a factory that had the capability to manufacture them in qty at a reasonable price. All year I travel for teaching, I was bringing hulls on the trips to test all the time My team of mechanics and I worked on this for a year it was a crazy year also. Maybe a bit to crazy but we pulled it of. Also I had the help of my friend and sponsor Onexin, he helped me make this happen.
For what reason do you have adjustable foot holders?
I believe I answered that one already. Anyway to be able to go forward and back and to go up and down to fit anyone in size foot and also in riding style something that was impossible in the past moving forward meant that you had to make fiberglass and Hydro-Turf long job not it takes about 2 min.
Who are the main distributors of RRP hulls in the US and the rest of the world?
We are just setting up the distribution at the moment. I have been working on a sit down hull that will shock the people. I can’t say more but it will not be a lazy couch…
RickRoyProducts
65 Venise Coteau du Lac
Quebec Canada JOp 1bO
Web:www.rickroy.com
E-mail:rickroy@rickroy.com