This week we chat with Rachel Cummings, one of the rising stars of the sport, on racing, wrenching and getting started in Vintage Jetskis.

Rachel has motorsport in her blood with years of experience riding enduro motorbikes with her dad, but it wasn’t until she was 20 years old that Rachel was introduced to the sport by her boyfriend, Andrew.

Between them they’ve racked up countless hours of wrenching and admit their passion for the sport has driven them to build race skis faster than they were designed to go.

Join us as we go into detail about those modifications, setup and engine tips that Rachel uses to get the best out of her ski.

Checkout all this and more on the Ride by Day, Wrench by Night podcast.

• 00:15 Introduction.
• 01:52 How did you get into jet skiing?
• 04:24 You have a boyfriend who loves jet skis too.
• 07:30 You started on an X2, when did you get a superjet?
• 09:50 Innovation is great, it leads to the whole industry going forward.
• 10:27 Finding your SuperJet just before spring break.
• 12:12 How we converted the ski for the surf.
• 14:02 Disappointed with the performance at first.
• 15:35 Chasing whaleboats at Pismo.
• 20:20 Your first real jet ski event at Huntington Beach.
• 22:34 Andrew’s family has a house at Lake Havasu.
• 24:09 I was racing just to finish.
• 25:20 How did your first race go?
• 26:58 Scrambling to get gear last minute.
• 27:39 I was the only girl who signed up.
• 29:04 We realized we were actually competitive.
• 29:41 We pitted next to Michael Prodanovich.
• 31:04 So you ride dirt bikes too? Tell us about that.
• 36:58 Risk vs reward became more important.
• 37:31 How did you go from your SuperJet to a vintage ski?
• 40:28 Andrew has been collecting parts for years.
• 43:20 Mark Gomez riding without a hood.
• 44:07 Your ski in particular is really nice, tell us about where that started.
• 46:21 How did you budget and plan for your ski?
• 47:49 Wrenching is the fun part, it gives you a greater connection to your gear.
• 51:46 Mod parts do change your style, it really is personal preference.
• 53:37 What’s your preference on steering? She prefers a slower turn to combat over-adjusting. Steering takes priority over the engine when upgrading.
• 56:32 Tell us about your 750 pump, what difference could you feel compared to a 550?
• 59:20 What is your recommendation on impeller pitch? We bend them ourselves and test.
• 01:00:20 Tell us about your intake, they are very aggressive.
• 01:01:14 Tell us about your ride plate, what adjustments have you made? Cut holes into it.
• 01:02:42 We are all here to help each other, Andrew is very open with what he does.
• 01:03:41 Engine bay: 550 Reed engine, RC520 Cylinders, custom porting.
• 01:04:14 Compression: Over 200 psi.
• 01:06:37 Intake: Dual carburettor setup, the rest is custom and secret, but it is tuned well.
• 01:07:17 Ignition: Lightened flywheel with MSD Ignition using the older analog chips, The downsides of Total Loss Ignition.
• 01:10:14 Batteries: We always buy good batteries, I get a whole day out of a charge, you can use a lightened charging flywheel for a compromise between stock and full mod.
• 01:11:57 What are your best memories of that build?
• 01:13:49 Why do you use a halfpipe in your engine? We just tried it and liked it.
• 01:14:30 What about the waterbox? It is custom made as well.
• 01:14:52 What are your goals for 2021 and the World Finals?
• 01:15:42 2020 World Finals goal was to finish in the top 10
• 01:18:04 How are you preparing differently this year vs last year? Skills vs fitness? Signing up for more races.
• 01:24:01 Tell us about women's racing and your experience of it.
• 01:27:17 What is your favourite part about the Vintage Jetski community? Why would someone want to join?
• Final Questions
• • 01:30:10 Handling setup: Sand the grooves in your hull to make them even and a bit deeper, use bed liner to keep it safe and strong.
  • 01:32:24 Engine tips: Put duel carburettors in it, high compression head, make it tunable.
  • 1:34:01 Favourite races: Mark Gomez GoPro footage of Rachel (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MhSzTk0DxE) 
  • 01:42:37 Hardest fought race was at the ISJBA World Finals Qualifier, ending 5th out of 9.
• 01:45:56 Thank you Rachel!