rockdog

Absolutely right @Jody_Seal . My point is the 200 with changes has a wider market than it previously did while Nautique will hope hardcore skiers will spend more to get the top line tournament hull with all the extras.

We must remember this isn't aimed squarely at skiers, it's an all rounder and thus the inclusion of an OB to fit a few more people for a day on the lake. You take the saddle bag out and closed bow option and less people will buy it for skiing only, they'll have to spend more and get the true ski boat. Whether anyone can afford to follow that script is another story, but that would be the aim of Nautique. Remember also there'll be plenty of potential buyers who have no idea this hull is/was essentially a tournament ski boat and are now in the market for a family lake boat and will see this now as an attractive option whereas previously wouldn't have considered a Nautique. @GAJ0004 the dull graphics also are due to the boat being the low end model (albeit a great low end!). The top end get the good graphics, nothing unusual there, another reason to spend more!

@ozski is correct saying MC is currently on a big upward trend here in AUS. I know a family who recently bought a 50th Anniversay Prostar and pretty certain they paid circa $100k. I see a lot of them around the areas I ski so I guess MC seem to have a good package with the current Prostar for price. Another guy I know running a ski school loves them not just based on price point but a real world benefit he says is there's so much more room in the boat without the saddle bags he had in the 200 it makes a difference when you're out there for hours teaching kids etc. My opinion is Nautique will take a pretty heavy hit on sales here, as popular as they are (correct again @Jody_Seal ) that high cost is almost the straw that will break the camels back. There's nobody I know who will be forking out $150k odd for this new thing and I actually thought the 200's were expensive. You folks in the US mightn't quite understand the market here given the option we've had to import these boats since the GFC mostly, my suspicion is that there's a high percentage of 196's and 200's here not bought new, but imported like I did with my last one from some years ago when the dollar was at a parity with US. In fact the exchange was $1.05 if I remember correctly in about 2011. So the actual figure of new boat sales over the last 5,6,7 years of 200's would not be very high making it even more unlikely the new model will sell. Agreed also the tourney guys I speak to haven't got much nice to say about the new Response. People that haven't even skied behind it have written it off because they've heard nothing good about it so it might just go from top selling ski boat to behind the Prostar I think. Cost of living is pretty high here and so reflects the cost of Malibu manufacturing in this country too I suppose? You'd think given a plant here should mean we can buy them at a reasonable price but not so, which makes the MC brand look even more appealing. I'll be sticking with my new to me 196. Everybody who sees it tells me how beautiful it is so I'm pretty happy!

Looks fine to me though the new Eden Ski Lake banner is inducing a seizure when I'm trying to read.

Awesome @GregHind . Just did 3.5 weeks in Yarrawonga/Bundalong with only about 4 days under 40c (104). Unbelievable heatwave, spent a lot of time on the water!

Podcasts are great, you can set to automatically check for new ones at certain intervals (once a day for example) so no need to manually look for when a new one is out. Download, listen to on the way to work..

Same as @Bookm_dano . The majority I always thought! Goofy footed was and always be the term for RFF. The tiniest community on earth (waterskiers) cannot change the term for an eternity used by millions of surfers and skateboarders all over the world. It amazes that some people aren’t aware of this.

Hmm yes one of the most talked about features of the new design was talked about even more and despite the camera guy standing right next to them - just couldn’t bend his knees a little to show us. If someone who owns one could show us that would be appreciated!

I reckon all White next time around @Horton with the Black logo. Agree @6balls ?

I'm about to have 4 weeks off at xmas and will be skiing every single day at around 7-8am for two sets and one in late evening most days. My simple wish is to stay injury free, have no boat troubles and run through 13m and get in to 12m.

It's no Colorado @ozski ;) 500Nm out of a 2.8lt is unbelievable!

@SSG223 I’ve never been to Florida but we all know it to be humid in the summer, if it’s anything like Central-Northern Queensland here in Aus then I think that’s going to be your biggest hurdle to overcome. There’s plenty of people who like the idea of moving to warmer climates (definitely me) but find it very difficult to adjust to that humidity and end up moving back. See it here all the time.

@gyoung $171 USD shipped, so whatever that converts to currently - approx $235. I'm normally a large with everything so just bought a large, fits good. Returns would be costly, but to be honest I don't care I just took the risk (calculated & researched).

I’m in Melbourne and got an Eagle sent over, great so far. Light and comfortable and more buoyant than I thought it was going to be.

Wow 70% are 7 years or older so far, very surprised.

@aupatking you've got more $$ tied up in bindings than skis, what's up with that? And why is there golf clubs hanging around, what are they for?

Nautiqueparts. They have everything on top of the usual engine parts. The inventory they have for old decals, odd parts and the like is amazing.

Mine has also broken like in that pic. I'll just keep an eye on the rope and hopefully it keeps going strong.

I like the statement from @LeonL that tournament skiing is a poor yardstick for overall interest in skiing. Where I ski mostly, we are lucky in that the course is on public water and up until around 4-5 years ago it would get ripped up every second day by jet skiers and wakeboarders who didn't give a stuff. But gradually we are finding more folks coming in and slalom skiing and thus maintaining the course and keeping the halfwits out. Most are respectful and it's generally a great atmosphere where we all pull up and wait our turn and chat to people we wouldn't otherwise have even met, and I'm talking families not just young singles with plenty of time on their hands. Since I've had kids myself I love nothing more than chatting to Mums and Dads and also their kids about skiing and boats etc. I'd say 70% of these people have never skied a tournament and have no plans to do so. They just enjoy the challenge and social aspect even though we're only really there for 30 mins tops, so I'd say the sport is going ok without going gangbusters.

I've had it several times just from tail blowouts and releasing. Really hurts and takes forever to heal. I dreaded it but ended up wearing a soccer shin guard with a spray leg to hold it on, you need to tape the spray leg top and bottom so it doesn't blow off. It's a bit of an effort but certainly works. One of my wounds got infected which made it take even longer to heal, so you really don't want it to happen in the first place.

Connelly works for me. Love my GT. Manon is a beast on that ski, would be great to see her nail a major or two next season.

Actually I know why, it's to go back to that magnificent 200 you just sold right @Tkl127 ?

If not the question must be asked, why?

2008 196 with REV R. Just bought the boat haven't even used it yet! Coming off SG Z-box.

I’m a bit hesitant to ask but anyone know how they went over at Nautiqueparts? They were right in the firing line weren’t they?