Trailer Boats....

MASTER BLASTERS

The Masters tournament is boating fun at its best.
Here's our guide to the competition, boats and athletes

Every Memorial Day weekend, top athletes and their fans flock to Pine Mountain, Georgia’s Callaway Gardens for the Annual Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament™, sponsored by Correct Craft. This year’s 49th version, for which Trailer Boats returns as the official magazine, promises to be bigger and better than ever.

This invitation event, slated to run May 23-25 will again feature dozens of the world’s best water ski and wakeboard athletes representing more than 10 countries, and also includes the 16th Junior Masters competition. The “best of the best” will compete for more than $135,000 in cash and prizes in categories such as slalom, tricks, jump and wakeboarding.

Held on fabled Robin Lake, the Masters is about a 60-minute drive southwest of Atlanta. Tournament admission includes access to the array of facilities within Callaway Gardens (800/CALLAWAY; callawaygardens.com). Many fans choose to stay right on Callaway‘s sprawling 13,000-acre property. Most who attend the Masters are quickly hooked (and many trailer their boats to expand and enhance the experience). It's like no other boat-oriented event anywhere, with a setting that's phenomenally fan-friendly.

Throughout the weekend, Robin Lake Beach will host exhibitions, autograph sessions, swimming and a host of other family-oriented activities. Quite simply, it's a blast for both spectators and competitors alike.

For further information on this year's Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard Tournament, visit masterswaterski.com or call 888/806-2783.

Boat Basics: These Models are Beauties

Nautiques by Correct Craft is the long-time lead sponsor of the Masters, while Trailer Boats is again the official magazine of this year’s event. Correct Craft produces the popular Ski Nautique and Super Air Nautique lines, which are the official--and only--tow boats used in the Masters.

The top models used for this year’s Masters will be the popular Ski Nautique 196 for the Trick, Slalom, and Jump categories, while Super Air Nautique 230 will be the wakeboarding towboat of choice.

The Ski Nautique 196 is billed as “The Boat that Revolutionized the Towboat Industry” and it set the standard in the industry with its performance, handling, and what competitors consider to be the ideal wake (be sure to check out the patented Hydro-Gate™, a Nautique exclusive that allows wake signature changes right in the cockpit!).

The Super Air Nautique 230 features lots of space, divine drivability, and Zero-Off, a GPS-based cruise control system tested by the likes of Shaun Murray and Jeff McKee. Look for the Full Throttle Package at the Masters, with premium windshield and stainless steel header, black dash, brushed stainless steering wheel, and a premium throttle knob.

Some Specs: At just over 21 feet with platform, the Ski Nautique 196 can carry up to six people and has a horsepower range of 275 to 390. Running at about 25 ½ feet, the Super Air Nautique 230 can carry up to 14 people and has a horsepower range of 343 to 390.

Star Power

An invitation to compete in the Masters is universally considered an honor and an acknowledgement of achievement for reaching the pinnacle in a given watersports discipline--only the world's most elite athletes compete at the annual best-of-the-best Masters!

Last year’s fierce and exciting competition will be hard to top, thanks to a course record and down-to-the-wire runs and scoring. The following round-up of last year’s winners and a few key competitors provides a perfect introduction to this year’s fierce competition. Of course, the proof will take place on the water and who knows who will be crowned with 2008 Masters titles.

Traditionally, the four crowd favorites at the Masters events are Men’s Jump, Men’s Slalom, Women’s Slalom, and Men’s Wakeboard. Here’s a rundown on the returning champ for each category and possible challengers at press time:

Men’s Jump: As the traditional grand finale of the Masters, lasts year’s Men’s Jump brought the huge crowd to their feet with gravity-defying leaps and a few crashes. The USA’s Freddy Krueger soared 231 feet to beat out Jaret Llewellyn by just a couple of feet. Expect Llewellyn and Jason Seels to get some serious air again this year to try to beat Krueger.

Men’s Slalom: Edging out Wade Cox by just two buoys, Jamie Beauchesne of the United States claimed the Men’s Slalom win last year with a great run of 5@39-off. This year, look for Chris Parrish and Chris Rossi to challenge Beauchesne.

Women’s Slalom: Winning for the second year in a row, Great Britain’s Sarah Green was victorious last year in the Women’s Slalom discipline with a run of 4.5@35-off. This May, expect Regina Jacquess and Michelle Simpson to challenge Green for the Slalom crown.

Men’s Wakeboard: With a score of 83.00, the USA’s Phillip Soven dominated the field with a phenomenal run to score another Masters title last year. Soven may be challenged this year by J.D. Webb and Rusty Malinoski.

Other Returning Champs and Challengers: In Women’s Tricks Australia’s Michale Briant (just 17 last May) opted to ski in the professional division and made the right choice to claim her first professional Masters title (look for Clementine Lucine to challenge Briant this year). For Men’s Tricks, Nicolas LeForestier of France set a new course record of 11,040 points last year (breaking his 2006 mark) to claim another Men’s Trick title and he’s scheduled to return to face stiff competition from the likes of Jaret Llewellyn. In Women’s Wakeboard the USA’s Emily Copeland Durham triumphed over Dallas Friday in a highly-competitive 2007 final and they’ll likely go head-to-head again this year. Last year, in Women’s Jump, last-minute entry and qualifier Natalia Berdnikova from Belarus beat out Angeliki Andriopoulou and Clementine Lucine. Andriopoulou, Lucine, and others will certainly be looking for revenge at this year’s Masters!

Junior Masters: Last year’s 15th Junior Masters Water Ski & Wakeboard championship again provided a showcase for the sports young superstars--and, more than likely, future Masters champs! In the male categories, Storm Selsor defended his Junior Masters Overall title, while Jimmy LaRiche earned his second Junior Masters Wakeboard win. On the female side, Caroline Hensley claimed the Overall championship, placing first in Slalom and second in Tricks. This year, in addition to returning champs, look for Thibaut Dailland and Manon Costard as up-and-coming stars that shine!