Skiers Coice and MB Sports
 

Apparently Shane Stillman has left MB and now works for Skiers Choice?

I wonder what happened at MB he just landed there this season. Money talks?

From Malibu, to MB, to Skiers Choice in one year. I hope he finds out where he wants to work. Maybe he is on a path to MC of CC

Anyone have details?

Interesting...... I had not heard this. Great to hear for Supra and Moomba. Skiers Choice has been the beneficiary of some real talented folks from Malibu and other places. I am excited to see some of the influence that might have.

Thats a bummer for MB as he seemed to be doing some great things for them and was turning some heads their way.

Wow. This news bums me out.

Maybe he will re-design the 22SSV with a better hull design that actually produces a clean wake other than at 24+MPH, and get rid of the ballast bag system and go with either hard tanks or a pure-vert system. Also getting rid of the sloped down bow design would be another plus.

I came from a Supra, these were my biggest complaints about the boat.

The bags are one of my favorite parts of my Supra! I love the ease of installing larger bags, plus they don't take up any space once unfilled. I enjoy being able to add or drop weight while sitting still as well. Please leave the ballast the way it is!

He's was at mb for a few years actually, that's why they started to look good.

I agree with Time41 that the bags are one of my favorite parts.... I just helped convert over a buddies boat to make it a surf boat and did not have to plumb anything new. Just swapped out bags for massive bags. Easy and cheap. I think I would hope for a hybrid system if they do that. Hard tanks or Pure vert under the floor and then the ability to add weight with the existing ballast system by having the ability to just plug in bags on top of the factory weight.

Shane had a better opportunity at SC so he took it. I think he'll do great things there, and help take them to another level too. Unfortunate for MB. They have really been improving these last couple of years.

There must have been something at MB that pushed him away. Better offers are easy for a guy like Shane.

Really wasn't anything major. SC provided some very good opportunities, and allowed him to stay on the west coast. I still think MB will continue to do good things though. I am excited to see the redesigned 23/24' Tomcat.

I have spoke to both and it is not something at MB that pushed him away really.... at least nothing negative. So, for the MB fans on here, do not worry, everything is still good in Atwater!

Shane's influence caused me to pull the trigger on my 2012 MB. Do you really think the future will see such improvements without him?

I stopped at the MB dealer today and saw my first newer MB, an F21 Tomcat. Wow. Earlier this year I was very close to buying an Axis, but decided to wait. There is no comparission, quality wise IMO. I liked everything better about the MB. But the F24 is my new dream boat. http://www.mbsports.net/documents/F24_Tomcat.pdf

At the level they have been, I would say no.

Thats always the public statement but there is ZERO chance that it was that simple.

It wasn't a public statement. Its just the truth in a nutshell. You dont always leave your job because you hate it. Sometimes there are just better opportunities

GD I can guarantee you that it had nothing to do with him hating things at MB. Also, I would totally expect just as many new and exciting things out of MB coming up without Shane. As a side note, the thing you love the most about your MB (the wake) was developed by MB before Shane was there. :)

Ian makes a good point. The actual performance of the boats has not changed since he's been there. What has changed is mostly aesthetics and creature comforts (I'm in no way trying to bash Shane). What I find amazing is that stuff seems to be what has pushed MB over the edge into being a more widely considered boat for new buyers. This just goes to show the kind of positive impact some fresh ideas from an outside source can have for a small business.

It's my understanding that Shane's role at Axis was similar, in that he designed much of the interior layout of the A22 and A20, but had little to do with hull design and propultion. Best of luck to him at SC. I guess we'll see if MB goes back to flames everywhere.

Chatt, I believe the graphics changes started in 2010 before Shane got there at the begining of this year...maybe I'm wrong. Hopefully his influence will last in the aesthetics area.
http://www.mbboatowners.com/index.ph...ports&Itemid=9

Press release from Skiers choice:
http://moombaboats.blogspot.com/2011...ifference.html

I wish him all the best at SC, and hope he has found somewhere he can stay for a while.

what are we all going to do!?!?
that explains why the industry is in peril...there is only one shane to go around and only one boat builder can employ him at a time....quick sell your non shane boat now if you know what is good for you hahahaha.....

some people don't like to "stay for a while"

How does it change your boat or your enjoyment of your boat on the water?

Did they really need some great innovator to tell them to ditch the flames and tribal crap? Not sure how it took them so long to figure that out. I wouldn't be surprised if they ditched all graphics besides the X and the classic style. The half circle swooshes need to go as well. Maybe it was just his pull that got them to change it. They do look a lot nicer now then they use to.

As much as I like everything about the MB',s I don't love the graphics (swooshes, X's, etc..) They seem like something a teenager would order.

They also offer classic for the older crowd

I have not ordered a classic yet and I have a customer ordering a swoosh in Jan. and I was looking at the first MB that I sold today (was in for service), kelly green nose and swoosh, was thinking...damn that looks good and clean, just my opinion and taste, glad this is not old Russia, black or light black, witch one do ya like Egor?

It doesn't change my boat except for possibly resale but I don't care much about that since I keep my boats for so long. What bummed me out was the fact that I felt SS was pushing M.B. in the right direction and I hoped it would continue for many years. Right or wrong, I was under the impression that the long list of improvements were coming from SS in 2012. I also interacted with SS on the phone/email daily for 3 weeks when ordering/building my boat. He was fantastic to deal with from my POV. He was also the only direct contact I had with MB. So, I am bummed.

How can you think loosing all your space in a ski locker is a good thing? This has been argued before, but after owning my 2011 Malibu VLX with the quad tank system I would never even think about ever going back to a bag system. I do have a surf system setup with seperate Johnson pumps for surfing (750lb bags), but for wakeboarding the hard tank and wedge is plenty to deliver a fantastic wakeboarding wake. The Supra ballast system is antiquated and out dated and IMO needs to be brought up to market standards. This was one of the major reasons I did not purchase another Supra.

There is a reason Mastercraft, MB, Malibu, Axis, and Nautique are not using the bag system for there ballast. Plug and Play is a great add-on, but strictly having bags only to me does make sense.

I enjoyed my Supra, but they are falling behind and need a redesign of the 22SSV.

Just my .02.....

Hey Travis...... I think we both just agreed on the same thing...... Not sure your point. I agree that the optimal solution would be a combo of under floor tanks and plug in bags up top......
You are probably not a hard core rider that adds a lot of ballast to your boat or this would make more sense and you will see why many people with malibus and mastercrafts and nautiques actually rip them out for bags. Again..... not everyone, just the people that want a lot of ballast all plumbed. I am not hard core either, but when we were I loved it.
You can argue it till you are blue in the face. There are advantages of both. You like yours and I like mine.
Hopefully we can stop trying to argue this point every time it comes up.
Sorry for the rant.... back to it.....

I would think the perfect setup would be enough purevert under the floor ballast to throw an awesome wakeboard wake(MB seems to have accomplished this) then add pumps and bags for pro level surf and wakeboard wakes. This is what I would want anyway. I also think a lot of people think it is impossible or hard or something to add the plumbed in ballast. Adding an additional 1500-2000 to a 60k boat really isn't that much.

I have to imagine to the average wakeboat buyer(family tubing boat) the purevert ballast setup is the most desirable. It is easy, quick and doesn't take up any storage filled or empty. The next most desirable would be under the floor plumbed in ballast(Mastercraft, Malibu, Nautique, etc...), then plumbed in bags(Supra/moomba) and lastly above the floor hard tanks that are plumbed in but take up storage whether full or empty(Sanger, Supreme and a bunch of older boats).

For the absolute hard core pro rider or someone who who wants a prolevel wake and doesn't care about anything else the supra/moomba setup would be fine although with an MB style system and plumbed in bags on top of it you would spend less time filling the bags as you would probably only need 1000-1500 pounds of pumped ballast vs 2500-3500 pounds of pumped ballast.

We added 1400 (600 starboard and 800 port) to a 2012 MB 23 B52. It was absolutley spot on for wakesurfing on both sides, the boat has a natural lean to the star side so all things were equal. I did not get a chance to wakeboard behind it because the buyer only surfs and I had to test everything and then ship it. It was easy to do and truth be told I spent about $300 for MB to wire and install an addition billet plate with switches in it, Spencer at Wakemakers hooked me up for about $1400 for sacs, 2 reversable Jabsco pumps, through hull shut offs, hoses, check valves, and everything else, being in the situation I was in CA, (live in FL) I had Larson install it for me, Nate and Felix did an awesome job for $700. I have another MB 23 going through production and am going to have everything done the same again by the same people, I am only changing the size sacs a little. Anyone can check it out on the wakesurf thread, surfdads 2012 MB 23 B52 thread, again thanks to everyone involved, nice job guys and the results speak for themself.

I agree with Brett. For someone who enjoys loading down their boat, having purevert and additional pumps and bags would probably be ideal

Sorry, did not quite finish reading your post before I jumped to a reply... woops.

I would have loved to buy another Supra, I really liked the dealer in Livermore, CA. however, for me, this was one of the items they never seem to address. And I do know others that feel the same way about this topic. So I guess it is a thorn in my side... along with the other items I mentioned. We tow all levels of riders, they all seem to be pretty satisfied with the stock Malibu wake.

You are right, to each is own... maybe some new blood into Skiers Choice will possibly create some new hull designs in the future, especially the 22SSV.