LOUDON, Tenn. (August 2, 2012) – Malibu Boats, the global leader in state-of-the-art watersports towboats, is celebrating its 30th anniversary by offering three special edition boats on display for the first time at the Malibu Open in Milwaukee, Wis. this weekend.
The three anniversary editions are the Response TXi, a record-setting ski boat, the Wakesetter 20 VTX, a crossover boat for skiing, wakeboarding and wakesurfing, and the Wakesetter 23 LSV, a highly rated boat in the wake and surf category, designed for active watersports families.
“We’ve pulled out all the stops for these models, with the addition of pearl metal flake and special touches throughout the boat that brings style to our celebration of Malibu. We think our customers will love owning a unique boat and a piece of history,” said Malibu CEO, Jack Springer. “We’re proud of how far we’ve come in the past 30 years, from building 100 ski boats out of a small shop to being the No. 1 watersports towboat manufacturer in the world – and the future looks even brighter.”
Features of these special models include the option of four metallic gel schemes that accent a unique pearl metal flake (only available on 30th edition models) inlaid with a charcoal 30th anniversary logo, snap-out logoed carpet and a logoed swim platform. The boats are offered with customizable options including a chrome engine package and the newest Surf Gate technology, just introduced for the 2013 model year. Buyers of these special editions also will receive a commemorative gift package from Malibu, reflecting the 30th “Pearl Anniversary.”
The 30th Anniversary boats will be highly visible at the Malibu Open, at Milwaukee’s lakefront Veteran’s Park Lagoon on August 3-4. Top professional water skiers will compete behind the Response TXi in slalom skiing and jumping events for a $65,000 prize. The event, which is free to the public, will also feature exhibitions that include freestyle jumping, barefooting, hydrofoiling, show skiing and trick skiing. In its 12th year, the Open has produced six world record-breaking performances.
“The Malibu Open is the perfect event to showcase the anniversary editions. It’s an action-packed weekend for boat enthusiasts, and the release of these boats will add to the excitement,” Springer said. “And, Surf Gate, our new proprietary wakesurfing innovation will be on display, so it’s a great opportunity for consumers to see it firsthand.”
Malibu was founded in 1982 when Robert Alkema and friends began making custom ski boats. Since its inception, Malibu has received 19 “Boat Of The Year” awards, 31 Product Excellence awards and has broken 19 world records with its Response series. Malibu is the world’s top-selling towboat manufacturer, approaching 30 percent of market share in its category.
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Malibu Boats is the world’s largest manufacturer of watersports towboats. Malibu markets the Response, Wakesetter, and Ride models as well as the Axis Wake Research brand through a worldwide dealer network. Malibu is a privately held company with approximately 450 employees and manufacturing facilities in California, Tennessee and Australia.
