How is Skiers Choice doing??

[ian ashton]

i just don't see mastercraft having much of an issue.

MasterCraft is (was?) owned by Roger Penske, and I heard was for sale. Not sure if that happened, but Penske definately has big bucks.

[maxpower220]

The boating industry (and motorcycle/RV) are all doing poorly. Some were quicker to restructure their business to ride out the storm.
MasterCraft: They had a huge influx of money (capital) from Penske. That and their name, and having many different boats have help. They have reduced their work force and cut production to 1/3 what it was.
CC: They have reduced their staff and drastically reduced their boat production. As of the Masters weekend, they had a total of 16 2010 Nautiques available for sale in the U.S. Many dealers have gone to "special order only" sales and are not stocking boats. This is from their sales rep. Bill yeargin is staying the course and they have no plans for an "entry level" boat.

I have no idea about any other boat companies, these are the updates that I know about.

[NCSUmoomba]

I heard late last year that MC was not doing so great either. Someone told me that the local dealer, which had sold something like 40 new MC in the previous year, had only sold 6 new MC last year. As far as the Axis, if you want a plush fancy A22, then buy a VLX or LSV or even a VRide. The whole point of the A22 is to be no frills. The interior of tha boat doesn't bother me at all.

[jclevoy]

I've seen the first few A22's and they were a little cheapy looking. There were some interior changes in late 09 and '10 and it's better.

I just went and looked at a brand-new top of the line A-22. I am surprised to see so many people dogging the boat in this thread. IMHO, it is a hell of a boat for just less than $50k for their very best one.

Seat vinyl must have been an issue on the earlier models, because this one was QUITE nice. I would trade my LSV on one if I had the money and if I hadn't just broke the bank on a stereo system.

[sandm]

so true mmandley. I don't like any of the looks of that boat, from the tower, interior, seating, but it is a CORE riders boat, plain and simple. if you are shopping "budget" boats, you can pick moomba, offering all the luxury for the family on the lake, or the axis, as a core riders boat. 2 really good offerings. sell me the moomba every time

lots of bashing on mastercraft and being slow, but I remember a story right around xmas/new years last year where their numbers were ahead of plans and they were bringing back a bunch of the workforce that had been previously laid off. granted not where production was 4 years ago.

on a local note, our skiers/malibu dealer is the only dealer here in the valley to have 2010's on the lot. the centurion,mc,nautique dealer(just got nautique and didn't order 1 boat this year) has nothing but used and leftovers. the mb dealer is selling '09's, and same for the sanger/epic dealer. tige dealer(and was nautique as well) is gone.. now the guys selling bayliners, four winns, sea ray and the likes were flush with 2010's, but most were stripped down entry boats, that looked to be pricepoint offerings for financing ads in the paper.

[dru1974]

i am wondering now is the mobius lsv as good to wakeboard behind as the axis? I took my cousin who has a 2005 calabria dd behind my mobius ls with the gIII and he was very impressed with the wake and how you could clean it up with the wake plate and i could only imagine that the lsv would be much better.

[Sled491]

I looked at the Axis this winter at the boat show, not impressed at all. Maybe on the water would be a different story.

The feedback I'm getting on some of the BU's is not so good either. I here the Response just sucks right now, but again second hand information.

One of the largest boat manufactures went out of business last year representing almost 10 boat lines, of course a tow boat company will fall it just has to be that way.