Old issues of Water Ski Magazine boat tests

Wow KENO.  Nice trip down memory lane.  I'll spend all evening going through these!  Thanks for the LINKS.

I spent a lot of time going through all of these a while back.  I think I had most of them delivered to my mailbox over the years.  Love them.  

Hopefully not after any recent meal

Was it just one year that Cc chose not to send any boats? I thought it was a few. I always loved the boat buyers guide, but the big complaint was that they never said anything bad about any of the boats (even Malibu!!). Too afraid of losing advertising dollars I suspect.

I don’t hate all knock offs Sangers, err I mean Malibus, just the crappy ones.

Riley wrote:   What I really liked about those old Buyer Guides was all the little start up ski boat companies they featured.

Thanks for posting theses...good for quite a few laps around memory lane.

KENO you are correct. Sanger just doesn’t come to mind as I haven’t seen a DD Sanger for many-a-year  Also, Sanger doesn’t seem to care about AWSA stamp of approval as a 3-event boat....but I may have to modify my previous statement to FOUR manufacturers and not just 3.  Kinda sad...

Riley wrote: I really liked the ts6m.  There was a brand new red and white one for sale by a local small marina.  I would have bought it in a heart beat if I could have afforded it.  I still have a bunch of photos that I took of it.

Oh we’ve got a boat with your name on it. Color and all. Spoiler alert: you can afford it now!

My third boat and my first ski boat was an 89 TS6M.  It was 96 and I was looking for a late 80s boat, pricewise.  I was focused on 2001's because I always liked the very boxy, no-nonsense lines, (besides a family history with a CC) but I couldnt find one in my price range.  I looked at a few, including a BFN.  I passed on the BFN, although nice, wasnt quite what I was after.  A BFN would have been cool, but really glad I didnt get it as I later found out (Gregs) what a crappy slalom boat it is.  Funny a week or two before getting the Supra, I almost drove to New Jersey (for some reason, there was NOTHING in NY) to look at a late 80s Malibu Skier. (I liked the low profile and "california"  colors) I ended up not going just because it was a long trip.  A week or two later, ran up to Adirondack Marine to check out the Supra.  At first, I didnt care for the swoopy lines, but they really grew on me.  It was a great skiing boat.  A bit of a rooster tail at -22, but  wasnt chasing balls much then, so not a big deal and spent all my time at -15.  Despite being conditioned that Nautiques were the best boat around, I think the Supra was ahead of its time in styling, maybe wakes, certainly comparable in fit and finish.  Overall, a top notch boat.  Kept it for 12 years.  

Great looking ts6m Larry.  I know your skier was a Correct Craft, but what on Earth caused you to trade that Supra for that old school Correct Craft?  Couldn't have been anything to do with skiing. 

Riley wrote: ... but what on Earth caused you to trade that Supra for that old school Correct Craft?

KENO wrote: Jonny Quest wrote: Times....they be a-changing.  How many boat manufacturers in late 1980’s and early 1990’s made a direct drive “ski” boat.   Now we are down to 3. JQ Sanger Mastercraft Malibu I think I'm missing a company

Nice post Ken, I still have 4 or 5 of the Boat review mags, wish I had kept them all.   Merced California was home of Malibu, Sanger was close by in Fresno, Calabria, Brendella, MB Boats were all in Merced with Malibu.

Discontinued?!