MasterCraft wants to take you on the Ride of a Lifetime!

Just imagine waking up to go snowboarding with Oakley Pros on Mt. Hood every morning. And then coming down to hop behind an X-Star to ride with MasterCraft Pros Andrew Adkison, Zane Schwenk, and Jack Blodgett every afternoon. Now you know why this trip is called the Ride of a Lifetime.

Check out a video with details at:
WakeboardNorthwest.com

Thanks to the resourcefulness of one forum member, a group of Malibu owners over at TheMalibuCrew.com have come up with a custom billet aluminum remote mount that includes a specific slot for Wet Sound’s new WS420 EQ. Designed to replace the factory remote bracket, the custom designed mount holds the factory Sony XM-RM55 remote, along with the aforementioned EQ, and optionally an additional switch like those used on the dash.

While this modification is specific to Malibus it shows what some creative thinking can accomplish. And thanks to the efforts of forum member liljohn, Malibu owners can have easy access to their Wet Sounds WS420 for on the fly adjustments of the tower speakers, sub and cockpit speakers.

Check out some more pics after the jump.

[Source: TheMalibuCrew.com]

Correct Craft and their longtime power partner, Pleasurecraft Marine Engines, have teamed up to bring catalyzed marine engines to the Nautique line for 2008. Although their claims of a “green” marine engine seem slightly contradictory to us, there’s no denying that the current crop of catalyzed marine engines are much better for the environment than their predecessors. Like Indmar’s ETX/CAT introduced last year, PCM’s new Catanium system combines the exhaust manifold with a solid-state catalyst that promotes the combustion of harmful components in the engines exhaust. These systems are very similar to those that have been installed in our cars for the last 20 years, with the necessary advancements to be used in the marine setting.

In addition to the cleaner emissions, PCM’s new line of Catanium equipped engines also features better fuel economy and enhanced power thanks to the more advanced engine control modules required by the exhaust catalyst system. Overall, it’s a win-win for everyone, the water we like to play in will be a little cleaner, and we’ll save money by using less gas while wakeboarding.

You can read the full details in Correct Craft’s press release after the jump.

For 2008 Malibu added a new optional stereo system that features integrated control for Apple’s popular iPod MP3 player. Manufactured by JBL marine systems, the new headunit features a nondescript black module that is remotely mounted, and is controlled entire from the integrated LCD switch plates and available wired remote controls.

Recently though, a problem has appeared with the stereo system that severly impacts its functionality. The issue is related to the iPod interface, which, to put it bluntly, does not work. There are varying reports from 2008 model year owners, some stating that their older iPods work, while some claim that it the problem is related to the capacity of the iPod in quesion. Independent of which models are effected, the problem seems to prevent connected iPods from being accessible by the headunit at all, which not only means that the iPod won’t be charged when connected, but also that you can forget about listening to any music loaded onto it.

Regardless of what the problem actually ends up being, Malibu has stated they are aware of the problem, and are working diligently with JBL to develop an update for Malibu dealers to correct their customer’s boats. The solution should be available sometime this summer, and you can contact Malibu Boats or your local dealer for additional information if you are having issues with the stereo in your 2008 Malibu.

For the past few years Malibu dealers across the country have teamed up to provide on water demos of their latest models on the same day. This year, on April 26th, dealers across the country will have 2008 model Malibu boats available to drive, ride, ski and explore. If you’re in the market for a new boat, and Malibu is on your list, this is a great opportunity to compare Malibu’s most popular models on the water to determine which one is best for you.

Many dealers throughout the nation are participating, so there’s a good chance one near you will have boats on the water and ready for you to experience first hand. Unfortunately, we doubt any dealers will have the 2008 Malibu Corvette Limited Edition available to demo, but the brand new Wakesetter 23 LSV should serve as a nice substitute.

Visit Malibu’s National Demo Site to find your nearest participating dealer.

You can read the full press release after the jump.

Alpine has long been recognized for their high quality and innovative car audio components. Even without a marine product line (which is generally a waste of money), their sound quality and iPod integration has convinced many wakeboard boat owners to choose Alpine for their source unit. By far, the single most requested accessory for Alpine stereos has been a waterproof wired remote control.

Well the wait ends now, as Alpine have finally announced a wired remote control with LCD display for their line of multimedia headunits. With complete integration to control all of Alpin’s optional source units, the MC1 Wired Remote Commander can control anything from Sirius satellite radio to your iPod touch. And thanks to a three line display, you’ll get plenty of information to make sure you’re always listening to the right tune for the moment.

You can check out the full list of features after the break, or head over to Alpine’s website to get more information or to find your nearest dealer.

With his recent investment in Mastercraft Boats, racing Mogul Roger Penske is now a major share holder in the boat builder from Tennessee. And he’s making use of his racing team’s success on the oval to help promote the Mastercraft brand and increase awareness of wakeboarding amongst the general public.

The first implementation of this new marketing relationship was Mastercraft signage on the #2 car for the Bristol, TN race on March 13th. Penske drivers Kurt Busch and Sam Hornish Jr. even made time to stop by the Mastercraft factory in Vonore on March 13th to spend some time with their fellow Penske employees.

Roger Penske has a storied career, achieving success in many motorsports divisions (among other business pursuits), so if his history of winning is any indication, we should expect great things from Mastercraft as this relationship continues to develop and mature.

You can read the full details of the partnership between Mastercraft Boats and Roger Penske’s NASCAR team on the Mastercraft Website.

Wet Sounds has introduced one or two revolutions to the wakeboard boat audio scene. For 2008 though, they’ve got what could potentially be the biggest innovation wakeboard boat audio has seen.

Click the image above to view video

It’s called the WS420, and it allows boat owners to accurately and effortlessly control the level of the speakers in the boat, as well as on the tower. It performs more technical features as well, like parametric equalization, line-voltage boost, but most people will buy it for the easy volume control, and built-in microphone for talking to riders behind the boat.

Tim from Wet Sounds was kind enough to sit down at the Consumer Electronics Show to showcase some of the features of their award winning new product, and we’ve got the full video posted after the break.

System AVD Inc., a Seattle-based design company, has announced the release of the Rusty Malinoski Pro-Model design boat wrap. In addition, Rusty becomes the first athlete System AVD will sponsor. The custom designed boat wrap, which matches the design of Malinoski’s personal MasterCraft X-Star, will be available in 2008 at MasterCraft dealers world-wide, including installation services in the United States and Canada.

Check out the full press release after the jump.

Malibu has added another technology driven addition to their marketing department in the form of a new RSS news feed syndication. If you’re obsessed with getting the latest news and information related to Malibu boats, they’ve made it a little easier for you.

Included in the feed are Malibu’s latest press releases, along with their most recent podcasts, blog posts and YouTube video submissions. Malibu continues to explore more options when it comes to marketing via social networking, and the addition of an RSS feed is just one more example of how they are engaging in the connected web experience.

You can subscribe to Malibu’s new RSS feed here, and just so you don’t forget, you can also subscribe to our RSS feed over here.

The full press release is available after the jump.