Many people first come across Mark Gomez through a video, long before they ever see his name. Whether it’s a stunt, a show, or a moment that caught fire online, these clips tend to travel fast. Here are some of the most recognized ones.
Mark Gomez is a five-time World Champion stand-up jet ski athlete with more than 17 years of experience spanning freestyle competition, freeride progression, racing, professional training, and live performance environments. His career and unconventional path have been documented through interviews and feature articles, including profiles in Boating Magazine (2017) and MotorAction Media (2018), which highlight not just podiums, but the work and persistence behind them. What defines Mark’s career is not a single win, but a lifelong commitment to learning, rebuilding, and returning to the water with purpose.
As a kid, Mark watched the VHS film JETDREAMS on repeat. The freedom and creativity left a lasting impression, but the dream became real when he saw a red Kawasaki JS550 sitting in his own driveway, identical to the one ridden by Scott Watkins in the film.
By middle school, Mark saved over $600 running a roadside snack stand and bought his first stand-up jet ski, a Kawasaki JS440. His first session in Oceanside was unforgettable. The second ended before he cleared the harbor when the engine failed catastrophically.
Weeks later, Mark’s brother Philip surprised him after school with a trailer carrying a low-hour 1991 Kawasaki 550SX. Philip had quietly found the deal and paid for it himself to get Mark back on the water.
With renewed drive and a payment tied directly to hours worked, Mark poured everything into riding, wrenching, and learning. Progress was shared through early jet ski forums, building recognition through consistency rather than hype. That moment set a pattern that would repeat throughout his career. When setbacks appeared, the answer was always to rebuild, return, and keep riding.
While still in high school, Mark began working at Pacific Motorsports, staying until the shop closed in 2015. What started as mechanical work expanded into inventory management, distributor relationships, customer support, and online sales.
The shop’s deep vintage inventory, including PJS parts and molds, provided a rare education. What others might see as just a job became a full immersion into the industry Mark wanted to grow within.
Outside of work, Mark rode surf in Oceanside one to three times per week, learning alongside freeride standouts including Randy Laine, Ross Champion, Taylor Curtis, Jerry Jones, Zack Bright, John Howe, Matt Smith, Mike Serlin, and Chris Rosner.
The environment reinforced values that still guide him today. Respect for the sport, respect for others, and progression earned through time on the water. Many sponsor relationships formed during this era remain intact.
In 2012, Mark was cast in the WaterWorld Live stunt show at Universal Studios Hollywood as a jet ski performer. Starting at the bottom of the roster, he balanced on-call stunt work with full-time shop duties, often riding surf in the morning and performing shows in the evening.
Over five years, his role expanded beyond riding into choreography, fight sequences, and guest interaction. Performing inside one of the longest-running live stunt shows in theme park history shaped Mark’s respect for timing, safety, professionalism, and audience engagement.
In 2024, he returned to the same arena in a full-circle moment, performing precision freestyle maneuvers on his own professional equipment during The Fall Guy Live Stuntacular pre-show.
Mark’s work at WaterWorld Live led to his first Hollywood stunt role, stunt-doubling Ken Jeong in a swimming pool for an Adidas commercial featuring Derrick Rose.
The experience reinforced the importance of precision, adaptability, and professionalism in production environments and marked a key step in Mark’s transition from live performance to film stunt work.
In 2009, support from Wamilton’s Customs helped Mark build a Yamaha SuperJet that carried him to a win at the Blowsion Surf Slam Amateur Freeride Championship. For years, this remained the only world tour stop he could afford.
Momentum increased with his first aftermarket hull in 2012 and accelerated in 2014 when he joined Rickter RRP and began a long-term collaboration with Taylor Curtis of TC Freeride. Reliable equipment allowed Mark to focus less on wrenching and more on progression.
In 2015, while attending the World Championships in Lake Havasu, Mark entered Pro Flatwater Freestyle for the first time. Coming from a surf background, his progression was fast but unrefined.
Guidance from Rick Roy and Hiro NINJA Ogino redirected that energy toward fundamentals. Mark blended freeride movement into flatwater freestyle and placed top ten in Pro, earning his position. From that point forward, freestyle became a primary focus.
Mark earned world titles in racing, freeride, and freestyle, including multiple years at the highest level and international victories at the Thailand Jet Ski World Cup. Winning across disciplines, and in some cases within the same year, reflected his willingness to meet every challenge the sport offered.
Mark’s competitive achievements include:
After relocating to Lake Havasu in 2019, Mark deepened his focus on freestyle, training, and performance. One week after the World Finals, he married Kaley McNay Gomez at the Nautical Resort Beach.
From 2017–2019, Mark performed as part of Cirque Electrique at SeaWorld San Diego. In 2021, he partnered with Black Rifle Coffee Company, highlighted by his appearance alongside Travis Pastrana in Gymkhana. That trip also enabled collaboration with Jetpilot teammate Sean Murray, producing content that broadened Mark’s perspective across motorsports.
As training and performance demand grew, Mark founded JETEFX to unify his work and support both his career and family.
Kaley is a competitive wakeboarder who earned second in the world in her age division at the 2016 WWA World Wake Association Championships, competing in the Women’s Masters class.
Today, she plays a central role in logistics and planning. Their family includes their French bulldog Jet and their daughter Kaz Gomez.
Anchored in Lake Havasu, Mark continues building a future rooted in progression, mentorship, and respect for the sport.
