Malibu Txi

[6balls]

Without going to the length of any comparisons to competitors, I sure was impressed by my first experience with the Txi. I was able to pull two successful 38's and a 39 that was in the game on a site w/turn around islands both sides. Skied deep 38 on it myself.

In terms of driving position, sight lines, tracking, hole shot, maneuverability around islands, wake, interior size/comfort, noise levels...it's mighty impressive and a nice leap forward over the Lxi. I want one.

[ForrestGump]

The TXI is the real deal. Not as locked in as a 200. But close. Malibu got rid of the side to side roll of the LXI and made it so you didn't have to stay ahead of the skier 100% of the time.

 

If I didn't get a demo 200 for a song and a dance, I'd buy a TXI for my own boat.

[ForrestGump]

As some know, my ski partner is the Nautique dealer in Houston. At the first tournament of the year, another of our ski partner's 10 year old son was heard to say after skiing behind the TXI ......... "Daddy, tell Mr Charles he needs to be a Malibu dealer so we can have one of these."

 

It was classic! lol

[The_MS]

There was a tourney early this year where the MC was on the ramp getting ready to be put in the water. 5 or 6 of the G1 skiers that were due up all went over to the TXI promo owner and begged him to use the boat for them so they didnt have to ski behind the MC. It worked. If G1 skiers know about wakes, you know the MC must be big for them.

[Chef23]

The MC wakes are definitely bigger at slower speeds. The kids prefer the Malibu, Nautique or Centurion to the MC. The MC has a great trick wake. The only issue right now for a kid practicing behind one of the smaller wakes is what happens if you draw a MC in a tourney.

 

I spent a little time in the seat of a TXI and I thought the driving position and handling were improved over the LXI. I personally prefer the seating position and handling of the Response LX to the LXI. The TXI seems to have addressed that.

[jhughes]

The TXi is an improvement over the 07-11 RLXi. No doubt. I've pulled hundreds of sets with one this year. As a driver I really like the insta-planing of the hull and the seemingly limitless power and voracious acceleration. I still think Malibu has a ways to go on driver sightlines, fit & finish, and ergonomics.

 

They still have not surpassed the 15-year old TSC1 hull in wakes, tracking, ergonomics, and sightlines but then again you get a lot more interior room and a nice walk through open bow.

 

As a skier the wake is very good, but I've enjoyed the wakes behind Malibu since the 03+ RLXi so nothing hugely groundbreaking there IMO. The pull feels soft and easy and I really skied well behind this boat. Great job Malibu all around on this one.

[The_MS]

@Chef Would you suggest buying a boat with the biggest wake at slow speeds just to practice behind? My wife wanted to do just that but I would rather have MC make a boat that works at all lines and speed. My PBs are all set behind the MC but all the boats have a nice wake at -28 and in. I think the MC feels the softest of them all but the kids know whats up at slow speed.

[ToddL]

@MS A long time ago, I was at a novice tournament. The boat was a Ski Sanger inboard. The wakes were not big, but they were as firm as a concrete parking curb. All of the skiers were going down early and no where near their practice averages. Then, this one guy went out and started smoking passes up to just below his max speed. Obviously he took first in his group that day. Many skiers asked him how he was able to ski so well behind that boat. He responded, those wakes were great compared to the 26 foot I/O that I ski behind everyday...

 

It does make you wonder: Should the training boat have sub-optimal wakes? I can see one argument against this... If the less than best-in-class wakes behind the practice boat is creating bad habits (tail riding, timid wake attack) or resulting in increased falls, then it may be detrimental.

 

However on the other side, if the practice boat wakes aren't "bad" enough to hurt you but just not best-in-class, then your form through the wakes will likely have to be a bit more ideal to be successful in practice. Then, when you ski in a tourney behind these ideal boats, you will feel at an advantage...

 

With all of these boats, the opinions vary based upon the skiers' skill, average speeds, and line lengths. At the middle of the line (-28 to-35) there appears to be no significant difference from the top manufacturers (excluding specific individual boats with setup issues). However, at the extremes (less than 30 MPH and -38 and shorter), these boats do start to differ. At the slower speeds, the wakes do vary a lot from make to make. As stated, the G1/B1 skiers know what they have to ski upon and can quickly form valid opinions. At the upper echelon, the skiers are more aware and able to sense subtle variations in the wake character. Thus, they form personal preferences. I'm not so sure there is a clear favorite at this level. Also, at that upper level, things like crew position, boat weights, rudder tuning, and of course driver skill all impact the feel of the wake and pull.

 

An interesting aside... Some B1/G1 skiers are staring at what are traditionally Trick speeds. Thus, the best slalom wake for a B1/G1 skier seems to be in conflict with some of the desired wake characteristics that trickers would desire.

[Chef23]

@MS I think there is a case to be made that learning to ski the course behind harder wakes teaches good body position. If a kid can run 30 mph @ 15 off behind the MC they need to be stacked on the ski with the ski on edge. This fundamentals carry through forever.

 

Until all the boats have comparable wakes at slow speeds I do think the slower speed skiers would do better practicing behind the worst wakes they are likely to see in a tournament.

[thompjs]

Shane, I've got a great one I'll sell you

[The_MS]

@Chef I agree with you but I would rather see MC make a better hull for slow speed instead of dropping 45K for the wife to practice.

[Chef23]

@MS I am with you. We are still skiing behind an 02 Response LX and would love to upgrade but it isn't in the cards at the moment.

[6balls]

I'm for best wakes at all times behind my boat. Many more hours spent enjoying practice than running tourneys. I wouldn't put a Txi at our ski swamp where we don't need space (196 is great there), but would love one for home on the public lake that is pretty slow and has a course. Enough room, looks nice, drives great, great wakes, wedge, finally improved erg's and site lines. This is the first Bu I have wanted. Unfortunately...not in the financial plan right now.

[The_MS]

@6balls Our 08 196 is leaving for Ms tomorrow and we are picking up the 09. Looks like another 2 years behind a 196 for us.

[6balls]

@MS, I may be interested in your '09 when comes due in 2 yrs...esp if one of my ski partners has not upgraded yet as I could sell him my '00. His '97 has not had the care it should and is becoming unreliable...seems to bother me more than him.

[The_MS]

It hurts to see a dirty, tattered ski boat.

[ToddF]

If you have young kids and they are learning how to ski and you are buying a boat. Get one with the smallest wakes at slow speeds....

 

95% of the time they will be skiing behind your boat and they have to enjoy it.

I have an 04 ouback which has the bigger wakes at slow speed, my son always wants to ski behind my buddies 01 or 02 nautique. Why because the wake is smaller and he can run the course much easier. It is all about the fun factor.

 

 

[ToddL]

@ToddF - good point. With kiddos, motivation and fun are more important than we adults realize. If skiing isn't fun, then they won't do it to the point of developing that competitive desire. So, if we all to have mini-me's (or at least the next generation) addicted to our buoy crack, we have to protect the fun factor at the early stages.

[AndersonSkiTeam]

While I understand wanting some limited experience to be able to ski behind bad wakes so you can do it in a tournament the thought of owning a bad boat for kids is not a good thought. I am thinking this is a new advertisment for those boats with horrible wakes at longer lengths, "Ski behind out bad kids wake to make them better". That might sell a few more boats. How about we stop buying their boats and make them create a better boat at longer lengths that also rock at short lines. Nautique and Malibu seem to have it figured out.

 

My kids have the same thought as I do, ski behind the best boat wakes available.

 

In my mind this is what the othersides thought process would be. Go have sex with a bunch of ugly woman so that if you ever have to have sex with an ugly woman you will be ready for it. Sorry, I'll stick with my hot wife and my butter wakes.

[The_MS]

@AndersonSkiTeam Awesome.

[Razorskier1]

I agree with @6balls -- I love driving and skiing the TXi at our private site on the weekends. However, I ski most weekdays at home behind our 2005 MC 197TT. For the ropes I run they all feel good. Oddly, my MC feels stronger than the TXi. There isn't any give. As for wakes at slower speeds, longer lines, I do think it dpends on how slow, how long, and the skier. My wife skis 28 and 30mph passes in the course and 32mph open water. She is 120lbs. She slices through the wake with hardly a disturbance of the ski. That could just be experience behind the MC, or maybe it is more of an issue at even slower speeds? I know the girls skiers at tournaments really prefer the other boats.

[Ilivetoski]

@Chef23 I have to disagree on this. While it is true if I can 28mph 15 off behind the MC I can make it deep into 30 or 32 15 off behind nautique or malibu. That said! You are stunting the growth. If you take me and my boat (04 RLXi, much better then MC) my practice average is about 4 or 5@32. Ok, if I ski behind a MC that score may drop to 2@32. If I had a MC my practice would maybe 2@32 and my tournment would be the same behind a MC and maybe 1 buoy better with Nautique or Malibu. I know these numbers are not very good for the point I am trying to prove, but what I am saying is you have to be able get to that next pass and the fundementals you learn at -28 are a HUGE factor at 32. If I cant get to 28 and run it consistant (would be the case if I owned MC) then how can I expect to get into 32 in a tournment?

[Chef23]

@Ilivetoski I disagree with you. I would argue your fundamentals aren't good enough if at 28 off and beyond your average is different behind the different boats. At 28 off and shorter I don't notice a difference between any of the boats. If you can learn the good fundamentals to execute behind a MC it will make you that much better behind all the boats. I know kids your age that train in the north behind MC and can run 32 and deeper behind it consistently.

 

I stand by my point that if you can learn the body position to ski effectively at 22 off and longer behind the current MC it will only help you as you progress.

 

Nick don't take this the wrong way but if you have vastly different scores at 28 off and shorter behind the different boats you are psyching yourself out. At those line lengths you shouldn't even notice any difference in the wakes. There is a difference at 22 off but I don't find one at 28 off and shorter.

 

 

[Chef23]

I would add another point to this thread in that the current MC wakes are way better than the boats that I learned to ski the course behind in the mid to late 70s and even many of the boats of the 90s.

 

While the newer Nautique, Malibu and Centurion have better wakes than the MC the current MC is by no means unskiable to a kid that has good fundamentals behind the boat. My 13 year old skis into 22 off (not a rock star for Boys 2) and has run 34/15 in practice behind the Nautique, MC, Malibu LXI, Malibu Response, Centurion and Nautique 196. If you teach the right fundamentals the kids can get through the wakes of any of the current ski boats.

[LeonL]

Lots of different points made in this thread. First a lighthearted comment. Buy a 196 and shift it into MC mode when you want a harder wake. Next not all MCs are created equal with regard to wake/rooster tail and all woes don't end at 28 with them. Just ask a 38 or 39 skier if they fall into a trough with some MCs. Third point, most people that I have spoken with, pulled in tournaments and me personally seem to find that TXi s are kinda weak out of the hole, as opposed to an earlier comment. Ski good though.

[Ilivetoski]

@Chef23 I know that the 28 off analogy was bad. However I defenitly feel a large bump on most all MC's that I ski behind, Cobles boats are the only ones that I do not feel a 28 bump at. We have a skier in KY who runs deep 39, holds M3 state record for 5@39 (@LeonL or did kyle get 5.5 at state?). We had a tournment at my home site last monday (labor day) and he was talking about how big a 39 trough there was on the MC. Another point @LeonL made. "Not all MCs are created equal with regard to wake/rooster tail and all woes don't end at 28 with them". No 2 MCs that I have skied behind have skied identical like if I get behind 2 200's I cannot tell a diffrence. Some MC like at coble, ski great! If I dont run 32 it is not because of the wake. I find it difficult to run 28 behind the others that I have skied behind and I run 28 90% of the time.

[Chef23]

@ilivetoski you are too good a skier to not run 28 off behind any boat you get behind including MC. At your level don't worry about the boat just ski.

[6balls]

The Txi at New Germany is stronger out of the hole for sure than either of the Lxi's they had out there. I can't think of one way the Txi is not a nice improvement over Lxi.

I've skied CC200's that didn't ski the same, though I suspect it was prop.

If anyone can't stand their MC (w/zo) due to the big LL wake or the trough at crazy shortline and wants to sell that piece of junk way cheap, you can put it in my driveway!!

[GAJ0004]

I have only been behind the Response twice. Once at Midwest regionals, and at a tournament in PA over Labor Day. It was a nice boat to slalom behind. I have not driven anything newer than a 2008 Master Craft.

[Broussard]

@AndersonSkiTeam The problem is compromise, MasterCraft has an EXCELLENT 3-event boat! No doubt as far as a slalom boat for slow speed goes, the Nautique defiantly has the upper hand.

[Broussard]

As far as scores go; I practice behind MasterCraft and my scores are consistent with all of the boats.

[GAJ0004]

Anyone tricked behind the Malibu? How is it?

[jipster43]

I don't trick or jump, so I can't speak to those disciplines, but as often as I've heard people complain about the MC slalom wake at slow speeds, I've also heard people praise MC as the only manufacturer out there focused on all three events. If this is truly the case, I don't think an argument can be made against the MC without always mentioning that. It's not a fair comparison when one boat is solely devoted to slalom wakes while another is trying to accommodate trick as well.

 

If the TXi or 200 have comparable trick wakes, then have at it! For the record I ran my first tournament 22 off behind a 197, but I primarily ski behind a TXi.

[GregDavis]

Maybe let slalom skiers choose their boat. i.e. ( like trick skiers can choose which boat they want to ski behind). That will put pressure on the manufacturers to be more competive, and build, a better boat, with ( smaller wakes ) for Kids and female and male skiers, who ski slower speeds. If a promo guy shows up at a tournament, and the promo person is a good guy, who helps the sport, works, at events etc.etc. As a tournament organizer, you feel obligated to use his boat. ( even if we all know the wakes are much bigger at the slower speeds) It's important to keep the fun factor for kids, keep kids encouraged, keep male and female skiers, who ski at slower speeds, enthused, excited and interested in the sport. Whatever we have to do to accomplish that, should be considered. I experienced a situation at a local tournament several weeks ago. A skier, who skies at 28 and 30 mph, didn't make a pass on their opening pass. I heard this skier say, " that's it, this is my last tournament, why should I pay $50 entry, drive 3 hours to come to this event, and be forced to ski behind a boat with hugh wakes at the slower speeds" This skier will continue to ski at home and for fun, but as far as tournaments, I doubt we'll ever see them again.

 

Also, kids, get discouraged easily, at the slower speeds, the kids struggle with the bigger wakes.

[The_MS]

"Maybe let slalom skiers choose their boat" Best idea in a long time and it would force the manufactures to put out the very best.

Like the first Big Dawg you hosted in Ohio. It was great and almost every skier chose the 196 and the rest of the story is history.

[rodltg2]

Ski behind an infinity/svfara for season and all other wakes will feel like butter !

[thager]

Not to sure judge and driver jumping boat to boat would go real smoothly when it happened but there's always a way to compromise and way to work the bugs out. Like the idea though!

[Ilivetoski]

@thager just have a driver in each boat, 2 drivers on standby

[Chef23]

@Ilivetoski the division is supposed to have the same driver. The other issue is that means you need 2-3 times as many drivers and boat judges. It can be hard enough to find the ones you need never mind double or triple the number needed.

[Roger]

When we offer Open skiers choice of boat, we simply group them by boat choice so the boat crew does minimal swapping. This maybe wouldn't work so well with a lot of divisions...

[6balls]

We used to ski at dream lakes in Huxley, Iowa and rather than grouping by division we were grouped by ability level in terms of run order. It was easy enough to do and the head to head final was fun.

Certain line length and shorter the boat is irrelevant. Longer lines/slower speeds could be pulled by boats advantageous to them. If MC has the best trick wake, pull all trick w/the MC etc.

Some tourney's obviously have to take what one can get in terms of who can get a boat there.

[jipster43]

Perhaps we should require all three event boats to provide great trick wakes - otherwise I see a race to manufacture a great single event slalom boat and trick skiers be damned. I don't trick, but I appreciate the place tricking holds in our sport.

[Moskier3ev]

GAJ004, We trick behind the TXI. It is very close to the LXI I did not notice a lot of difference. My line length stayed the same my wife shortened her rope a 1/2 meter but she did go up in speed. The boat is a little bit more weight sensitive. Flat table. The TXI is a great 3evt boat.

 

Jeff Lindsey

 

[thompjs]

Jeff, Steven Hall liked mine a lot, except when his boot released on flips!

 

Wake height seems a bit bigger on 18mph tricks that the Lxi.

 

 

[colo_skier]

Not sure about the infinity comment earlier. At our lake we have one and we call it the cheater boat because at longer lengths and slower speeds it still doesn't have any wake versus the Mastercraft and Responses we have there.