Friday, July 31, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
REWRITTEN- the incredible new Hyperlite team video.
Wow. That's all we can say.. and we will say it again. Are you ready? "WOW!" It is absolutely incredible. We are all transformed into slack jawed zombies every time the video is on. The opening scene alone is enough to blow your mind. We seriously have never been this excited about a wakeboard film. It truly is one of a kind. Check out the trailer here and be sure to pick up your copy while they are still on the shelf. They are going fast because we absolutely cannot shut up about it. It's just that unreal.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Friday, July 3, 2009
Questions, Answers and Rave Reviews about the NEW 2010 Ski Nautique 200.
Excerpt from the "Nautique Insider" blog:
As most of you know, we were lucky enough to score an exclusive interview with Bill Yeargin and Andy Mapple to discuss the new Ski Nautique 200. It turns out that we were even more lucky -- VP of Product Development Greg Meloon was available to share his input as well! Once again, Nautique has come through with an awesome boat, and I would like to thank Andy, Greg and Bill for sharing their thoughts with us.
Thanks also goes to everyone here at PlanetNautique, especially those of you who submitted your questions. Enjoy the interview!
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Most people believe the current Ski Nautique 196 is the best ski boat ever built – What was the inspiration to make it even better?
BILL: Well, actually I was out one day on the lake with Andy giving him his weekly ski lesson… Just kidding…
The real story is that after I accepted the president/CEO job at Correct Craft, and before I even started work, our Board Chairman, Ken Meloon, began sharing his vision of making the 196 even better and offering it in both a closed and open bow version. Then, probably my second week on the job, I had lunch with Andy Mapple and he shared the same vision. I have never asked them if it was a coordinated attack but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was. I may not be the smartest guy but I know that when industry legends like Andy Mapple and Ken Meloon are suggesting you do something it makes sense to listen to them!
Over time the more our team talked about developing a new ski boat the more excited we became. Then, after bringing Greg Meloon on as our VP of Product Development we made the commitment, about 2 years ago, to develop this boat.
The mission from the beginning has been that the new boat had to be the best ski boat ever, by far. Everyone who has been in the boat believes we accomplished the mission.
By the way, Greg has been incredibly instrumental in the development of this new boat so I asked him to join us for this interview and answer some of the questions. You get 3 for the price of 2!
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Can you tell us anything about the process to build this boat?
BILL: I can tell you it was a painstaking process using lots of technology but also lots of trial and error. Sometimes the excitement level would be really high and other times there would be great disappointment. However, over the two years the entire team hung in there and slowly but surely the boat kept getting better. I am so incredibly proud of Greg, Andy and the entire team for all of their effort on this boat. Their hard work paid off – we reached our goal of the best ski boat ever, by far. We know water skiers all over the world are going to love this boat and that makes us happy.
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Is the Ski Nautique 200 taking the place of the Ski Nautique 196? What’s the fate of the 206 and 216? If the 196 is going away, when will the last 196 be produced?
GREG: The Ski Nautique 200 is the new tournament boat from Nautique. The Ski Nautique 200 is replacing the current Ski Nautique 196 and 206 in our product line. Once skiers feel the difference the Ski Nautique 200 make in their performances, this revolutionary, new boat will definitely be requested at all events.
ANDY: I am very confident with Greg’s statement; Nautique has taken the pull and wake characteristics to a whole new level.
BILL: The Ski Nautique 216 continues to be available as a Limited Package.
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Which model SN 200 (Closed or Open Bow) will be used to pull tournaments?
GREG: We plan to use both the open bow and closed bow versions to pull tournaments. One of our goals was to build a boat that allows the customer to choose between an open or closed bow, without any penalty to performance. The Ski Nautique 200 was designed and engineered such that closed and open bow versions perform as identically as possible. This revolutionary new ski boat has one hull with two deck options. The Ski Nautique 200 – Closed Bow and the Ski Nautique 200 – Open Bow are identical in weight, balance and wake.
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Do you expect a tower to become a preferred feature, even on boats used in tournaments?
GREG: The FCT 3 tower has been re-scaled to fit the size and shape of the Ski Nautique 200. The tower works with either deck and we expect it to be popular with the recreational skiing crowd as well as bare footers. All of our boats are built for a tower so that one can be installed later on by a second-owner, if preferred.
ANDY: I think the tower on the Ski Nautique 200 looks awesome and totally fits the lines of the boat. Last week we specifically had some of our promo team ski behind the Ski Nautique 200 – Open Bow, with a tower as well as without one, to see if they could tell a difference – they could not. Chris Parrish and I also skied the 200 Open Bow with a tower at 39-off with no problems. This is due to the fact that the anchor points of the tower are further back around the center of gravity of the boat and also in the area with the most lift, so the wakes are not affected. Plus, the tower is less than 100 lbs.
BILL: I have been surprised by the number of people who have seen the open bow version of this boat with a tower and have said it is the perfect 20-foot family boat. We developed the boat to be tournament caliber but people are already commenting on how suitable the boat also is for families.
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There are a lot of people who cling to the traditional graphics. Will there be an option for the traditional big Ski Nautique side graphics?
GREG: The standard striping is a choice of the front hull stripe and rear hull stripe. If a consumer were to combine these two stripes into one color, the result would be a traditional solid stripe boat. The Ski Nautique logo could be repositioned in the “traditional” center location if the colors are specified this way but the logo comes in the standard size.
However, the overall design and styling of the boat defines the new direction for Ski Nautique. The combination of the new gelcoat pattern and the “fast” forward location of the Ski Nautique logo enhances the image of the revolutionary Ski Nautique 200. This isn’t your grandpa’s Ski Nautique – although we think that he will approve.
BILL: Speaking of Grandpa, Ralph Meloon (Greg’s grandfather and son of our founder) loves the boat. A couple times I think he has been close to strapping on a ski. At 91 he has seen every Correct Craft model ever built so if he says the 200 is an extraordinary boat it must be!
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What are the seating and weight capacity limits in the open bow SN 200? What about the closed bow?
GREG: Weight Capacity: 1450 LBS or People Capacity: 10 persons – Open Bow and 7 persons – Closed Bow
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Will the SN 200 have a retractable pylon, tow-ring, or any attachment that was meant for pulling, either standard or as an option, available behind the rear seat?
GREG: The transom is equipped with a fully functional lifting ring that can be used as a tow point.
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What can you tell us about the different option packages for this boat? Will there be an option for the traditional gauges on the dash? If so, is the LINC system standard on a particular package (Team, perhaps) and optional on the other packages? Have there been any improvements to the LINC system for 2010?
GREG: The Ski Nautique 200 is equipped standard with many great features. The helm has been designed for maximum view-ability of the gauges and the lake. The controls are ergonomically placed to improve the driving experience. Many options are available to customize the Ski Nautique 200 to the consumer’s needs. The options include: Zero Off, Stereo with USB connectivity, Depth Finder, and the love seat extension in the open bow. The Team Edition package is available on the Ski Nautique 200 and includes advanced helm options such as the Nautique LINC System, Zero-Off Tournament System, Stereo and Digital Switching featuring the Keyless ignition system.
ANDY: I must say that I am very impressed with the Nautique LINC System. The functions and ability to keep everything on one screen and in one place is awesome. I am very much a fan of new technology, so the Nautique LINC System is something I have been a strong advocate of for this new ski boat. Besides, it just looks cool!
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Will there be a coastal edition SN 200 available?
GREG: Not for the upcoming model year, but we will certainly consider it for the future if there is enough consumer interest.
WEIGHT, ENGINE & STRUCTURE QUESTIONS
What’s the weigh difference between the open bow SN 200 and the closed bow SN 200?
GREG: There is no weight difference between the Ski Nautique 200 – Open Bow and the Ski Nautique 200 – Closed Bow. As a result of the focus groups we conducted prior to the development phase, this was one of out targets that we worked very hard to achieve. Both the open bow and the closed bow models are identical at 2800 lbs.
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What are the SN 200 dimensions? How do those dimensions compare to the 196? Does the 200 have a liner?
GREG: A new stringer system was developed for the Ski Nautique 200 to optimize weight, strength and consistency. The boat is not a liner boat in the sense of the v-drives Nautique builds. The carpet is attached to the floor as is traditional in the Ski Nautique.
A comparison of the boats is below:
As you have probably read, last week Nautique revolutionized the water ski industry yet again with the introduction of our new Ski Nautique 200. The comments about this boat have been incredibly positive and we have had customers ordering the boat without even seeing it. There is no question that the next legend in our industry has been born.
I know you would expect me to say good things about this boat and I am sure that I will have plenty of opportunity to do that. In the meantime, I thought you might like to hear from others who are respected in our industry. So, this blog entry will be devoted to hearing what others in our industry say about the new Ski Nautique 200.
- “Nautique has developed a ski boat like no other in the industry. I would recommend this boat to anyone, at any age or skill level.”
Andy Mapple, Multi-year Water Ski World Champion
- “The thing I like most about this boat is the wake – it is practically non-existent. The Ski Nautique 200 will take slalom skiing to the next level.”
Chris Parrish, Current Slalom World Record Holder
- “The view from the driver’s seat is great — it doesn’t matter how short or tall you are. The tracking is impeccable. It couldn’t be better.”
Jack Travers, World Renowned Ski Coach
- “The wake is so easy, soft and as smooth as can be. It’s incredible! I’m ready to get my own. Where’s the next one?”
Becky Lathrop, Professional Tournament Driver
- “Since the boat rides so flat and there’s no spray, it’s easier for me to see the course and predict what I need to do next. It’s an incredible improvement for skiing that only Nautique could execute.”
Scot Ellis, The Rocket Man
- “When I’m tricking, I can’t believe how flat the table is. Nautique has definitely set a new benchmark with this one!”
Rhoni Barton Bischoff, US Team Member
- “Nautique builds the greatest ski boat and they are improving that reputation with the new Ski Nautique 200.”
Les Todd, Professional Tournament Driver
- “Trying to make the best even better is hard work, but Nautique has done it again!
Jaret Llewellyn, IWSF Male Athlete of the Year
- “For the first time, I haven’t had the ski move while I crossed the wake. No other ski boat has ever felt like this. This incredible improvement is going to be appreciated by every single skier.”
Clementine Lucine, IWSF Female Athlete of the Year
- “The new Ski Nautique 200 is forward-thinking, spacious and comfortable. The wake is so smooth for slalom skiing and perfect for tricking.”
Whitney McClintock, 50th Masters Water Ski Trick Champion
- “Nautique has definitely set the bar out of reach of the competition with the Ski Nautique 200.”
Jim Powers, National Tournament Driver
- “The new Ski Nautique 200 clearly demonstrates a commitment to addressing the needs of skiers today while keeping a clear vision for the future.”
Bill Porter, Performance Ski & Surf
– “WOW was first thing that came to mind when I saw the new Ski Nautique 200. Nautique hit a grand slam with this new boat!”
Dave Macchi, National Tournament Driver
You can be part of the revolution – call your Nautique dealer today to order you new Ski Nautique 200.
The world just got better – Enjoy the Nautique life!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Andy Mapple's take on the new Ski Nautique 200. (source: Nautique Nation)
When I joined the Nautique team, the current boat was the Ski Nautique 2001. In the 27 years since I’ve been on the team, Nautique has had only three new tournament ski boats. Each time they have revolutionized the industry and set the competition on a multi-year quest to try and catch up. Now, they’ve done it again.
The team at Nautique has really outdone themselves. The all-new Ski Nautique 200 is truly revolutionary. Revolutionary from not only a much improved wake shape and design standpoint, but also the entire look of this boat is very forward-thinking and innovative. The amount of storage is greater than any other boat in the industry. The helm design is completely repositioned which dramatically improves the driver’s view. Open bow and closed bow versions are identical - there is one hull and two decks. Their common hull has greater lift, allowing it to ride higher on the water, creating the softest wake in ski boat history. Needless to say, the time and investment the company has made to this boat and the sport of water skiing makes me very proud of my association to Nautique.
Last week Nautique made its first showing of the all-new Ski Nautique 200 to key industry representatives. During this first preview day, our videographers were onsite to capture everyone’s reactions first hand. Check out the video below to hear more about their thoughts and better understand why the Ski Nautique 200 will truly revolutionize the skiing industry once again.
Again, Nautique, like all its ski boats before, has written a new chapter in water ski boats, one that only Nautique could write. Stay tuned to Team Nautique for continual updates, videos and pictures leading up to our official launch of this all-new ski boat. Also, make sure you visit your nearest Nautique dealer to learn how you can call the Ski Nautique 200 your very own.
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