Malibu Boats (@MalibuBoats) Christmas stories have marked the holiday season for us for the past several years. This year we asked Malibu enthusiasts to share their Malibu Christmas stories with us. We chose the best story submitted and are rewarding the writer with a remote control Malibu boat for Christmas. Matt Beilstein, a Malibu Crew member from Grove City, PA submitted his Christmas story in response to the contest we posted. His story had nothing to do with unwrapping a new boat on Christmas Day or even a new boat at all. Matt wrote about the Christmas he visited his 1988 Malibu Skier in storage and just how much that simple act meant to him.
We bought out first Malibu in late August of 2008. It was a beautiful 1988 Malibu Skier. It was a cherry of a boat and a true Malibu classic. It immediately became my baby. When I wasn't on the water in our boat, I was spending my free time working on modifications and taking care of the boat. That fall I decided the best place to store it was 500 feet underground in a local limestone mine that is used to store antique cars, boats, and RV's in the winter months. It stays 55 degrees underground all year long and would be safe from the Western PA salt and snow.
We pushed the season as long as we could that fall without wetsuits (they soon became first year boat owner Christmas presents. We threw in the towel when the water hit the 40's and I winterized the boat. My crew spent a good weekend with me waxing and detailing the boat before I towed it to the mine to tuck it in for the winter. I spent another hour underground making sure I had enough dry rid in there for the winter and even loaded up the boat with charcoal to absorb any odors that might occur over the winter. My wife thought I was nuts and would remind me it was only going to be down there for "four months". She just doesn't get it.
I left the boat with the sad feeling that all Malibu owners share when we tuck our boats in for the season. I went back to work anxiously awaiting spring with my Malibu desktop reminding me of the coming summer months.
Well December came and as Christmas approached my wife and I took vacation from work. We enjoyed time off and I spent a lot of it here on TheMalibuCrew trying to push through the winter with the "support group" here on the board. It's no doubt the first winter as a Malibu owner is the worst and the longest!
Well the day before Christmas Eve my wife said, "do you want to go see the boat?". "Heck yeah I said!!!" as I ran out to the garage and gathered up some Babes and a bottle of 303 and some Dry Rid refills. She knew I was missing the boat and said it was a good Christmas gift for me to just see the boat.
We loaded up in the car and drove the hour to the mine. The guy at the mine guided us back the mile into the side of the mountain where the boat was tucked away in the dark. I work for a mining company so I told the guy he was fine to leave us there as I knew how to find my way out of the mine. I pulled the cover off and we sat in the boat in the light of the headlights. It was priceless. Sitting in our Malibu ski boat 500 feet below the earth's surface two days before Christmas.
I then spent a half hour detailing the boat with Babes and then put a good coat of 303 on the vinyl. I dumped the water out of my Dry Rid containers and refilled them. My wife helped me to put the cover back on the boat and we headed home.
I was so happy she decided to suggest a boat visit just before Christmas. What a cool idea and it certainly helped me to get though my first Malibu winter! That's my all time favorite Christmas gift and it makes an awesome story that is told over and over!
Matt told us a little more about how he came to be such a fan of Malibu boats. "My uncle owned a Malibu Sunsetter while I grew up and my brother and I looked forward to the "Malibu Weekend" of the summer when our uncle would invite us out on the lake for a day of fun. I would ski until I couldn't even stand. Once I graduated college, got married, and bought our house I knew I had to have a Bu of my own!"
This story really touched our hearts becuase it describes just how powerful a connection people can feel towards water sports and in this case a Malibu boat. At Malibu we feel so priviledged that our boats, new and old, can rank so hi in importance to Malibu owners like, Matt.
We would like to thank Matt for taking the time to share this Malibu Christmas story with us. Santa is bringing you a Red Remote Control Malibu Boat. We hope you enjoy it! Merry Christmas!
Tags: Malibu Boats | Matt Beilstein | Malibu Skier | 1988 Skier | Christmas Stories | Christmas Gifts | toy boat | RC boat | RC Malibu boat | Rockin Christmas | wakeboard boats | ski boats | win | Malibu Contest
1 comment:
This was such a touching story! Thanks for sharing!
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