A group of Jet Ski riders hit full send at South Stradbroke Island recently and – as is often the case – local photographer and Jet Ski enthusiast Jeff Lakeford was there to capture the sky-high action near the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Balancing on his own Jet Ski with close to $10,000 worth of camera gear – a Sony A9 with a 100-400mm G Master lens connected to a 1.4x Sony teleconverter – Lakeford has been shooting at the southern end of South Stradbroke for years as a labour of love.
Jeff Lakeford says he doesn’t get motion sick while trying to focus a long lens in the ocean swell for hours on end because he spent 10 years living on a house boat.
We have previously documented muscle man Warwick Brant getting big air – and recently crowned Tessa Lee as the unofficial leader of the girl-power brigade for getting vertical with incredible ease.
In Jeff Lakeford’s latest collection of images, one craft stood out – a gold 2025 Sea-Doo RXP-X 325 supercharged performance ski (pictured above and throughout this story).
In addition to getting huge air, there was a series of shots of the craft doing epic 180-degree turns mid-air – also known as ‘broncos’ because, on the way down, the rider looks like a cowboy on a bucking bull.
The man behind those stunts is Suhybe Az, a 39-year-old from Brisbane, who has been riding skis for close to 20 years.
His first ski was a Kawasaki Ultra 150, though he also owned a couple of early two-stroke models – describing the Yamaha GP1300R as one of his favourites.
He has been on Sea-Doos for the past decade or so, and took delivery of his gold 2025 Sea-Doo RXP-X 325 earlier this year.
His current ski only has about 12 hours on it because of the demands of family life on weekends.
But if these photos are a guide, he clearly makes up for lost time by getting mega air.
In an interview with Watercraft Zone, Suhybe Az, said:
“Before I had kids I would go out in a storm swell and jump, but things are different now I have kids.”
Does he have any advice for anyone planning to attempt a 180-degree turn in mid-air (also known as a ‘bronco’)?
“Just commit to the jump and have big balls. It’s all about timing,” he said.
“Turn the handlebars, shift your weight and squeeze the power on as you come off the wave. But the wave needs to be curling somewhat.”
Has he hurt himself trying these stunts?
“I smashed my face on the handlebars and my legs followed. The left side of my body was numb. You need to respect the ocean and respect your limits, that’s for sure,” he said.
“Also start on a small, lightweight craft first, as they are easier to throw around.”
Does he recommend wearing a helmet for such stunts?
“I don’t wear a helmet but I probably should.”
Copyright for these images belongs to Jeff Lakeford and they have been used here with permission.
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