March 22, 2006
The 2005-2006 Wakeboard Report Wake Boat Beauty Awards
Today I present the first ever annual Wakeboard Report Wake Boat Beauty Awards (WRWBBAs). While some of the nominated boats have been around for awhile, this Web site has not; and while this feature may be a little bit self-indulgent, I nonetheless wanted to do it and have some fun.
Through an odd mix of lurking at various message boards, crawling some MySpace profiles, and talking with owners and company representatives, these boats have been nominated in custom-built categories that are as unique as the boats themselves.
The following boats have stood above the pack, and I am happy to present the nominees, and Winners (the are the same), of the 2005-2006 Wakeboard Report Wake Boat Beauty Awards.
Most Defiantly Awesome
Through the echoes of time, millions have asked; why would someone take a brand new Malibu Wakesetter 23LSV, and slap a custom, camouflage vinyl wrap on it? Answer: to personalize the boat and get it featured not once, but twice on this Web site. Isn't that reason enough? When photos of Chris Wynn's Wakesetter first surfaced, people didn't know quite what to think. Now that several companies are offering camouflage graphic packages on their boats, this boat deserves some recognition. Not only is this a phenomenal camouflage pattern, it is also well applied, and in an extremely odd way, will stand the test of time extraordinarily well.
Fanciest Pants
The original category for this nominee was "Most Likely to be Brought Up in the Same Sentence as the Lotto'". Since that was such a mouthful, it was shortened but you get the point. Let's face it; wake boats are not getting smaller. The Master Craft X80, apart from being stunning to look at, is perhaps a glimpse into what wake boats will look like in 15 years. The twin-screw X80 is formally classified as a yacht, and with an on board toilet and sink, plus bow mounted ladder and countless other amenities, is sure to turn the salivation pumps on for most people. The excellent fit & finish of a typical Master Craft wake boat, but 10 feet longer and far wider. Sounds pretty good to me. This boat may not be appropriate for everyone, but I sure would like to take one off their hands!
Most Strangely Remarkable
You don't order up a hot pink Wakesetter without knowing what you're getting into. I have to assume that there is a point where sales managers look at custom boat requests, and upon seeing questionable color combos, gently remind buyers that he or she may need to consider resale value vis-a-vis the boat's external appearance. One has to take into consideration that if you decide to sell, you're going to need to convince people that pink is the new blue, or the new white. Alternatively, you may need to consider the possibility that only Pink herself, or even Randy Harris (who already has a pink Super Air Nautique, so - nix that) are going to be your only interested customers. For whatever reason, I think this pink Wakesetter is considerably awesome. Let's face it. If you compete in the Outlaw division, can stand up 15 inverts, you stand a really good chance of being able to pull this off too. I can not pull off the former or latter, but I appreciate the fact that there are some people out there that can. And those people can drive Pink boats and not be ridiculed.
Most Mine
At this time last year, I was boatless, and hoping that I'd find a replacement for my 1986 Ski Nautique 2001. One that allowed me to take more people out, yet provided the same reliabilty and amount of years of enjoyment as my family's previous boat. I came very close to towing a 2003 Super Air Nautique all the way back from Texas, but it was sold before I was able to make a move. Months later, I was lucky enough to find a gorgeous, sensibly priced Super Sport Nautique right in Conneticut. I have zero, absolutely zero complaints. Aside from my wedding band, it is my favorite inanimate object in the world.
Winner: Overall
There are so many good decisions competing here, that I kind of defy you to not like this thing. To start, this is a 2005 Super Air Nautique Team Edition package, with a navy blue hull and simple, elegant thin stripe. The secondary colors are perfectly accented by the silver Flight Control Tower. And "less is more" is certianly in effect on this boat, with the removal of the mid-hull AIR logo. Many people don't like dark hulls, claiming that they show scratches easily, and tend to fade. For something this uniquely classic, it may just be worth it.
If it seems that there was a great deal of weight applied to the aesthetics of these boats, indeed - there has been. It is, after all, a beauty contest. Generally speaking, the top tier of wake boat manufacturers do a very good job of rigging the boats with all the creature comforts most wakeboarders want - and even some they don't need. And in some ways, they are very similar, manufacturer to manufacturer. So with many of the manufacturers offering a bevy of graphics packages and gelcoat options, the level of personalization can go very deep. Right down to personalized billet aluminum nameplates.
Thanks for reading. 1 month and 1 week until we're on the water. See you out there.
Posted by erik
