Ahead of the second half of the season getting underway at the Automotodrom Brno, the pre-event for the Monster Energy Grand Prix České republiky saw Cal Crutchlow (LCR Honda), Jonas Folger (Monster Yamaha Tech 3), Franco Morbidelli (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Tom Lüthi (CarXpert Interwetten), Mattia Pasini (Italtrans Racing Team), Aron Canet (Estrella Galicia 0,0) and home heroes Karel Abraham (Pull&Bear Aspar Team) and Jakub Kornfeil (Peugeot MC Saxoprint) keeping that summer holiday vibe alive as they switched motorbikes for JetSurfs. With a huge crowd gathered to watch the event at Brno dam, the pressure to perform was on.
First it was demonstration time, as the professionals showed the MotoGP™ crowd how it was done and Kornfeil’s secret identity was revealed - or not-so-secret as it may be…the Moto3™ podium finisher competes regularly and was actually the first ever MotoSurf GP World Champion in 2015; just as at home on JetSurf machinery as his bike. Another of the riders also had an advantage, with Mattia Pasini owning a JetSurf already and able to hit the ground running (so to speak).
After a briefing to get everyone up to speed, the riders headed out to test it out for themselves. Staying out on the water for a while as they tried to get to grips with it, balance was the key – and once that was mastered, it all started to click into place.
With some good coaching and extra advice from Champion Kornfeil, progress was quick once the initial hurdles were overcome. Folger in particular caught the JetSurf bug, not wanting to head back onto dry land and eager to try it again. Finally reluctantly heading back to shore, the session came to an end as the morning became the afternoon and the track beckoned the riders back.
But first it was prize giving and podium time, with competition never far away in the world of MotoGP™. With four awards up for grabs – Most Improved, Best Trick, Crowd Favourite and Biggest Wipeout – there were some more predictable results than others:
Most Improved of the Day: Franco Morbidelli. The master of Moto2™ in 2017 so far showed skills can always be transferable!
Crowd Favourite: could it be anyone else? Former MotoSurf GP World Champion and home hero Kornfeil was a popular winner of Crowd Favourite.
Biggest Wipeout: keen he may have been, but German GP podium finisher Folger still took home the Biggest Wipeout award.
Best Trick: 2016 Brno winner Cal Crutchlow – once it clicked, it really clicked.
With the first silverware of the weekend already in the trophy cabinets, now attention shifts back to the business at hand: the Czech GP. Practice begins on Friday morning at 9:00 (GMT +2) as Moto3™ head the line up, before racing fires up on Sunday.