MasterCraft 2014 ProStar Novice Review

[boarditup]

I am a novice, but avid, slalom waterskier. I live on a slalom lake, but only get a handful of sets a year. My boat is an X-2 and the kids and I spend most of the time wakesurfing together. I'll get a slalom boat after they are done with the surfing - my limited time with my kids trumps my slalom sets. I ski at 26-28 mph on a Radar Theory and weigh in at 255, so I am tall, but much heavier than most slalom skiers. Today I took a set behind the MasterCraft 2014 ProStar with Action Watersports Jerry Brower driving and Freddy Kreuger rope handling.

 

I had not made a full pass at 26 mph for a couple of years until this morning. Yeah, I know, don't mock me too much - but I only get 4-passes a few times a year - so about a dozen passes a year. I had skied behind a 94 PS, a smattering of Malibus, and a CC 196 without success. This morning, I had success and was able to keep the ski down on my off-side through the wakes without feeling it bounce or launch. The wake at 26 mph was flat enough and soft enough that I did not have to plan for a wake crossing - I could keep a stable body position all the way across the wakes without noticing the wakes or their effect on the ski.

 

With my very limited exposure, my summary is this: the 2014 PS has the easiest wake crossings of any boat I have skied behind at 26 mph.

 

From another perspective, the boat with the 5.7 was able to get me up and to speed over 200 feet in front of the greens at 26 mph. That is not usually the case with a 5.7. That hull is very efficient. I wish I could afford two boats right now, but that will have to wait for a while.

[Than_Bogan]

Great report! At -28 to -39, there isn't a lot to separate the boats. It's at 26 mph where things get interesting. So this is extremely valuable information!

[Greg Banish]

Don't feel bad @boarditup, I had Karen swing around and pick me up after screwing up 22off/30mph and 15off/32mph a bunch of times too. As you can see in my other review, I'm at the level where this boat's wake (or lack thereof) makes a big difference in my confidence at the crossing as well.