XStar Wins Again !!

SIX YEARS IN A ROW !!
CONGRATS TO RUSTY for Rider Of The Year also.

The liquid force custom was wakesurfboard of the year and the bonifays didn't make the top ten list. kinda blows the validity of the poll outta the water

I wouldn't say it does at all. The people who voted are the people who post and visit this site....so if the poll isn't valid, then all of our comments and questions on this site aren't valid and niether is Dave.

Congrats to all winners. I really like the Custom by the way.

Well, there you have it folks! Ringo has decided your opinions suck. Future Riders Choice polls have all been canceled!! I'm glad I was able to read this before I invested any more time into this crazy project!!

I guess the big question again this year which was posed last year is...what can be done to make the X-Star better...what would you change?

If they could have done to the interior what they did to the x2, I would buy one. As is tho, the interior is too small for that size boat.

I also dont like having to worry so much about rollers over the bow.

I've been thinking about it lately. If the rear compartment was shortened (more like the X-2, X-15) you loose the cavernous storage that a V-Drive sac fits perfectly in (or full fat sac). You also lose the large area to lay out on. So I don't like that so much, but a little bit would be nice to create a little more room for people. Also, I'd go back to having a tower unique to the X-Star so it does look different. Possibly update the front end a little bit but keeping a picklefork, larger stock ballast for sure, update the look of the dash a bit. I have an '04, and because it hasn't really changes since 03, I know it is due for a change. Maybe split the two front seats so they're not one big piece. I wouldn't do anything to screw with the hull though.

its only wins because you're selling like crazy....

nautique will have its day!

i think nautique already had there day it was like 10 years ago.........

^^^^ LOL

If they could raise the bow on he X-Star without messing with the wake, it would make the boat more versatile and open it up to more buyers.

if it ain't broke... don't fix it.

I seriously cannot believe the 23LSV did not get boat of the year. It by far had the best improvement of all boats as far as the wake is concerned. Leads me to believe it is more of a popularity contest. Reguardless it is interesting to see how peoples opinions differ. Keep up the good work Dave.

Change the X star bow? Learn to drive.

"Leads me to believe it is more of a popularity contest"

I would think that is exactly what it is suppose to be

Yeah I know that sounded kinda stupid. What I meant by that is that people get on and vote for a particular product just because it is popular to do so or just because their "buddy" says that product is "the sickest one made".
When that happens results get lobsided just by the nature of the buzz about a specific product not because somebody has actually checked it out themselves.

Love your profile caption Gene!!! LMAO.

I think that the X-star's stock wake is not very good, Mastercraft should sell the boat with the pro tour ballast in it and make the interior bigger by making the sun deck smaller like the X-15. I also think that the X-Star drives like pig at slow speeds. (I just finished demoing one for a day because I was thinking about purchasing one.

AGREED THE CUSTOM WAKESURF IS RAD. I HAVE ONE ON MY BOAT.

ALL THOSE RIDERS BELONG IN THE TOP 10. MURRAY HAS HAD HIS DAY... BUT STILL DOES A TON TO PROMOTE THE SPORT. PARKS IS DONE.....

I THINK NICOLA SHOULD BEEN THE TOP W'S RIDER..... BUT SHE IS NEW AND HER TIME WILL COME.

LF DOES MAKE AMAZING WAKE STUFF. THEY HAVE ONE OF THE MOST SOLID LINES ACROSS THE BOARD. DOESNT SURPRISE ME TO SEE THEM KILLING ALL THE PRODUCT CATAGORIES.

I've never ridden in an x-star.

Rusty is from Saskatchewan which makes him cool by geographical association.

"Change the X star bow? Learn to drive."

We slam ours down as far as anyone. The bow is never problem.

"I think that the X-star's stock wake is not very good,"

Show me one that is.

"I also think that the X-Star drives like pig at slow speeds"

slow speeds? like how slow...like.. not on plane speeds?

I haven't been in a star so I can't comment on it but i would say the Tomcat stock wake is pretty legit.

I heard the Tomcat is only good at shorter rope lengths and slower speeds. Can anyone else back that up?

J-Rod,
I feel that my 06 Wakesetter VLX has a better stock wake (personal opinion - not wanting to start a boat war) and I feel that the boat is hard to drive around docks and suck - so not on plane.

i can't, i ride at 23mph and at 70ft. This weekend we had full ballast and 12 people in the boat, rode at 75 at 23.5 and it was very clean and huge. I don't have any good pics and since I know you'll want some, here is the best one i have of the wake. Rider is Scott who is on this board too.

Factory Ballast 6 people 25.5-26.5 mph.

The thruster should not be the wakesurfer of the year. Maybe it's the best of those offered (to chose from) but it's certainly not the best. It isn't made custom per the rider and wave the rider rides. That and it has •••••• fins.

I wonder how many people who voted for the X Star have actually been in/rode behind one. Not saying it's not a cool boat that throws a nice wake (i don't know).

Jrod- That is the 21' Tomcat that needs short rope and slower speed. We ride mine at about 24mph, 80 ft., stock ballast at 2/3 full and has plenty of kick to it. Not "Bonecrusher" style kick but I will put it up against any other boat.

xstar improvements....?

1. do NOT change that wake.. its killer.
2. more stock ballast, #900's... seriously? epic did it right.
3. more versatile seat arrangement....rear facing seats. copy natiques or don't, but get atleast 2 more people facing backwards.
4. less bow space, more midship space.
5. do NOT change that wake....

#2 goes for all boat manufacturers except epic
#3 goes for all boat manufacturers except nautique and supra

Guys I rode behind a X Star for the first time ever this summer and to be honest with yall I really do not see why people rant and rave about this boat. I was expecting something amazing bc of all the things that people say about it. I was not impressed at all. The wake with the ballast full was no where near as good as my stock weighted VLX. Also the VLX is Cheaper and if you ask me has a way nicer interior. SO i would love to know what you guy see in them. I think they are a killer looking boat but im pretty sure you buy a boat for the wake and that boat had no wake at all compared to my VLX.

^^^^^I agree with you david, i wasn't real impressed with the x-star. it didn't feel like I was getting much pop compared to the old san wake or the vlx wakes. I think it is just that I prefer a steeper wake with more of a kick.

Ruppert, I'm with ya!

Allen, I agree.

David, the magic happens when you start adding weight. You wouldn't get me out riding on any stock ballast boat except for the Epic.

I've ridden plenty of VLXs, stock, and slammed until they no longer plane out. For me, nothing beats the Xstar wake shape, firmness, width, and size.

I couldn't agree with you more on the interior. My first boat was a LSV. I love Malibu interior, but it's all about the wake for me.

Well J-Rob i never rode behind one weighted down but on my VLX i have two 250 sacs in the back and a triangle sac in the front and my boat planes fine. I changed the pitch of the prop and my boat jumps out the hole. I have never had that problem and most of the time when i ride i have 7 or 8 ppl in the boat. I love the wake behind the VLX. Im just saying that stock wise VLX is where it is at.

xstar improvements -
*more stock ballast. the pro tour ballast should be the stock ballast.
*i would also like to see all 9 bags on their own pumps/switches.
*it also might be time to change up the dash too. not sure what i would do...maybe make things look a little smoother, not stick out in your face so much?
*i think that a 9" (around that size) weather monitor would be pretty dope too. something that automatically links up with your local weather radar/forecast. i would NOT want to have pay monthly subscription either. make it so it's somewhere in the captains area.

The supra's stock bal;last makes a decent wake.

Agreed the x-star stock ballast wake is a joke, but when you start addign weight (3000lb+) it gets borderline scary.

Xstar improvement needed:

Change the wake. That boat cost how much??!!...and you need to ADD ballast to make the wake big??!!....COME ON!! For that price I should be able to buy a freakin' submarine!

just my $.02

And another thing, you could add 3000lb+ ballast to a floating bathtub and make the wake borderline scary.

Sorry, I think I got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

Yeah I agree with tuneman.. You shouldnt have to put another 3000lbs in a boat the cost that much to get a scary wake. Thats why i said that the VLX is a better boat. So tell em why the X Star is so good.

I think what the CIE crew is saying, is that the X Star takes additional weight, like no other boat. I came from a VLX, and there is a point where the boat won't take anymore weight, but I haven't found that point with an X Star yet. The thing with an X is that the wake gets better and better with additional weight. I think that manufacturers put the ballast that they do into the boats stock because of NMMA ratings, liability, and so on. Pro tour ballast is an option at the dealer level, so why wouldn't you get it? The wake does take some getting used to, and you have to mind your fundamentals, ie: edge all of the way up the wake. SAN, wedged Wakesetters will allow you to cheat by giving you that verticle wake.

I agree with tuneman. for the price of the xstar it should come stock with the fly high ballast. a buddy of mine has had 3 of the same hull xstar (current one)...one thing I don't understand is why they cost so much? I mean you got malibu's new vlx with the malivue and other innovations that do cost $ for the R&D but they xstar basically hasn't changed in what...5 years? I understand payin what you have to in order to get the wake...but theres gotta be a line drawn somewhere right? I mean the interior is nothin to write home about. I don't know I guess if I made a $500 widget that cost 50 to make and people were actually buying it I'd keep the price at $500.

supply and demand.

People can charge more for things people want

"You shouldnt have to put another 3000lbs in a boat the cost that much to get a scary wake."

That's about what it takes for any boat, even my old malibu, and my litle 2005 X2. Like I said in another thread, everyone has their own idea of what a great, big wake is. I will put 3000+ pounds in anything, and so will most of the riders that prefer long ropes and fast riding speeds. The VLX is NO different. But, if you're talking stock ballast wakes, or adding just a little weight to enhance, I agree, the VLX gives you a better stock wake to start with.

Also, as far as handling goes, the Xstar handles like a small boat. Not always that important, but if you need to whip a turn at a dead end slough without dropping a rider, no problem. Ask a sales guy to take one out. Put a few thousand pounds in it, and see for yourself.

I'm not defending the cost of the Xstar. It's rediculous. Hopefully one day the curent Star hull will get handed down to another boat that is more affordable.

The X-Star is the 6 time champ for lots of reasons. The wake is not a verticle wake. For the first two weeks of owning my 04, I was not happy with the wake because I was used to the old X-star wake...very steep, no transition, lots of instant vertical pop. As is posted above, good fundementals gets you everything. Stock wake is incredible unless you cheat. The wake is shaped so that you can take the same cut for virtually every trick and get the same pop every time. Most people try to throw a trick early and think it sucks because it doesn't look big. It is big, even stock, just has a long transition. This is key for double ups as well so there is the right amount of space between the rollers giving time to line up and hit a perfectly shaped double up. As also mentioned above, it is great because if you want a rediculous wake, keep adding weight and it keeps getting bigger, but holds the shape, which others do not. Every other brand and type of boat I've been in and behind will change as you add more and more and then max out so to speak where it gets worse with more weight.

Smooth ride, great shape for every type of riding, stock ballast or loaded, perfectly spaced out and shaped d-ups, not a mushy wake, right width... The list goes on. I do agree another 750-1,000 lbs in the ballast because lets face it the X-star buyer will be adding anyway, update the dash and interior a bit, but don't mess with the wake.

That should pretty well put for most of the haters.

Mark,
I have always wanted a x-star but there are reasons that I don"t from years ago when the dealer didn't want to deal witn me. Well I'm currently in the market for a new boat and have begun the demo process, I'm just saying that I had a group of pretty good riders with me on the day that I demoed the boat and really nobody liked it. I guess that I would need to ride the wake with alot of weight in it, then again my wife hates the interior so itll have to waint until they make the main cabin bigger

i think the best stock wake is the pre 07 san 210 i rode one last night imo it was better than the 08 vlx with full wedge and 1k in lead i rode when i was demoing boats to buy one. I love the vertical kick

"I will put 3000+ pounds in anything, and so will most of the riders that prefer long ropes and fast riding speeds. The VLX is NO different."

^^^^^^^
what he said! it doesn't matter what boat i'm behind. i'll keep on wanting to add more weight until that puppy can't get out of the water.

Believe me, when it came out I was the first to say, to big, to slow, handled like a tug boat, unnecessary, wake sucked. Then I rode behind one at a comp. and thought oh my lord! I do not over load mine and do not think anyone needs to. v-drives in the back with 300lbs in the nose and 2-4 riders. Thats it. When I get more people, I empty out the ballast. I have ridden with the BI PRO-X system and holy crap! I hated it at first as well. Trust me...once you go to it, I can't imagine ever going back. To each his own I guess. I like that I can cut out as wide as possible, make the turn and haul the mail all the way through the wake and throw a Raley after I leave, vs. with the old X-Star which was just to steep and required a slower cut.

I should clarify, that initially, I didn't like the wake for the first 2 weeks I had it, then got used to it. with the BI system, it is just way more than I need.

I love these threads. How many times in the future do you think we will have these debates. Its almost funny now. Besides all the other stuff somebody said that they would like to have the interior of the X2 in the Xstar. Wait until you see the 09 interior designs. Mastercraft did it right this year. Its pretty sik

And dont be suprised to see a new X series model in the future. Buts that all Im gunna say. Youll just have to wait until it comes out.

Dave,

I have been in an 09, and it's no different than the 08 except the stiching, and different patterns. Dimensions are the same.

Is the new X series you're refering to the X-55? Seen that too.

Yes shawn your right it is the X55. Pretty sweet boat too. I know the demensions are are the same on the interior im talking about the diamond stiching. That shiat is pretty clean man. I dont care what anyone says it has nothing to do with the boat, company, wake, or any of that. The interior is just flat out awesome.

I am fairly certain I could not afford to run an X-star with 3,4,5K worth of ballast. That Bonecrusher X-star must produce an incredible wake, but must use what 10-12gph...wow.

Congrats to the winners....job well done!