2018 AWSA towboat list/test results?

[oldjeep]

Has the 2018 towboat list been posted anywhere? I'm seeing a lot of marketing that is saying that the 2018 Malibu VTX is 3 event certified.

[dbutcher]

AWSA boat tests (normally in the fall) are not until spring 2018 this year. The 2018 approved list won't come out until after the boat tests to the best of my knowledge.

[dbutcher]

Malibu VTX was approved in 2008. That's the only year that I saw. The history of approved tow boats is on the 3 event portion of USAW's web site.

[oldjeep]

Hmm, curious why the ad text for the 2018 says it is certified. Is there some other body that certifies three event boats? https://www.malibuboats.com/news/2018-20vtx-press-release

 

[dbutcher]

That is curious. I'm not aware of any other certifying body. Maybe AWSA boat tests were partially done in the fall of 2017, and the VTX was tested then ???? Why don't you contact Malibu and ask. The VTX was approved in 2008. Maybe they are relying on that.

[oldjeep]

Couldn't be relying on 2008, the boat was completely changed in 2016.

[Bill22]

@oldjeep even if the VTX passes the test, you don't expect any slalom ski club to buy one do you? Although it would be good marketing to target the ski dad with a multi sport family.

[oldjeep]

@Bill22 nope, I expect those folks to continue complaining about having to ski in a 5mph wind and yearning for the return of tiny little closed bow boats from the 90's ;)

 

Was more curious what they did to the 2018 to make it a more acceptable ski boat than the 2016/17. Unlike dd's they actually sell a crapload of vtx, so it is good to hear that they may have fixed what they screwed up in 2016

[ForrestGump]

Keep in mind that there are two approval lists. Approved Ski Boat and Approved Tow Boat. Tow Boats are approved for 3 event Class C on up tournaments. Approved Ski Boats are approved for F Tournaments and below(practice, clinics, etc). The 16 VTX was an Approved Ski Boat. The '18 lists haven't come out yet, from what I see. You can usually find them in the tournament packets on the USAWaterski website. And with the recent change to the towboat policy allowing backwards dated boats to 2008, a 2008 VTX with ZO would be approved to tow a Class F or Class C because it was on the approved towboat list in 2008. Now What I don't know is how many years Malibu certified that hull. Just 2008 or did they continue to pay for it to be on the towboat list for successive years for that exact hull. I could go back through the different years towboat lists and find that out, but I'm lazy.

 

[dbutcher]

@BoneHead is exactly right. The current AWSA Towboat Policy Manual indicates that the 2016 VTX (or any approved ski boat) only has to physically retest as an "approved ski boat" every four years if the hull's wetted surface hasn't changed. The 2018 VTX is therefore most likely an "approved ski boat". It appears that the 2008 VTX was the only VTX that was an "approved tournament tow boat". Malibu's advertising that the 2018 VTX is 3 event certified appears correct if there was no wetted surface change since 2016. Too bad it is only for Class F and below. We could use more approved tournament tow boats as long as they are good.

[Horton]

What I know is.

 

Unless there is a new hull there is not a test. Based or rumors - there could be a new Nautique and/or a new Supreme CarbonPro to be tested sometime in 2018. In both cases the news is really all rumors.

 

For 2018 the top tier (current year) tournament boats will be the ProStar, 200 and TXi.

[Horton]

Speaking of the VTX - it is a compromise boat. I guess if your family needs a surf/wake/slalom boat then it is a great option but it is not really a 3 event boat. I would rather slalom behind a 1998 direct dive than any V-Drive boat.

 

My point is, if you are hosting a Class C, you would be better to get an really old slalom boat than a new V-Drive boat.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

“@BoneHead is exactly right.”

 

I guess that explains why a lake in Texas is frozen solid