Tags
aquax, eric lagopoulos, Florida, gtr, personal watercraft, racer, rxp, Sea-Doo, waterfront, X-Team racing
When championship Sea-Doo racer Eric Lagopoulos isn’t in hot pursuit of his next win and triumphant appearance on the winner’s podium, you can find him living the Sea-Doo life on the west coast of Florida where he spends his days running his popular waterfront restaurant “The WaterfrontToo” and enjoying his Sea-Doo in a more relaxed and leisurely fashion.
Eric Lagopoulos aboard the #361 Sea-Doo GTR 215
Onboard: Your fans know you well from your multiple wins and your racing fame including your most recent trip to the winner’s podium at the 2015 AquaX, but what would surprise them to learn about you?
Eric: At a young age I had the opportunity to get involved in the family restaurant business and I jumped on it! Today, I now own “The WaterfrontToo” Grille & Steakhouse, a spin-off of the original “Waterfront” restaurant my family established in Sarasota. It’s a 250-seat seafood and steakhouse in Nokomis. I’m proud of what we have accomplished, especially being recognized for our signature hand-cut steaks and fresh fish as well as for our slow-cooked prime rib which is the best in town! We also cater to water enthusiasts – they can access the restaurant by water and pull up and dock for an evening of dining fun waterside.
Eric serving up tasty fun at his restaurant The WaterfrontToo. (Photo credit: Eric Lagopoulos Facebook)
Onboard: When not in the heat of racing season, what’s a typical day for you like?
Eric: My typical day would be to wake-up and either work-out or go riding. I try to ride three to five days a week to stay in shape for the grueling Aqua Cross season – which is fast approaching! After prepping for competition on my Sea-Doo – so I can continue to win titles, I then head over to the restaurant. Since it is only open for dinner, it provides me with tremendous schedule flexibility. This allows me to fit my race training schedule around owning and operating my restaurant.
Eric and Sea-Doo: Inseparable even on days off! (Photo Credit: Eric Lagopoulos Facebook)
Onboard: Your Sea-Doo is a major component of your life on and off the race circuit. How do you like to spend your “off” days?
Eric: My perfect “non-racing” day on my Sea-Doo would be going to a place I’ve ridden to my entire life, a place called Bayside. It’s on the northern end of Longboat Key, and it is one of my favorite spots because it makes for easy access to the Gulf of Mexico. On a perfect day, there would be three to five-foot surf – which offers me and my buddies awesome launches all day long! And when not on my Sea-Doo, you can find me enjoying other water sports including wake boarding and surfing.
2015 AquaX Champion, Eric Lagopoulos
Onboard: Thank you for taking us through a day in your Sea-Doo life, now circling back to racing – can you share with us what’s new for the 361 team in 2016?
Eric: The 361 team will have a cool new title sponsor for 2016, Von Vape! I’m really excited to partner with this company, they are local and have a long history of boat racing in the family! Von Vape will be joined by Sea-Doo, Riva, Hydroturf, Fly, and Jetpilot in keeping me on top of the podium!
BRP thanks Eric Lagopoulos for his time and dedication to the pursuit of PWC racing glory aboard Sea-Doo. You can follow Eric on his Facebook page.
