I've pretty much known about the new X-Star since about a month before the 2003 MC Dealer Meeting this past year. But all I've seen has been pics, no first hand accounts because I haven't been able to get near this boat! But this past weekend at Table Rock Lake INT I finally got my chance! I talked the owner into letting me ride in this huge boat with my digital during the outlaw class! <BR> <BR>First Impressions: This thing was huge! I was rolling in my Prostar 190 and this thing just towered over my little boat. <BR> <BR>The boat itself was set up nice! The fit and finish was second to none! I really liked the bow, there were 3 full size adults in it and we were all lounging comfortably in our own space! <BR> <BR>There was enough storage in this boat to fit 15 people's worth of gear (ie. wakeboards, towels, coolers, you name it). <BR> <BR>The tower was pretty cool. Very thick, and very solid. I liked the new bimini because you could walk under it and not hit your head. <BR> <BR>Wake: The wake was bigger than I expected! If you have any doubts talk to the 2002 INT Outlaw champion Gabe Fowler and he will tell you how huge this thing is! Outlaw riders were freaked out at how big the wake was. <BR> <BR>Weighted setup: Stock KGB Ballast (1200lbs) + 550 lbs of lead (150 in the bow, 400 in the rear). Plus .5 tank of gas, and 7 people! <BR> <BR>Complaints: Okay here is a big complaint. I felt like with the boat weighted down that the MCX didn't have enough HP's to get the boat up on plane fast enough. It dogged coming out of the hole and you had to turn wide enough to keep the boat up or it would lose speed. This boat should not be sold with anything less than the 6.0 liter or at best the 8.1. It's just that big of a boat that it needs the power! My other complaint was that the new board racks kind of suck. I saw a couple boards slipping around in them because they merely clamp the sides of the board and there isn't anything keeping the board from bouncing out of the rack from the top. <BR> <BR>Overall I truly enjoyed riding in this boat! Even when this boat crossed its own rollers (which were HUGE ) it was solid as a rock! Thanks to the Fowler family for bringing it down to Table Rock and for letting me ride in it! <BR> <BR>These pictures don't really do the wake justice, but here they are. Oh and these guys were riding at 22.5 mph. <BR> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78041.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78042.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78043.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78044.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78045.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78046.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78047.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78048.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78049.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78050.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78051.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78052.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78053.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78054.jpg" alt=""> <BR><img src="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/messages/65921/78055.jpg" alt="">

Awesome, quick question, who took what place at the tournament?

I'm assuming you are asking about Outlaw... <BR> <BR>Gabe Fowler took first, I don't know who took second. It was either some other guy or Tony Neil. 4th was Jeremy Mosier from Wichita.

Outlaw <BR>1 Gabe Fowler <BR>2 Kile Murphy(???) Not for sure his last name, but the guy from Raintree <BR>3 Tony Neal <BR>4 Some guy from Kansas... Brad help me out here! <BR>5 Gus Miller <BR> <BR>Sliders <BR>1 Gabe Fowler <BR>2 Tony Neal <BR>3 Bobby Sutherland (i think) <BR> <BR>Hey Brad you actually got a picture of me pulling off my 116 <IMG SRC="http://www.wakeworld.com/MB/Discus/clipart/happy.gif" ALT=":-)" BORDER=0> ha! <BR> <BR>Yeah that boat was pretty nice. I wish we had had some better conditions that day, man was the water aweful! My .02 cents on the wake... it was very big, very long and rampy, similar to a non wedged VLX, but even less transation. Was wider than most, but I didn't have any problems taking stuff out into the flats. Overall I liked the boat, yeah Marty should of stepped up to the plate with the 8.1! But I was impressed with the overall design of the boat, it looks like MC put some time into the design of the hull, there are pockes and extrusions all over the bottom of it, which looks like added efforts to shape the wake the way they wanted it. I would say they did a pretty good job on the finished design.

Cool thanks, I wish I was able to make it, but I am still fighting this darn cold. I would have been miserable there.

Although I have not ridden in the Xstar, I have an 03 X9 with the MCX in it. I had it out the other day with 6 people and all the factory ballast full and it needed all the power the engine could put out. I can't imagine the Xstar would have enough power with the MCX considering how big it is.

Clint - what pitch prop are you running? I had the same problem with my 02XStar out of the hole until I replaced the factory 14X20 prop with a 14x18. I have no problems now and I'm running 2050# with 4 or 5 people in the boat.

I know the X-Star above had the 14x18 and they have an 14x16 on order.

Zack, Which motor do you have and did the RPM's change much once you switched? <BR>

Zack - I am still running the stock prop. I don't have any real issues with the performance, my only comment was that a much bigger boat would need a bigger engine than the MCX. Just my 2 cents.

Tony, sorry for the stupid question but what is a 116?

Is that like a 313?

I was waiting for someone to say something. Long story but suposedly the new shaun murray game has a trick called the 116, which is basically a backwards 911, or for anyone who is familiar with raleys, a messed up, not enough weight on your front foot stargazzed raley that has always be considered lame, in my opinion. Well the water conditions along with it being my first ever attempt at hitting the wake of an x star kinda threw me wrong, I had way to much weight on my back foot mainly so I could get the board to hook up in the rough water. So the result was the really bad stargazzed raley as seen in the pic above. <BR> <BR>I have always given myself and other people crap for doing stargazzed raleys, as they are not being done properly. But then the game comes out and everyone is like 116... so I (toung in cheek) have started to embrace it! <BR> <BR>So question to everyone, should it be a new trick? <BR> <BR>It does take a completely different approach to make it happen. The 911 is similar but different and it is a real trick. Just because it is easy to do on accident should we discredit it? Anyone? Anyone have any thoughts???

5th picture from the bottom. On a normal raley the board should be toeside edge facing down. It is not! When you rotate over your front shoulder it is stargazzed or 116, when you rotate over your rear shoulder it is a 911. When you rotate over your rear shoulder and continue into an over the head 360 it is an S Bend. <BR> <BR>Sorry, probably more than you asked for...

Phil were you the guy down there with the Black/Red/White Natique? Good looking boat either way! <BR> <BR>One more... Brad, a 313 is a raley and then on the way down you throw a 360 handle pass. Murray and Gerry Nunn throw nice ones!

That clears it up, because I had no idea what a 116 was. Now I get the joke. Slow turtle out of the box here. <BR> <BR>I'm of the camp that I don't care for stargazed raleys and dont think it should be a seperate trick. I totally understand how they happen though. <BR> <BR>Oh and yes I'm the dude with the White/Red/Black Nautique.

Tony, i'm the guy from kansas. My name is Jeremy Mosier.

Jeremy, sorry I am horrible with names. I thought yours looked fimilar before I read your post. Nice riding down there, I heard the guys talking about some of your grabs. I only got to see part of your run.