Malibu Boats First To Re-sign With INT for 2010 Season

Malibu Boats and The INT League are excited to announce that we are partnering for the next three seasons to host amateur and pro wakeboard, wakeskate, waterski and kneedboard events. Malibu has partnered with INT as an official tow boat sponsor for several years now and we were the first boat manufacturer to re-sign the 2010 agreement this year.

“It has been a tough year for everyone. We are thrilled to have dedicated partners like Malibu Boats on our team so that we can continue to promote the water sports industry and grow grassroots events,” said Rick Stocks, president of the INT League, when he met with Paul Singer, Malibu Boats VP of Sales and Marketing, to make the partnership official.

“INT gives us the amazing opportunity to support the water sports passions of individuals who are near and dear to us, the Malibu Boats Family. We are honored to be a part of their growth and their fun,” says Singer. “We’re proud to partner with INT for the 2010 season.”

By sponsoring INT, Malibu is able to join with the rest of the water sports industry to host several hundred grassroots events per year. The partnership also allows Malibu dealers to get involved at the local INT events in their state. The corporate partnership allows Malibu dealers to sponsor their local INT tour, provide boats for INT events, have a booth at INT events, and use INT’s marketing tools to promote Malibu products to INT’s demographic of water sports enthusiasts.

Look for Malibu Boats pulling INT competitions across the nation!

Tags: Malibu Boats | INT | sponsorship | grassroots | wakeboarding | water skiing | wakeboard boat | ski boat | wakeboard tournaments | water ski tournaments

Team Malibu's Dallas Friday Featured in Orlando Magazine

Dallas Friday article excerpt provided by Orlando Magazine. Dallas Friday, 23, has won more than 60 professional wakeboarding titles, making her the all-time leader among women in the sport.

“I started in wakeboarding at 12. I did gymnastics before, but I kind of got over it. I wanted to try something new and my brothers got me into wakeboarding. I tried it and I absolutely loved it. I was drawn to it.”

“My first year [2000, when she was 13] on the pro tour I won an event down in West Palm Beach. I went from never making it into the finals to winning a pro tour stop. Crazy, huh? Finally it clicked at that contest.” Friday has dominated her sport ever since, winning almost every event she has entered. She won an ESPY award for Best Female Action Sports Athlete for 2004, and in July she won the gold medal in the female wakeboarding competition at the World Games in Taiwan.

Visit Orlando Magazine to read the entire Dallas Friday article.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Dallas Friday | Team Malibu | Orlando Magazine | pro rider | pro wakeboarder | wakeboarding | wakeboard boat | Action Sports | Espy

Dallas Friday Wins Worlds & Queen of Wake Title

We were on the edge of our seat today, for the final day of competition at the WWA Wakeboard World Championships in Orlando, FL. We weren't there in person to witness the action, but thanks to the constant Twitter updates from @TheWWA we didn't have to be. @MalibuBoats followed the tweets all day until this one came across Tweet Deck.

@TheWWA: @thewwa Pro Women Finals: http://twitpic.com/fvqv0 (This link takes you to a picture of the final results. Team Malibu's Dallas Friday finished on top with 92.75 points.)

The WakeWorld.com recap reads "In the Pro Women division, Orlando's own Dallas Friday made a splash on her hometown waters today, winning her first world title since 2006 - the fourth of her career. England's Nicola Butler finished in second place, while Aussie Amber Wing took third."

What we didn't realize is not only did Malibu's star female pro rider become the World Champion again today, Dallas also earned her first Queen of Wake title. Wake Girls (@WakeGirls) Clued us in on this piece of info and got an immediate RT (retweet) from @MalibuBoats.

@WakeGirls: Dallas Friday wins the 2009 Queen of Wake title. Congrats!

The 2009 Worlds served as the final event in both the King of Wake and Queen of Wake series. With today's win, Dallas Friday was launched to the top of the series overall point standings, earning Dallas her first Queen of Wake crown. She also earned a cash bonus and a year's worth of bragging rights.

We are unbelievably proud of your Dallas! Way to get the win! Both of them...

Visit WakeWorld.com to read the entire WWA Wakeboard World Championships recap article.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Dallas Friday | The WWA | Wakeboard Worlds | Orlando | Queen of Wake | pro rider | wakeboarding | wakeboard boat | wakesetter VLX | Twitter

Malibu Boats Facebook Tips and Friend Suggestions

Facebook is a free social networking website. Users can join networks organized by city, workplace, school, and region to connect and interact with other people. People can also add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profile to notify friends about themselves. Members can also make friends with Malibu Boats on Facebook along with a number of other water sports athletes and companies.

Malibu Boats publishes events, status updates, news, images and videos to Facebook. You can also contact the Malibu Boats factory directly through Facebook. We monitor our Facebook page regularly to provide quick and accurate responses to any Malibu Boats inquiries. You are definitely in the "know" about Malibu Boats as a Malibu Facebook friend.

If you are interested in setting up a Facebook account, here are some written instructions to help get you started:

1. Open your Internet browser.

2. Go to www.facebook.com

3. Enter your information into the “Sign up for Facebook” box.

4. Look for a confirmation email.

5. Click on the link to get back to Facebook.

6. Click “Profile” at the top of the page, fill out as much as you wish.

7. You are now signed up & can start searching for friends.

8. Click on “Friends” at the top of the page. Find friends by email address or name.

9. Type in "Malibu Boats" and friend us up! Or go directly to Malibu Boats Facebook and become a friend.

10. If you are looking for some other water sports-related friendships here are a few more friends requests you might want to make. Malibu Boats Pro Riders: Kevin Henshaw, Chad Sharpe, Brian Grubb, Phillip Soven, Dallas Friday, Matt Manzari. Malibu Boats Pro Skiers: Thomas Degasperi, Will Asher, June Fladborg, Drew Ross. Malibu Boats Dealers: Idaho Water Sports, Tinus Marine. Malibu Boats Partners: Axis Wake Research, Alliance Wakeboard Mag, Wakeboarding Magazine, Wakeboard Camp, Liquid Force, Hyperlite, Ronix, Radar Skis, WaterSki Magazine. There are more friends signing on all the time. We will keep you updated.

Here is a link to a quick Facebook instructional video to get you started/signed up.

Here is another helpful link from ehow.com will take you to a video that will help you sign up, it also takes you to a series of videos on “How to use Facebook”

See you on Facebook!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Facebook | Facebook friends | Facebook tips | ehow.com | instructional | Malibu friends | social media | Malibu dealers | Malibu Pro Skiers | Malibu Pro Skiers | Malibu Partners

June Saves the Prince

Received this scan today from International Malibu Boats Sales Manager, Bo Lassen. There is a story here...

Team Malibu Boats Jumper June Fladborg placed second in the EAME Waterski Championships in Denmark last weekend. Leave it to June to place second and get the most media coverage. You go girl!

Unless you speak Danish I'm sure you have no idea what is going on in this picture. We didn't either, at first...

According to Bo this headline says something like, "June is choking Frederik, Royal Crown Prince of Denmark, at the European Waterski Championships award ceremony."

That is what this looks like, but the weekly was just joshin'. Turns out Prince Frederick tripped on the way up to the Women's Jump podium to congratulate the winners and June saved him. She kept him from falling while at the same managing to keep her jump ski in frame with the "Malibu" logo turned toward the camera. Now there's a dedicated factory team member. She can do it all!

Way to go June! We're proud of you for your performance and the rescue. We also appreciate the laughs you brought us today!

Tags: Malibu Boats | June Fladborg | Prince Frederick | Denmark | Danish | EAME | water ski champion | water skiing | ski boat | jump

Team Malibu Phillip Soven's Moby 7 Video

Phillip Soven's Moby 7 Video from Chad Sharpe.

Here it is... Teammate Chad Sharpe (@chadesharpe) posted the video he captured of Malibu's Phillip Soven landing the first Moby Dick 7. Yesterday we reported this history-making move and this morning we're linking to the video posted on Chad Sharpe's blog.

Chad shot this video from Kevin Henshaw's Malibu Wakesetter VLX on Lake Haiwassiee in Florida.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Phillip Soven | Chad Sharpe | Kevin Henshaw | wakeboard video | Wakesetter VLX | Moby 7 | Moby Dick 7 | wakeboard boat | Lake Haiwassiee | wakeboarding

Soven Lands a Whale of a Move Behind Malibu VLX

Last night we received word that Team Malibu Boats (@MalibuBoats) Pro Rider Phillip Soven (@PhillipSoven) landed a Moby Dick 7 behind Kevin Henshaw's (@KevinHenshaw) Wakesetter VLX. Kevin also rides for the Malibu Boats team. Phillip was riding with him in Clermont, FL yesterday afternoon when he harpooned the big fish... a Moby Dick 7!

A typical Moby Dick is a wakeboard move that combines a Tantrum with a handle pass backside 360. This move was co-invented by former Malibu Boats pro rider Brannan Johnson. (explanation provided by StokeCity.ca) The Moby Dick 7 that Phillip was the first to land yesterday joined a typical Moby Dick with an additional handle pass backside 360! That is a Tantrum plus 720 degrees of rotation. You have get pretty high to do all that. Leave it to the Wakesetter VLX wake to help make it happen.

Phillip Tweeted this reaction after landing the monumental move.
@PhillipSoven: Woooh just hit the first moby dick 7 behind henshaws @malibuboats vlx there's a reason I ride for them can't beat that wake!

Kevin just returned to Florida from a 3-month road trip and yesterday was the first time he put his Wakesetter VLX on the water since leaving. What a way to get back at it! His newly launched VLX pulled the first Moby Dick 7.

The guys did capture video of Phillip sticking this never before landed move. It should be posted on http://WakeboardingMag.com soon and we will link to it from the Malibu Boats blog. Congratulations, Phillip! We're so proud of you and you too Kev!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Moby Dick 7 | wakeboard move | wakeboard trick | Wakesetter VLX | Phillip Soven | Kevin Henshaw | Clermont FL | wakeboard boat | first ever

Team Malibu Out Swirves Competition at EAME Waterski Finals

Malibu Boats terrible twosome slalom threat Thomas Degasperi and Will Asher finished top two in yet another major competition this past weekend, the EAME Waterski Championships in Denmark. This time the current and former World Champions traded their podium steps from Worlds. Thomas finished first and Will settled for second. Way to keep it going guys! We're proud of you!

Tags: Malibu Boats | EAME | waterski championships | Thomas Degasperi | Will Asher | waterskiing | slalom skiing | ski boats | Denmark | tournament

Malibu Boats Booth Swamped at Surf Expo

The Malibu Factory Crew was swamped at Surf Expo. And I'm not talking about the wake behind the 2010 Wakesetter VLX with the new Illusion G3 wakeboard tower showcased in the Malibu Boats booth. The Malibu boys were swamped with people!

According to Chris Crysdale, Malibu's National Sales Manager, "I think everyone who walked by our booth stopped, many of them twice." Chris explained, "The VLX was sick! they couldn't help it."

Even though they were busy, the Malibu Factory Crew was in their element and had a great time. Of course that was during the show... I don't know that the same enthusiasm was shared when they were setting up and tearing the booth down. But they did a great job! Check out these shots of the 2010 Malibu Wakesetter VLX in the booth.

All and all though Surf Expo was great!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Surf Expo | show booth | Wakesetter VLX | Malibu Factory Crew | Chris Crysdale | Orlando | wakeboard boat

Malibu Riders Taking Home Wake Awards

Malibu Riders Dallas Friday, Brian Grubb & Matt Manzari took home huge Wake Award honors from Wakeboarding Magazine last week during Surf Expo in Orlando, FL. Dallas earned Best Rider and Grubby too Best Video Performance and Team Malibu Boats' Matt Manzari captured Wakeskate Move of the Year with a boardslide backside flip. Way to go Team!

Best Women's Rider
This female ripper kills it in all aspects including contests, exposure, photos, video sections and progressive riding. ’06 Winner: Dallas Friday / ’07 Winner: Amber Wing / ’08 Winner: Nicola Butler

5. Raimi Merritt
4. Melissa Marquardt
3. Nicola Butler
2. Amber Wing

And The Winner Is: Dallas Friday

Best Video Performance – Wakeskate
This is awarded to both the rider and producer, with consideration given to both the level of riding and filming/editing. This is a new category for 2007. ’07 Winner: Aaron Reed / DVS – N.A.R.L.A. / ’08 Winner: Danny Hampson Volume Wakeskate Videos

5. Ben Horan / Scene One / Fun Boots
4. Nick Taylor / Scene One / Fun Boots
3. Brandon Thomas / A.V.E. / Rewritten
2. Andrew Pastura / Scene One / Fun Boots

And The Winner Is: Brian Grubb (@BriankGrubb) / Billabong / Out of the Pond

Oakley’s Move Of The Year: Wakeskating
This award is for the single most impressive, sickest, innovative and progressive move pulled all year, with categories for wakeskating. The winner was chosen by the WAKEBOARDING Magazine. Wakeskate MOY Runners Up:

James Balzer - Toeside Wake-to-wake Kickflip
Russell Brightwell - 360 shove on Spillway Wall Ride
Russell Brightwell - Varial Flip
Travis Doran - Front Big
Justin Forest - Hard Flip
Brian Grubb - Bomb Drop Billabong Bus
Brian Grubb - Wake-to-wake Indy Back Big
Danny Hampson - Backside Big Spin
Reed Hansen - Wake-to-wake Heelside Frontside 540
Reed Hansen - Wake-to-wake Backside 540
Ben Horan - Backside Tail Slide to Backside Big Spin
Dieter Humpsch - Wake-to-Wake Frontside Flip
Kyle Hyams - Backside Big Spin Down Spillway
Chris Kallas - Wake-to-wake Backside Big Spin 360
Matt Manzari - Board Slide Varial Flip
Andrew Pastura - Backside 360 Kickflip
Andrew Pastura - Switch Grapeflip
Andrew Pastura - Switch Front Big Heel Flip
Grant Roberts - 360 Shove
Stu Shinn - Wake-to-wake Shove Catch Shove
Nick Taylor - Backside Big Spin
Nick Taylor - Switch Flats Backside Flip

And The Winner Is — Wakeskating: Matt Manzari, Boardslide backside flip

Visit WakeboardingMag.com for more information on the Wakeboarding Magazine Wake Awards.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Wakeboarding Mag | Dallas Friday | Matt Manzari | Brian Grubb | Team Malibu | Wake Awards | Surf Expo | pro riders | wakeboarding | wakeskating

Matching Corvette Pulling Matt Minor's Malibu Wakesetter

We received this e-mail and photo from Matt Minor last week. It is a great shot!

My name is Matt Minor and I am the proud owner of a 2003 Malibu Wakesetter. While hitching the boat up for a weekend on the lake, my friends & I decided to get a little creative. Inspired by Malibu's recent 'Corvette Edition', we were able to round one up of matching color & year to pose as an unlikely, but very catchy tow vehicle. We were amazed how well the shot turned out. It seemed fitting that we share this photo with you so that others could enjoy.

The photo was taken in our small hometown of Fort Recovery, nestled between the rows of corn & soybeans of western Ohio. The Corvette belongs to Dan Timmerman of Ft. Recovery. We roll with a crew of die-hard boating fanatics who truly believe in the quality of boats Malibu puts on the water.

Thanks so much for sharing, Matt. Your photo is definitely in the running for our Fav Pic of September. The shot was a great idea! Nice looking Wakesetter and beautiful Vet too! Also thank you for the kinds words about Malibu Boats. At Malibu we all work hard to "Build the best boat.." and we pursue that goal with owners like you in mind. Thank you for believing in the Malibu Difference. We are proud to have you as a part of our family.

If you capture or come across a cool Malibu Boats-related photo let us know. We would love to post it here on the Malibu Boats Blog and Flickr Channel. We will even Tweet about it on Twitter. E-mail blog@malibuboats.com with links and/or images. Also make sure to include the name of the person who took the shot and give us a short description of the photo's contents. If you do not know this information and you are only forwarding a link, we can track it down. Thanks!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Matt Minor | Wakesetter | Corvette | Ohio | Fort Recovery | wakeboard boat | towing | Malibu Difference | boat owner

Cool Rig Shot From Malibu Boat Owners in Reno

We received this cool shot and e-mail from Malibu boat owners Larry & Michelle Leider. We had to share!

"This is our first Malibu, and we LOVE it! It's nice to boat in style".

Boat Owner: Larry & Michelle Leider
Malibu Boat: 2007 Response LXi
Home State: Reno, NV
Tow Vehicle: 2001 GMC Sierra 2500HD

Thank you Larry and Michelle for sending us this photo. Welcome to the Malibu Family!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Malibu owner | boat owner | Response LXi | Reno | GMC | ski boat

Malibu Boats 2009 August E-newsletter Up

Check out the latest e-newsletter from Malibu Boats. The August issue of the Malibu Review E-newsletter features the new 2010 Illusion G3 Wakeboard Tower. Learn about the G3 tower's weightless fold-down feature. Check out our favorite pic and video for August. Meet Chris Ritthaler a former Marine turned UC Davis Ski Team member and Malibu boat lover. Log on to WakeWorld.com to vote in the Rider's Choice Awards for a chance at big prizes and check out some Malibu Boats decals that will lift your kid's spirits for back-to-school.

Tags: Malibu Boats | enews | Malibu E-newsletter | Malibu Illusion G3 | Illusion G3 tutorial | UC Davis | WakeWorld | Rider's Choice Awards | Malibu Decals | Chris Ritthaler

Team Malibu Boats Riders Sweep Pro Wakeboarding in Reno

The final stop of the Pro Wakeboard Tour went off in the greater Reno area of Sparks, Nevada over the weekend. History was made when Rusty Malinoski landed the first 1080 ever in competition, but even this monumental move was not enough to eclipse the winning performance of Team Malibu's Phillip Soven (@PhillipSoven). Soven picked up his second consecutive Pro Wakeboard Tour Stop win this season and collected $1000 along with the Rockstar Best Trick Award for his Backside 720 off of the U.S. Air Force kicker. Team Malibu domination didn't end with Phillip's victory. Pro Female Rider, Dallas Friday also took home gold in her event earning a win at the Reno Stop after a four-year drought in "The Biggest Little City in the World". Dallas made up for her win-less streak in Reno, extended her lead in the Queen of Wake series to 25 points and put herself in prime position to take the five-stop pro tour for female wakeboarders. All that hard work behind the Malibu Wakesetter VLX is paying off for these pro riders. Congratulations Phillip and Dallas! We are so proud of both of you and we continue to cheer your victories.

Pro Men Final
1. Phillip Soven (USA) - 93.00 (Team Malibu)
2. Rusty Malinoski (CAN) - 85.50
3. Harley Clifford (AUS) - 84.00
4. Danny Harf (USA) - 77.50

Pro Women Final
1. Dallas Friday (USA) - 92.00 (Team Malibu)
2. Nicola Butler (ENG) - 90.50
3. Amber Wing (AUS) - 76.25
4. Melissa Marquardt (USA) - 73.25
5. Hayley Smith (AUS) - 68.00
6. Ashley Leugner (CAN) - 38.75

For more information read the Reno Pro Tour Stop article on WakeWorld.com.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Phillip Soven | Dallas Friday | Reno | PWT | Nevada | Queen of Wake | 1080 | Rusty Malinoski | Wakesetter VLX | wakeboard boat | wakeboarding | wakeboarder

Unbelievably Short Malibu Illusion G3 Fold-down Tutorial

No need to settle in for this one. The Malibu Illusion G3 Fold-down Tutorial is short and sweet, not to mention easy and safe. The gas spring assisted design of the Illusion G3 renders the tower weightless for an unbelievably convenient fold-down procedure. We have created a short video to illustrate this fact. The star of the video is the Illusion G3, but the gal that makes it all happen is Nicolette. Nicolette is the receptionist at the California Malibu Boats Factory and she was given very little instruction before filming commenced. When watching the video you will notice just how easy the fold-down process is. It can be accomplished by a single person with next to no experience.

Fold-down Procedure: 1) Unscrew the Allen bolt one either side securing the tower to the bases. 2) Pull the tower to the folded position.

That about wraps it up. Any questions?

The process is so simple we threw in a quick tutorial on Titan Spinner Rack operation and the "Slide-off" removal. That's easy too.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Illusion G3 | Illusion Tower | wakeboard tower | forward-swept | easy fold-down | weightless | gas spring | wakeboarding | wakeboard boats | wakesetters | spinner rack | Titan | wakeboard racks | Alpha II Speakers | tutorial | instructions | tips

Malibu Boats Decals Cure Back-to-School Blues

Binders, book covers, laptops, locker doors, car windows - all signs of back to school time. Dress-up these end of summer reminders with some Malibu Boats decals. Turn those frowns at home upside down with these inexpensive reminders of the Summer of 2009 on your Malibu boat.

1) Malibu Wakeboarder Decal 2) Retro Malibu Decal 3) Malibu Boats Decal 4) Malibu Boats Skiers 5) Malibu Boats Sticker Sheet

Looking for more Malibu Boats gear to prolong your endless summer, visit the gear.malibuboats.com.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Malibu Gear | back to school | Malibu Decals | wakeboarder | skier | retro

Malibu Boats Revolutionizes Wakeboard Towers Again

Malibu Boats Illusion Series tower design has advanced many aspects of wakeboard boat towers over the last 7 years to include better forward visibility, unique styling, easier function and greater strength. For 2010 Malibu has added to this list with the new Illusion G3 tower. This new wakeboard tower is standard on all Wakesetter models and features standard Titan Slide-off Spinner Wakeboard Racks, 3” stainless steel tube and billet aluminum construction along with an innovative weightless fold-down feature that folds to standard garage height.

Check out this gallery of Illusion G3 images on the Malibu Boats flickr channel.

The new Illusion G3 can be collapsed in seconds with little instruction. The gas spring assisted design of the G3 tower allows for weightless fold-down. A single person can collapse this tower and does not have to be strong to do it. The Illusion G3 is so light, even with optional accessories like two pairs of Titan Alpha II speakers and an extra set of Titan Slide-of Spinner racks installed the tower can be folded with fingertips.

When a Titan Slide-off Spinner Wakeboard Rack is in use a slight tug on the swivel pin directs the rack to spin and lock for easy loading and unloading of boards. Pull the pin again and the rack swivels back into place. Complete with combo forks, the Titan Slide-off Spinner can accommodate both a surfboard and wakeboard on each side. The racks can also slide off their tower mounts for quick storage. And the first pair of Titan Slide-off Spinner racks are standard on every Illusion G3. The tower can host as many as four racks while preserving its weightless fold-down feature.

The new Illusion G3 takes tower design and you to new heights with hybrid construction that marries the strength of all-weather coated billet aluminum with the resilience and beauty of 3” stainless steel tubing. The billet tower bases and wings add another unique element of strength and style to this exclusive tower. The first tower to combine these two materials, the Illusion G3 is as much a product of strong components as it is a precision built Malibu wakeboard boat feature.

The new Illusion G3 tower preserves the innovative characteristics of Illusion Towers past with the forward-sweeping design that produces the look of sleek motion even when the boat is completely still. This design also affords the driver more visibility, which is priority #1 on a busy waterway. The G3 even features pre-routed wiring so accessories additions are a snap.

Visit your local Malibu Boats dealer to experience the 2010 Malibu boats with the new Illusion G3.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Illusion G3 | Illusion Tower | wakeboard tower | forward-swept | easy fold-down | weightless | gas spring | wakeboarding | wakeboard boats | wakesetters | spinner rack | Titan | wakeboard racks | Alpha II Speakers

Vote WakeWorld.com Riders Choice Awards Win Gear

The WakeWorld.com Riders Choice Awards determin the riders and products that have had the most impact on the sport of wakeboarding throughout the year as dictated by WakeWorld.com votes. Whether you are a Malibu boat owner or simply a big wake enthusiast log on to WakeWorld.com to vote your mind, further the sport of wakeboarding and give your favorite riders and products the recognition they deserve. If voicing your opinion and steering the direction of wakeboarding are not enough motivation to get involved, WakeWorld.com is also giving anyone who votes the chance to pick up some great prizes from Company, Remote, CWB Board Co., Liquid Force Clothing, Dragon, Monster and Sidewayz.

Don't forget to select the Malibu Boats MaliView 6.5" Color LCD Dash System or Auto Wedge as Best Wakeboard Innovation for 2009. And when it comes time to choose Best 2009 Wakeboard Boat make sure your choice has "Malibu" in front of it. WakeWorld.com readers here at the Malibu factory are voting for the 2009 Malibu Wakesetter VLX which earned Malibu's 8th consecutive Boat of the Year Award this year from PowerBoat Magazine this year.

Voting closes at midnight on 8/31/09. Don't forget to include your email address if you want to be in the running for all the great prizes.

Tags: Malibu Boats | WakeWorld | Riders Choice Awards | Company | win | wakeboarding gear | wakeboarding | wakeboard boat | Best 2009 Wakeboard Boat | Wakesetter VLX | MaliView | Best 2009 Innovation

Team Malibu's Brian Grubb Wins Wakestock Canada

Team Malibu took the #1 wakeskate spot with Brian Grubb's win at Wakestock. Way to go Grubby! Tweet Brian some props on Twitter @BriankGrubb. Team Malibu Boats Pro, Phillip Soven nearly won the wakeboard competition as well, but just missed the top spot. You did great Phillip! Tweet Phill some atta boys @PhillipSoven. Wakestock was a super fun event for the crowd and all of the riders. Malibu Boats congratualtes all riders on a great showing. We were happy to pull and sponsor the biggest wakeboard competition on the continent! Brian Grubb photo taken by Richard Roth for WakeWorld.com.

Read the entire Wakestock event recap on WakeWorld.com.

The final day at Wakestock was highlighted by sunny, hot weather and calm water, although an early morning thunderstorm threatened to put a damper on the day's festivities. Once the storm cleared, the day kicked into high gear as the world's best wakeboarders and wakeskaters took to the water of Collingwood Harbour to battle out the final rounds of the WWA World Series for an overall prize purse of $25,000 and the coveted Wakestock belts.

The action got under way in the Malibu Boats Pro Wakeskate Championships with a six-man semifinal. Leading the way into the final round was past Wakestock wakeskate champs, Stuart Shinn and Brian Grubb. They were also joined by Wakestock rookies Grant Roberts and local Ontario rider Dan Brown. In the end, it was Grubb walking away with the win; his 5th Wakestock title overall.

Up next was the Billabong Pro Wakeboard Championship, which saw a 16-man quarterfinal cut down to an eight-man semifinal. Canadians made a strong showing by filling up half of the field with Rusty Malinoski, Aaron Rathy, Olivier Derome and Raphael Derome all advancing.

The four-man final was comprised of the hottest riders in the world at the moment; Phillip Soven, the WWA World Brian Grubb (pic: Richard Roth)

Series overall points leader, Aaron Rathy, the King of Wake overall points leader, Harley Clifford, the PWT overall points leader and Bob Soven, the Jr. Men's PWT point leader. Buoyed on by the hometown crowd, Aaron Rathy had two flawless passes, which included a Heelside Wrapped Back 7 and a Toeside Backside Off-axis 5 to take home the Wakestock title.

"This is unreal. I'm super stoked to win Wakestock," claims Rathy. "Especially considering how good everyone was riding here. The Wakestock crowd is so big and so close it really makes riding a lot of fun. Rusty [Malinoski] told me that I'm only the third Canadian ever to win along with him and Jeff Heer so it feels good to be in that company."

Wakestock is presented by Monster Energy in association with Billabong, Malibu Boats, Coors Light, Gordon Bar Marine, Paris Marine, SBC Skateboard Magazine and SBC Wakeboard Magazine.

Billabong Wakestock Pro Wakeboard Finals
1. Aaron Rathy, CAN
2. Phillip Soven, USA (Team Malibu)
3. Harley Clifford, AUS
4. Bob Soven, USA

Malibu Boats Wakestock Pro Wakeskate Semifinals
1. Brian Grubb, USA (Team Malibu)
2. Grant Roberts, USA
3. Stuart Shinn, USA
4. Dan Brown, CAN

Tags: Malibu Boats | Wakestock | Canada | Brian Grubb | Phillip Soven | wakeboarding | wakeskating | tournament | Wakesetter VLX | wakeboard boat

Hydrofoiler Clears a Malibu Boat with a Flip

Richard Evans (@snowpunx08) tweeted this video to Malibu Boats on Twitter early today and we had to share! It is amazing! We, at Malibu Boats, do not recommend anyone try this, but since Jake Bradley did it so effortlessly and without injury, we had to post it.

This is a video of Jake flipping over Richard's Malibu vRide on a hydrofoil. It is a short video, but it is sick! And in case you're wondering the boat pulling the hydrofoil was a Malibu vRide as well. I guess there are Malibu boats all over Lake Norman in North Carolina.

Thanks for tweeting this video, Richard! It definitely got our blood pumping here at the factory, especially for a Monday!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Richard Evans | Jake Bradley | vRide | Malibu vRide | hydrofoil | flip | Lake Norman | North Carolina

Team Malibu's Asher and Degasperi Dominate Slalom at Worlds

The Malibu Boats family just watched the Water Ski Worlds Pro Men's Slalom Finals and Team Malibu Boats took gold and silver. Team Malibu's Will Asher is World Champion for a second time after his final run in Calgary at the Water Ski World competition. Will captured 3 buoys at 41 off (10.25m). He is joined on the podium by his Malibu Boats teammate and former World Champion Thomas Degasperi. Thomas secured silver with his run of 1 buoy at 41 off (10.25m). These two phenomenal skiers were the only competitors to reach the 41 off line length in the finals. All that training behind the Malibu Response LXi has paid off. Way to go Will and Thomas! We are so proud of you both!

We watched the finals live thanks to ESPN360.com and we were so excited we couldn't help, but tweet about the action. Another reason you should be following Malibu Boats on Twitter. Congrats Team Malibu!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Water Ski Worlds | Will Asher | Thomas Degasperi | Gold | Silver | World Champion | ski boat | Response LXi | ski tournament | competition | Calgary | skiing | slalom skiing

Liquid Sports Dealing Malibu Boats in Orlando Area

Award-winning Florida boat retailer, Liquid Sports Marine, has added the world’s #1 selling and most innovative boat brand to its water sports boat offerings. A “Top 100” marine dealer, Liquid Sports, has become the exclusive representative for Malibu Boats in Central and Northern Florida.

“When it comes to unique innovation, incredible performance and value for the dollar in an inboard water sports boat, there is simply no better choice than Malibu,” says Liquid Sports Marine co-owner, Teressa Watts. “And with Central Florida the country’s epicenter for skiing and wakeboarding, this is a perfect fit for us. We’ve always admired Malibu’s complete dedication to building awesome products, and are so excited about offering them to our customer base and welcoming their passionate group of owners to our dealership for service, events and sales.”

When it came time to finding a dealer who could represent the 2010 Malibu line, one the company calls “its finest in 27 years,” Malibu Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Paul Singer claims he only had one phone call to make.

“Liquid Sports Marine has been the pre-eminent inboard and water sports boat dealer in Orlando for nearly 15 years,” said Singer. “The staff, store and customer base has the vibe, vitality and energy Malibu looks for in a retail environment, and we are energized about where they will take the brand. And for our existing Malibu boat owners, this is a great opportunity for them; we know they will fall in love with Liquid like we did.”

Visit Liquid Sports Marine to experience the 2010 Malibu Boats line. Check out ground-breaking innovations like the new Illusion G3 wakeboard tower with weightless low-clearance fold-down, the Patented Power Wedge, MaliView the 6.5” color LCD and more. Test drive a Malibu boat at Liquid Sports where they believe, “the truth is on the water.”

Liquid Sports Marine, with locations in Orlando and Jacksonville, has been voted one of the Top 100 dealers in the country for the last four years by marine industry trade magazine, Boating Industry. The 2008 Top 100 Dealer awards were handed out at a ceremony attended by nearly 400 of the industry’s top dealers and manufacturers in Las Vegas this past November. For more information about Liquid Sports Marine, call 407-281-7909, or go to http://www.liquidsportsmarine.com.

Orlando (main store)
8650 Colonial Drive
Orlando, FL 32817
1-888-815-2676
Fax: 407-281-1256

Jacksonville
10161 Atlantic Boulevard
Jacksonville, FL 32225
904-854-9100
Fax: 904-854-9104

Tags: Malibu Boats | Liquid Sports Marine | Orlando | Florida | Jacksonville | Boating Industry | Top+100+Dealers | Malibu Dealer | Boat Dealer | wakeboard boats | ski boats | family boats

Malibu Owner Natalie Darwitz Talks About Winter Olympics

Check out Malibu Boats Wakesetter VTX owner Natalie Darwitz on the Going for the Gold Vodcast for August 7th. Natalie Darwitz discusses her challenges heading into the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver as the captain of TEAM USA Hockey.

Natalie Darwitz recently purchased a Wakesetter VTX from award-winning Malibu Boats Dealer Minnesota Inboard and according to Natalie this Malibu boat is a dream come true. We blogged about a interview Natalie gave last October to the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Why was Malibu Boats blogging about a female Olympic Hockey Player, well she was quoted as saying, "I'd like to live on a lake and have a Malibu boat out front. That's my dream boat. I like to ski and wakeboard in the summer." Well we had to post something about such an amazing statement. This year Natalie's dream came true. We hope her other dream of a 2010 Olympic Hockey Gold comes true too.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Natalie Darwitz | Olympic Hockey | Women's Hockey | Team USA Hockey | Wakesetter VTX | wakeboard boat | Minnesota Inboard | dream boat | ski boat | Vancouver | Winter Olympics

Malibu Boats TN Factory Tour with the Miller Family

Kerri Johns head of Customer Service at the Malibu Boats Tennessee Factory had a great plant tour a couple of weeks ago and thought it would be fun to share this photo.

This is a photo of Christopher Miller learning some boat building fundamentals from Sonny Lowe in the Malibu Boats TN Plastics Shop. Young Mr. Miller was accompanied on a plant tour by his dad, Chris, his mom, Traci, and his younger sister, Shelby Grace. The Millers have a 2001 Sunsetter LX and made the trek from Ohio to tour Malibu Boats TN facility. Thanks for coming to Miller Family!

If you and your family are interested in taking a tour at the California or Tennessee Factories, let us know.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Christopher Miller | Miller Family | Sunsetter LX | Ohio | plant tour | Malibu Boats TN | Tennessee | Kerri Johns | customer service

Team Liquid Force Wins Malibu Pro Team Challenge

The 3rd Annual Pro Team Challenge wakeboard competition presented by Monster Energy Drink and Malibu Boats took place Sunday, August 3rd at the Bow Lake Watersports Complex just North of Seattle, Washington. The site was beautiful and the weather was epic as two of the sport's premiere teams got set to battle head-to-head for a chance to take home the Malibu Cup Trophy and bragging rights as the best team in wakeboarding for the next 12 months. Team Liquid Force reigned supreme!

Check out the Malibu Pro Team Challenge photo gallery on WakeWorld.com.

New to the competition this year was the addition of wakeskating to the line-up. Also, the wakeboarding discipline was revised from a traditional contest pass to a more rider friendly freeride format. The rail jam discipline featured three obstacles; a 60-foot A-Frame, an 80-foot rooftop rail and the 50-foot Monster Energy C-Rail.

The event featured two-time defending champions Team Hyperlite led by the Bone Crusher, Rusty Malinoski. Rusty was joined by teammates Jimmy LaRiche and Jacob Valdez on wakeboard and Team Malibu's Brian Grubb holding things down on wakeskate. They were gunning for the 3-peat and they rode hard to defend their title against the challengers on Team Liquid Force. Team Malibu's Kevin Henshaw was the Team Captain for LF and he was joined by the always-animated Bob Soven and the face of wakeboarding in the Pacific Northwest - Mike Ennen. James Balzer was their wakeskater as they set their sights on de-throning the Champs.

The event kicked-off at around 11am with the wakeskate competition and Balzer was the first competitor to hit the water. Each rider would get two five-minute runs and would be judged on their best of the two. The conditions were perfect and the crowd was ready to see some pro-level skating. Balzer did not disappoint with a smooth run that included a clean wake-to-wake H/S Backside 180, T/S Backside 180 and several Indy shuv-its. Next up was Team Hyperlite's Brian Grubb, who Rides for Malibu Boats, the winningest skater in the history of the sport and always a threat to take down any competition he enters. Grubb was in his element behind the Malibu wakeboard boat that pulled the competition.

After the wakeskate competition, Malibu Boats pro team rider Chad Sharpe, who was driving the event, strapped on his board to ride for the crowd as we dialed in the tournament boat for the wake competition. Next up was the wakeboard freeride session and all of the riders were amped to show the enthusiastic Northwest crowd their best stuff. With each rider getting a five-minute run and no-limit or point deductions on falls, there was no holding back. The format gave each rider an opportunity to reach deep into their bag of tricks and try things normally not pulled out in a regular contest run. Bob Soven was the first rider to hit the lake and he opened his run with a HUGE one-handed Raley while pointing directly at the crowd…the crowd loved it!

Read more about the Malibu Pro Team Challenge Recap on WakeWorld.com.

Tags: Malibu Boats | Pro Team Challenge | Chad Sharpe | Brian Grubb | Kevin Henshaw | wakeskating | wakeboarding | rails | wakeboard boat | Wakesetter VLX | Wakesetter VTX | wakeboard tournament | Bow Lake | Liquid Force | Hyperlite

8 Year Old Throwing Tantrum Behind Malibu Boat

No it's not that kind of Tantrum! This is video of 8-year-old Mitch Kappler perfecting some new wakeboard moves behind his Malibu iRide on Lake Gaston in North Carolina. You'll see Mitch land a Tantrum and a Scarecrow in this wakeboard video.

Mitch's dad, Brent, has been keeping us posted on the phenom's wakeboarding progress. Mitch is training for the WWA World Championships being held in Orlando later this month.

We have been following Mitch since his dad sent us video of him landing a back roll in competition at the age of 7. Then came video of a front roll, and now he's perfected the tantrum and the scarecrow. Mitch is coached by wakeboard pro, Adam Fields. And as far as we can tell he is doing a great job with this Grommet! Keep it up guys and keep Malibu Boats posted. And good luck in Orlando, Mitch!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Mitch Kappler | Brent Kappler | iRide | wakeboarding | wakeboard boat | kids | Grommet | wakeboard competition | tantrum | scarecrow | front roll | back roll | 8-year-old | Adam Fields

Roxy Boxer in Her Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV

The picture was taken at Amon Carter Lake in Bowie, Texas by Julie and Stephen Ramos. The Ramos Family owns a 2008 Malibu Wakesetter 23 LSV. The star of this shot, Roxy is a boxer and according to Stephen, "she LOVES," going out in her Malibu boat. "She loves to stand in the bow and look over the front of the boat most of the time, but when someone is boarding we cannot keep her from sitting on the back sun pad while she watches everyone ride."

Stephen was reminded of this shot he took of his Malibu boat sitting in a cove with his dog Roxy looking out when he saw the Malibu Roxy dog shot we posted a couple of weeks ago on the Malibu Boats Blog.

Stephen concluded. "As you can tell, boating is a way of life for us and we love enjoying it with Roxy! And since none of us are really good at wakeboarding, she’s the entertainment!"

Stephen signed his e-mail to us, this way... "Two grateful Malibu owners (Julie and Stephen Ramos)" We at Malibu Boats are the grateful ones.

Thank you, Stephen, Julie and especially Roxy! This is a great photo and we are proud to post it on our site. We are also proud to have the Ramos Family as part of the Malibu Boats Family!

If you capture or come across a cool Malibu Boats-related photo let us know. We would love to post it here on the Malibu Boats Blog and Flickr Channel. We will even Tweet about it on Twitter. E-mail blog@malibuboats.com with links and/or images. Also make sure to include the name of the person who took the shot and give us a short description of the photo's contents. If you do not know this information and you are only forwarding a link, we can track it down. Thanks!

Tags: Malibu Boats | Malibu photos | Malibu Roxy | Stephen Ramos | Wakesetter 23LSV | wakeboard boats | Amon Carter Lake | Texas | Bowie | Boxer | Julie Ramos | wakeboarding | favpic

Malibu Boats & PRWeb 2009 Search Engine Watch Award Finalists

Malibu Boats and PRWeb have been announced as finalists for the 2009 Search Engine Watch Awards. Malibu Boats and PRWeb were cited as a finalist in the "Best Integration of Search with Other Media" category based largely on the results Malibu Boats achieved when introducing the Malibu Corvette Limited Edition Sport-V.

Malibu Boats and PRWeb are finalists in the Best Integration of Search with Other Media category for the 2009 Search Engine Watch Awards. They are joined in this category by Embarq/iCrossing and Intel -- "Sponsors of Tomorrow". Finalists are judged on four key areas of consideration including, innovation in methodology and execution, achieving success goals, excellence in tactical execution as well as overall approach and category relevance.

Malibu Boats partners with PRWeb, a leader in online news release distribution, to publicize the many ground-breaking innovations the world’s #1 water sports boat manufacturer introduces. Malibu Boats chooses PRWeb's for its penetration and multimedia features. It was the perfect service to use as a tool for the introduction of the Malibu Corvette Limited Edition Sport-V. Within three days of the first PRWeb release, Malibu Boats saw its Web site traffic increase 30 percent with page views up 25 percent. In less than six months, the company had earned 30 news articles, and today, more than a year after the release was made live, Malibu is still receiving sales leads and media inquiries from the news release.

“Just like the innovation that we build into the world’s best selling wakeboard and water ski boats, our PR efforts are unique and we constantly push limits,” commented Amy Mauzy, Malibu Boats Marketing Manager. Mauzy continued, “We are so excited that Malibu Boats is the a driving force behind the SEW Award finalist position. We’d like to thank PRWeb for providing us the tools to get the word out about Malibu innovations like the Corvette boat. PRWeb gives us the opportunity to integrate our extensive social media efforts and video content with our news releases to engage a broader audience.”

"Market research demonstrates that customers sometimes prefer information in one format over another - and PRWeb enables its customers to package and distribute their news in any format including text, audio and visual - and often all three," said Jiyan Wei, director of product management for PRWeb. "Malibu Boats consistently taps new PRWeb features, such as video, and integrates these into their news announcements to build awareness, drive Web site traffic and enhance their search engine visibility."

Winners will be announced at Search Engine Strategies San Jose, August 10-14. Finalists will receive 1-day passes (limit 3) to the SES San Jose sessions and Orion panels on the day the winner in their category is announced.

Tags: Malibu Boats | PRWeb | Search Engine Watch | Search Engine Strategies | Corvette | Corvette Boat | wakeboard boat | ski boat | SEW Award | award | finalist | PR | social media

Malibu Boats 2009 Search Engine Watch Award Finalist

Since 1997, Search Engine Watch (SEW) has been keeping marketers and site owners informed about the world of search engine marketing through daily news and expert advice. Combined with Search Engine Strategies (SES), the leading international conference series, SEW and SES have guided search marketers of all skill levels through the fast changing and complex world of search for more than 10 years.

They're adding to that guidance with the 2009 Search Engine Watch Awards. The mission of the SEW Awards is to recognize excellence, as well as inspire innovation and encourage new ideas in search marketing. The SEW Awards will honor 14 outstanding search marketers, search engines and technology providers, as judged by a panel of industry experts and the Search Engine Watch editorial staff.

Categories & Finalists
Submissions are judged on four key areas of consideration:

1. Innovation in methodology and execution
2. Achieving success goals
3. Excellence in tactical execution
4. Overall approach and category relevance

Malibu Boats is a finalist in the Best Integration of Search with Other Media category. Malibu Boats is joined in this category by Embarq/iCrossing, Intel -- "Sponsors of Tomorrow".

To view all category finalist visit the 2009 Search Engine Watch Award web page.

Winners will be announced at Search Engine Strategies San Jose, August 10-14. Finalists will receive 1-day passes (limit 3) to the SES San Jose sessions and Orion panels on the day the winner in their category is announced.

Tags: Malibu Boats | SEW | Search Engine Watch | SES | Search Engine Strategies | 2009 Search Engine Watch Award | award | SEW Awards | finalist | PRWeb