Key Figures · Performance shop

Steve Laham

Original owner of Team Butch, the Butch's Jet Ski Shop dealership and race team first opened in 1979, until its sale in 1999; inducted into the IJSBA hall of fame in 2011.

1. The early years, in print, 1981 to 1993 (this page's records)
2. The makers and their machines, 1985 to 2005 (this page's records)
3. Noise, safety and federal rules, 1996 to 2002
4. The rule book years, 2002 to 2018 (this page's records)
5. Three rule books, 2021 to 2026

1990200020102020

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Results

Confirmed

Personal Watercraft Illustrated's news item of 2001 and BRP's release of 2011 both credit Team Butch's riders with championships, national and world IJSBA ones in BRP's words, and the 2001 item, which ties the shop's name to IJSBA racing, names nine of those riders. Neither lists the titles, so this page does not count them.

Sources: PWI Team Butch news 2001; BRP release on Laham 2011

Business

1979 and 1999 · Confirmed

A Personal Watercraft Illustrated news item of 2001 names him as the original owner of Team Butch, or Butch's Jet Ski Shop, first opened in 1979, and says he sold it in 1999. BRP's release of 1 December 2011 also names him with Butch's Jet Ski Shop and dates his move into management posts at BRP to 1999.

Sources: PWI Team Butch news 2001; BRP release on Laham 2011

Likely

The same news item says the shop was over the years an authorized dealer for Kawasaki, Yamaha and Sea-Doo watercraft, and reports that it closed after 22 years.

Sources: PWI Team Butch news 2001

1999 and 2011 · Likely

Both documents place him in management at Bombardier, the maker of Sea-Doo watercraft, after he left the shop in 1999. The 2001 item alone gives his first post as vice president of sales for its recreational products group; BRP's 2011 release alone gives his post at that date as vice-president of sales, marketing and after-sales for Evinrude outboard engines in North America.

Sources: PWI Team Butch news 2001; BRP release on Laham 2011

2017 · Likely

The Watercraft Journal in April 2017, reporting a hull maker's account, described him as the founder and owner of Butch's Ski Shop, and reported, on a hull maker's word, that he was helping that maker place its skis with dealers in the United States.

Sources: Watercraft Journal Krash ski 2017

Recognition

Confirmed

The association's hall of fame lists him among its 2011 inductees, and BRP's release reports the induction, made in October 2011 with the World Finals at Lake Havasu City.

Sources: IJSBA hall of fame page; BRP release on Laham 2011

Elsewhere in the archive

• History chapter: The aftermarket: shops, dealers and the teams they ran
• History chapter: The aftermarket: hulls, rule books and closures
• Event: IJSBA World Finals
• Organisation: International Jet Sports Boating Association
• Era: The early years, in print
• Era: The makers and their machines
• Era: The rule book years

What the archive has not read (3)

• Search extracts of the USPTO's Official Gazette show the marks BUTCH'S and TEAM BUTCH registered in 1987 to George-Mill, Inc., doing business as Butch's Jet Ski Shop. The archive holds only those extracts, and no held text states his relation to that company (checked 2026-10-05).
• Which championships Team Butch riders won is not on this page. No held result sheet prints Team Butch or Butch's as a sponsor (searched the archive's mirror, 2026-10-05), and neither source lists the titles.
• The sources describe his role in different words, original owner in 2001 and founder and owner in 2017. No document from his years at the shop that names him with it is held (searched the archive's mirror and research cache, 2026-10-05).

Documents cited on this page

• PWI Team Butch news 2001 (web.archive.org): Team Butch Closes Its Doors (Personal Watercraft Illustrated online news, Wayback capture of 5 April 2001), Personal Watercraft Illustrated (watercraft.com), 2001; editorial, medium. A news item on the magazine's site reporting the closure of Team Butch, or Butch's Jet Ski Shop: first opened in 1979, its original owner, its sale in 1999 and its riders. Captured on 5 April 2001; the page prints no date of its own. Medium as period trade press.
• BRP release on Laham 2011 (prnewswire.com): BRP's Steve Laham inducted to the IJSBA Hall of Fame (BRP press release, PR Newswire), BRP (Bombardier Recreational Products), distributed by PR Newswire, 2011-12-01; manufacturer primary, medium. BRP's release on its own executive's induction into the IJSBA hall of fame, with his years at Butch's Jet Ski Shop and his BRP posts. Medium for the posts and the induction; its praise, and the quoted praise of the association's managing director, are the release's words and no page repeats them. PR Newswire's phone numbers are replaced in the held copy.
• Watercraft Journal Krash ski 2017 (watercraftjournal.com): Krash Industries Introduces The First $12K Turn-Key Freeride Ski (The Watercraft Journal), The Watercraft Journal, 2017-04-12; enthusiast media, medium. A trade report on a hull maker's complete freeride ski, which in passing calls Steve Laham the founder and owner of Butch's Ski Shop and reports the maker's account of his help with US dealers. Medium as trade press.
• IJSBA hall of fame page (ijsba.com): The Jacobsen-Stjernstrom IJSBA Hall of Fame (IJSBA page), International Jet Sports Boating Association; sanctioning body, high. The association's own roster, read on 22 September 2026, giving the hall's name, its creation and dedication in 2006, and inductees by year to 2014, names only. It publishes no selection criteria and no citation for anyone.

Cite this page

“Steve Laham”, BaddJet archive, https://baddjetarchive.com/key-figures/steve-laham/

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