Malibu’s advanced hull design has created a precise collision of ride, handling and wakeboard performance in the 2008 Wakesetter 23 LSV and Wakesetter 23 XTi. These redesigned 23-footers sport a completely new hull, deck, interior and feature set. These upgrades create the perfect combination of performance and accommodation for 14.

The exterior of these two models follows the sharp look of the intimidating 247 LSV with the addition of the new Frameless-Vented Windshield. This predatory stature comes across in a glance, but there’s purpose behind each aggressive line.

Malibu engineers have found that sweet spot among ride, handling and wakeboard performance. This was accomplished not with a simple strake or chine change, but by tweaking the hull transitions between the keel and the strakes. They shaped these compound curves to dissipate the shock and noise of choppy water without a handling compromise.

“…the V25 Wake hull deserves attention,” the Wakeboarding Magazine Test Team concluded. “…this hull creates mellow wakes with defined peaks as well as a solid feel through double-ups.”

The distinct profile of these Malibu boats is finished off with the company’s exclusive Illusion XS towers. The Malibu Illusion XS wakeboard tower is designed with sharper lines than the Illusion X to compliment new chiseled hull, deck and windshield designs. This new tower sports a signature serrated back edge to further the sharp new look. Maintaining the forward swept, cast aluminum construction, the Illusion XS comes standard on the new Wakesetter 23 LSV and Wakesetter 23 XTi.

“It’s as if Malibu took a saw and contorted it [the tower] into a beautiful, arcing piece of wakeboarding art,” Wakeboarding Magazine.

The Wakesetter 23 LSV offers as much as 1350 pounds of customizable Malibu Launch System (MLS), Rider Presets, Precision Pro Speed Control, Ballast Monitoring System (BMS) and the available Patented Power Wedge. These features and options allow the Wakesetter 23 LSV to slide effortlessly between beginner and pro on a water sports scale. The 23 LSV is the perfect tool for beginners looking to attempt their first roll and professionals striving for that top tier podium finish.

When charged with evaluating the Wakesetter 23 LSV’s wakes, the Wakeboarding Magazine Test Team had this to say. “Super rampy with long transitions. One of our riders did a backside 180 and saw a landing ramp so big, it seemed like it had a target on it.” They continued, “This is the boat of choice for top clinics and schools throughout the country, not to mention wakeboarding tournaments.”

The Wakesetter 23 XTi can be loaded up with up to 900 pounds of Malibu Launch System (MLS), Rider Presets, Precision Pro Speed Control, Ballast Monitoring System (BMS) and the available Patented Power Wedge. These features and options in combination with the wake-making hull design make the Wakesetter 23 XTi a big wake contender. For the other end of the spectrum, choose “Ski” and experience the control and flexibility of a center mounted engine on your slalom ski.

When describing the Wakesetter 23 XTi wakes, Wakeboarding Magazine printed, “They [the test riders] liked the peak a lot, even drawing a picture of it on the test sheet that looked like a shark fin.” The wake praise continued with, “Double-ups were money and easy to get into.”

These boats are big enough to accommodate 14 and offer a level of water sports performance that attracts the masses. But waiting for a turn to ride is a non-issue, there’s plenty to occupy the senses. The 23 LSV and 23 XTi benefit from well-placed hand covered elements that add to the luxury and complete the one-of-a-kind look. The rear seat lean-backs are designed with such an element as well as an available rear LCD switch panel. This option allows rear seated passengers control theater-style interior lighting, the new Malibu-Rockford Fosgate® Sound System, available heaters and new Malibu Rider Presets. Presets allow riders to set-up a custom profile designating a specific speed, Power Wedge position and ballast levels. Or choose from a list of factory presets to match your skill level or push you where you want to be.

“The 23 LSV is the ultimate wakeboard boat meets the ultimate luxury boat! With a killer wake and tons of room, you won't find a better performing or more luxurious ride on the water!.” Jeff Weatherall, Team Malibu Rider and Professional Wakeboarder.

The new dash in the 23-foot models derives its look from the chiseled lines of the boat’s exterior and houses new gauges and LCD embedded MX switch panels for literal finger-tip control. The new Multiplex Switching System also controls the new available Malibu-Rockford Fosgate® Sound System. It’s all about control.

The power behind these Malibu models is 340 horses and 397 foot-pounds of torque. Both the Wakesetter 23 LSV and Wakesetter 23 XTi motor off the factory floor with the Monsoon 340 from Indmar Marine Engines. This engine is controlled by the new Shift-by-wire Throttle System, which includes Electronic Throttle Control (ETC). That level of accuracy can only be rivaled by the environmental savvy this engine exudes. The Monsoon 340 is built with ETX/CAT one-piece tuned exhaust manifolds that reduce emissions to almost nothing.

The 23 LSV’s rear locking storage is easy to access with a split-lid hatch. These hatches cover above engine storage as well as 30 cubic feet of tank-free space. The tanks are mounted beneath the floor. The rear storage even includes hatch door bins for those small important items you need before or after a ride. Malibu makes the most beautifully durable interiors around, but if need more piece of mind, opt for the fiberglass color-matched sun pad step and walk over the transom worry free.

After crawling through the Wakesetter 23 LSV Wakeboarding Magazine testers made this comment. “One of the best interiors with great fit and finish.”

The XTi Series from Malibu Boats re-ignited Direct-drive boat excitement by changing the irritants of typical direct-drive interior configurations to positives. This year, the Wakesetter 23 XTi is graced with not one but two lounges. Placed on either side of the sun pad, which doubles as a storage and engine enclosure, the lounges provide even more seating options. Each lounge is within arm’s reach of a self-draining ice chest and plenty of stainless steel cup holders.

“…we were amazed at how Malibu increased the seating by adding a bench and improved the interior flow,” wrote Wakeboarding Magazine in the 2008 Boat Buyer’s Guide.

Once you get to the swim step to prepare for your next session, take a seat. Literally, Malibu has tooled a padded Staging Seat into the deck of the new 23-footers to aid in the water sports preparation process. After all you have bigger things to worry about than where you are going to sit to get your board on.

The Wakesetter 23 LSV and Wakesetter 23 XTi join 16 Malibu boat models in the 2008 line-up. Visit your nearest Malibu boats dealer and be blown away.

The Malibu Boats mission statement begins with "Build the best boat..." and continues with "...for a fair price..." To fulfill this pledge Malibu builds innovation and technology into the boats as standard features. This is how they honor their commitment to excellence and to their family of owners. In 2008 “the best boat for a fair price” pledge has been fulfilled with new standard features like the Shift-by-wire Throttle System.

The precise control of electronic shifting adds value to almost every new Malibu boat by providing users the benefit of a shorter throttle throw and a new push-button Neutral Lock. Ultimately this new feature gives the driver more control, especially in slow-speed maneuvering situations.

The Shift by Wire Throttle System is exclusive to Malibu Boats and gives you the performance of Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) and the accuracy of wireless shifting between forward, neutral and reverse. This means there is no longer any lag time between throttle command and a change in speed or motion. These elements execute almost simultaneously.

“The control and feel of the boat has definitely improved with the push-button neutral and the electric shift.” Stated World Champion Team Malibu Slalom Skier, Will Asher. “With this new system there is no delay in the message from the throttle to the Engine, leading to better control of the boat for me.” Asher explained.

The shorter throw of the Shift by Wire Throttle System is like the difference between power and manual steering. Instead of making a huge motion with the throttle to produce a reaction, the new system with shorter throw, allows the driver to make shorter precise movements to control motion and speed. The new Shift-by-wire Throttle System provides smoother function and fingertip operation resulting in precise RPM control. This benefit alone can make a day on the lake more enjoyable.

"The short throw of the throttle means I can power down with less throttle movement and with little more than a flick of the wrist and less strain on the shoulder, be back to full power. Awesome!" Asher, praised.

This new system also features the first ever push-button Neutral Lock, which replaces the traditional collar. Modeled after a performance car shifter, the push-button neutral, just makes sense. Instead of asking the driver to make to ergonomically opposing motions when trying to get the boat underway, the Shift-by-wire System perpetuates a fluid motion. Push down and move forward.

The look of the new throttle is the icing on the cake. The new chromed billet look invites your hand while the performance and usability keeps it there.

When you are backing your trailer into the water, your depth is very important. If the boat is too shallow it will not float off the trailer. If it is too deep, damage can occur to the boat. A good rule is to have a small portion of the front of the trailer fenders visible above the water.

If you are trying to back off the trailer, but are going nowhere, this is usually the result of forgetting to unfasten the safety tie-downs. Make sure to unhook the rear trailer straps before backing your boat into the water.

It is best to release the bow boat strap after the engine has been started. The last thing you want to do is float the boat off the trailer only to encounter a dead battery.

It is recommended that you run the blower for a short period of time before you start the engine. This removes any fumes form the engine compartment that could possibly ignite.

Make sure the throttle is in the neutral position before starting. If it is not, the ignition will not engage. Turn the key one click to the right, wait for the gages to come up, and then turn the key once more to the right to start the engine. Now you can back your boat off of the trailer.

Visit the Malibu Boats YouTube Channel to learn more about launching.

The 2008 Malibu Boats DVD, Pushing Limits, was shot entirely in 16mm film and High Definition formats. This, our ninth DVD, offers more in-your-face Malibu Boats’ action mixed in with just the right amount of volume-jacking audio tracks for a complete sensory overload.

W have posted many clips from Pushing Limits on the Malibu Boats YouTube Channel, but the 2008 DVD Intro is our favorite this month.

Dean Freistadt calls Yellowknife in Canada’s Northwest Territories his home and a Malibu Wakesetter 247 LSV his boat. In a Canadian territory spanning 440,479 sq mi with a meager population of 41,464 Dean isn’t worried about room for his huge 24’ 7” Malibu boat. In fact, the size is one of his favorite aspects of the boat.

“My 247 is the biggest tournament boat north of 60 [the 60th parallel],” Dean states proudly. “It's quite a head-turner but the real wow factor is its size.”

And he needs that size for the crew he normally takes with him for a day on the lake. Dean typically hits the water with no less that 7 people along for the ride. He has just over a three month season for water sports action every year so he makes every trip count. This small window for summer fun is a drawback according to Dean, but on the bright side because of his location, “We get some long days without having to use lights.”

Even when he has his boat loaded with 14 people, their gear, fuel, ballast and the Wedge down he is amazed by the way his boat handles. Dean put it simply, “It's the most comfortable and easiest handling boat I've driven.”

Considering the number of people Dean boats with, I assumed he had a big family living near him. In reality, his one daughter is grown and gone. So the people he boats with are all friends. Considering most people can’t get friends to commit to a movie on a regular basis, it amazed me that Dean had such a loyal group to go boating all summer. His comment on that, “When you live this far north, your friends are your family.” He continued, “But I am old enough to be the father of most of the friends that are in my ‘Malibu’ family.”

When this “Malibu family” is out on the boat they tend to lean towards wakeboarding as their water sports discipline of choice. Some of their group is just getting into surfing, but Dean wants to try to wakeskate this year. He says, “I'll try the surfin’ when I get older.”

One of Dean’s most memorable outings on his boat was a day he had 14 people on board. (Many of the photos accompanying this article were taken that day.) Dean’s crew picked up one more when a float plane from Washington State landed on the lake with the soul intention of wakeboarding behind Dean’s boat. There was even a chase boat capturing the day on camera. This wasn’t even the best part of the day, according to Dean. “The highlight was when one of the young guys landed a Raley.” Dean explained, “Now that they have a wake to land advanced tricks on, we all get excited when someone finally lands the trick they've been working on.”

Dean begins his season in early June and normally wraps it up by mid-September. He knows when to call it quits for the year; when the water temperature gets down to 54 degrees. Of course this year he is looking to extend his season with the purchase of a dry suite.

Gravitating towards the smaller lakes in his area, Dean takes his boat to water that is typically about 20 feet deep. This is a deliberate choice based on water temperature. The shallow depth, bedrock bottoms and days filled with 20 hours of sun are perfect conditions for water in the 70’s by mid-summer. That is all the reason you need to pick a lake in Dean’s neck of the woods.

The biggest lake near Dean’s home in Yellowknife is actually the Great Slave Lake. “The main reason we don't board here is that it's a big lake and the water is choppy.” Dean explains, “It doesn't take much wind to get real rough.” But even if this is not Dean’s lake of choice for wakeboarding, he still recognizes it as an amazing body of water. North America’s deepest lake and ranked 9th on the World scale, the Great Slave Lake is over 2000 feet deep. The ice does not melt on this lake until July. So according to Dean, “…it's kind of cool all year.”

When Dean is not out in his Malibu boat, he works as an automotive tech for a Ford dealer. Sounds like a pretty normal, everyday type job, right? Wrong. Currently, Dean is maintaining a fleet of diesel trucks at the fly-in Diavik Diamond Mine located about 137 miles south of the Arctic Circle. During the writing of this article, Dean was at work for 21 days straight wrenching 12 hours a day in weather that registered -40 F. “The wind chills has been as low as -65 F this trip. Care to come for a visit?” Dean asked jokingly.

When I asked Dean about his buying decision he admitted that he almost bought a competing brand, but his cousin works at a Malibu dealership in Saskatchewan, Canada. So thanks to a close relationship with Saskatoon Watersports (SWS), Dean chose Malibu Boats. He planned on buying a VLX in the winter of ’07, but upgraded his decision to a 247 LSV when he saw it in the SWS showroom. Dean explained, “I'm glad I bought the 247. I was upgrading from a direct-drive ski boat to a v-drive wakeboard boat. Now that I have the 247, I don’t worry about upgrading.”

“Simply, it doesn't compare to other boats here.” Dean said this referring to his 247 LSV when I asked him about the other boats he runs into at the lake. “A couple of people in my crew have gone for a set behind the only competition on our lakes.” According to them, “the 247 has twice the wake not to mention the finish and refinements.”

When I heard Dean’s story, I wondered about service. He lives 2200 miles from his nearest Malibu dealer. According to Dean, “a 2-day drive.” But he seemed un-phased by the distance between Saskatoon Watersports and himself. He hasn’t had to take his boat in, nor does he expect to. He performs the necessary maintenance and has called SWS a couple of times for some advice on minor issues. Dean does hope to get the boat back down to Saskatchewan at some point, but it sounds like he envisions that trip as more of a visit than a service call. I had this feeling when he said, “SWS treats me like family.”

I really enjoyed talking with Dean. Not just because he is a Malibu owner, but because he seems to make the most out of life. He lives in a place that seems like the edge of the world to most of us, where weather and astronomy are at their most extreme, but his location doesn’t define him. His windows of fun are short so he makes the best of them with close friends, doing what they all love to do.

Talk is cheap. First-hand knowledge is invaluable. Join us at Malibu’s dealer National Demo Day and get your hands on the boats you most want to test drive. Experience for yourself the acceleration, responsive handling and pulse-quickening power. Dial your custom wake with Rider Presets and meet the massive wakes kicked up by the Patented Power Wedge. Take the ride of your life and absorb the Malibu difference that has garnered Best Boat of the Year awards for six consecutive years.

More on the National Demo Day.

The supercharged boats, distinguished athletes and world record performances will come together, July 18-20, in Michigan. Pontiac Lake will host this water sports double-header featuring not only the Malibu Open but a premier hydroplane event, Quake on the Lake. On top of all that, proceeds from this fund-raiser will directly benefit a local children’s charity.

More on 2008 Malibu Open.

At Malibu we are all about showing the love. That's why we are celebrating the month of love with a free kiss. Place an order for Malibu Boats gear during Valentine's month and we will blow you a free kiss in the form of a Malibu-branded 5-in-1 Mini Tool Kit Keychain. Sparks are flying on the Malibu Boats Gear Site in the month February check out this special offer for yourself.  

Visit Malibu Boats Gear.