Motor Action Media interviews the owner and mastermind behind the freestyle empire of Hurricane Industries, Derrick Kemnitz Jr.
Motor Action Media: Could you give me brief history of how Hurricane has risen to one of the most well-known companies in the industry? What did it take to get there?
Just like anything else, hard work & commitment. Hurricane has been my career, not a hobby like most other shops, so I’m able to dedicate so much more time & effort into pushing it towards my vision. A major part of our footprint has been my teams performance on the water. If you don’t have a solid team, you can only get so far in the sport, even if you’re selling clean parts. With multiple championships backed by the Hurricane-Kemnitz name, our clients have faith that they’re getting championship proven products, every single time.
MAM: You guys are famous for the BOB, how has that idea changed over the years?
This one’s a tough topic for me to talk about, its a serious double edge sword, really. The first short hull on the market, helped push the industry to the aftermarket revolution where we are now. But at the same time, being a “budget” product, the quality wasn’t exactly there, as you can imagine. It was never sold as a flawless unit, just something to get people on the water and into freestyle without having to buy high dollar motors. But in order to stay competitive in the industry, you have to keep moving forward. BOB project definitely was not perfect, but then again, it was a big player in getting the sport where it is now, as well as my business. And it’s what got myself & my brother so invested into freestyle. 4 podiums, 2 wins at world finals for the team, I can’t complain one bit.
MAM: I know you guys also have several other services that you offer. Could you tell me what some of those are?
Graphic Design is my key point, I’ve been doing decals & graphic work for 8 years and its the one thing I enjoy the most. Along with that, we have a workshop for local fiberglass repairs and composite fabrication & production. Along with a graphic studio for graphic design, vehicle wraps, decals & apparel printing.
MAM: What does Hurricane have in store for this year?
Lots and lots of carbon fiber. Also quite a few innovative performance parts in the works right now, both race & freestyle. Lots of small things that I’m sure the market will appreciate.
MAM: Do you think that being a professional freestyle jet skier helps you from a business stand point also? How so?
Big time. I don’t see how anyone can think they have a chance at being competitive in this market with minimal hands on experience. The market demands the best equipment available, I believe I have a fighting chance at that because of the experience I have in the competitive side of the sport. I’ve won a world title, I built a hull that my brother used to win his world title. I know what it takes to have a winning product, and I only build parts that are going to help improve my skill, and I’m able to pass that onto the consumer. My clients know they’re getting a proven product, because it’s the same thing I’m using, as well as everyone else on my team.
MAM: You once told me “I do errrrythang”, how do you balance doing “errythang” that Hurricane offers while still being a competitive jet skier?
A solid mix between lack of sleep & excessive amounts of caffeine. However as I got more involved with the business side of things, my time on the water has gone down big time. Last year I only rode maybe twice a month. I don’t even have a ski for this season as of right now just because I’m trying to focus on the quality of my product, and help develop new parts to elevate my teams performance.
MAM: Any cool projects going through Hurricane right now?
Right now just a few parts we’re in the middle of testing & development, already looking forward to the 2015 World Finals.
MAM: Could you tell me a little bit about how you’ve become a fabrication master?
Practice, practice, practice. I didn’t go to any fancy school, I didn’t sit around watching YouTube videos of other people doing it. I just did it. Practice, trial & error, just hoping for the best. A couple of years of working at it every single day will teach you a thing or two. Definitely wasn’t an easy (or cheap!) experience, but that’s the price of a learning curve. Very happy with the product we’re pushing out now.
MAM: I know you recently moved into a new location, what convinced you to make that decision, and what has the transition been like?
Before I was working with my dad out of his shop. He was doing his thing and I was doing mine. As I pushed for expansion, I kind of just over grew what I had to work with and we constantly were butting heads. Decided I didn’t want to slow down any time soon, so we started looking for a larger shop for me to work out of, and it’s been nothing but solid progression since. This just gives me more working space to be expand and work cleaner & more efficiently.
MAM: What do you love most about being the owner of Hurricane Industries?
Probably my team and the job itself. I get to work with some of the most kick ass racers & freestylers around. We might not be the most decorative athletes out there, but I know for a fact that my team has the most fun at each race, and we still do killer on game day. The job itself is very fun as well, it’s very creative and there’s always something new. Its not an assembly line, it doesn’t get boring, which keeps work interesting. Those two things are really what my life revolves around, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
All photos courtesy of Derrick Kemnitz Jr & Hurricane Industries.