If it's confirmed, it's a sad news for waterski world. I truly don't understand the direction where the boat manufacturers are heading with those overpriced new boats, with uneccessary upgrade of engine power and way too much electronics. All of this is making the life of the ski school all over the world miserable and challenging, if you don't want to kill your costumers and respect them.
I feel sad for my sport, and i feel bad to be part of the few and only remaining.
I don't see a lot of pro skiers complaining about the situation of their sport, as they don't wanted to loose their sponsorship.
In Europe, almost every ski school keep their old boat and change their engines when they need to. It clearly a sign that something is going wrong.
To read that only 50 new Malibu boats where sold worldwide is shocking and not surprising, and i am not talking about the quality and the skiability of the boat witch is fine. This sport need to be bigger and decisions has to be made, but who gets the gutts to do it?
People tells me waterski is not for everybody. Indeed, but it should be accessible for more people than now. Inflation and cost of products are not valid excuses. The reality is that folks are greedy and wanted to keep they margins. They even win more by doing their wake barge than a classic 3 event boat. Everybody has to make his part!
By the way it's cool to see, per example, Freddie winter on an instagram recent video being towed by an old mastercraft and still having fun behind it. Only thing who is important if you still wanted to do tournament is zero off, the rest is just bullshit and killing the sport we all love.