Additional Links:
Official Dallas Friday Web Site
Dallas Friday Google Gallery
About.com Bio
Dallas on the Wedge Video
X-Games Teaser Video
Malibu Pro Team Interview Video
2008 Team Malibu Video

Dallas Friday

Dallas Friday

Dallas Friday's '08 VLX

Danica Patrick isn't the only woman making history in sports. Dallas Friday dominates the world of wakeboarding like no other. You may not hear about her accomplishments on Good Morning America, but she has been making history in water sports for the last eight years. She is the most successful athlete this industry has ever seen, male or female.

Dallas joined the Malibu Boats Team back in 2000 at thirteen. She was discovered when she began competing in amateur tournaments in her hometown of Orlando, FL. Our Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Paul Singer, and our Team and Event Director, Lani Farmer, gave close attention to this phenom. They met with her parents about their desire for a Malibu wakeboard boat and she became a member of our pro team not too long after that. Today she is an anchor on one of the most successful factory teams in our industry.

ESPN labeled Dallas as, "The winningest female wakeboarder in history."

Between 2003 and 2006 Dallas competing in 44 tournaments. She took home the gold in all but three of those competitions.

The only professional wakeboarder to win an ESPY. Dallas Friday, is no stranger to cutting her own path. She has done things in her career that remain unmatched by a male or female rider. From her sports titles to industry-first endorsement deals to movies and commercials to mainstream features and articles, Dallas has produced a list of accomplishments that guarantee her a place in wakeboarding history.

Dallas has even made her mark in the area of comebacks. In 2006 Dallas was involved in a near death accident. at a competition in Singapore. She shattered her femur and went into a comma in late summer of that year. Dallas suffered from acute respiratory distress syndrome, which put her on a ventilator to help her breathe.

Amazingly enough Dallas came back for the 2007 season. She put together a run of second place finishes and ended the season by capturing the title at the 2007 Wakeboard World Cup in Singapore, where she nearly died just a year earlier. Read about this event.

Dallas Kicked off the 2008 season at the Wake Games event in Orlando, FL. While her score in the preliminary round was almost off the charts at 73.33, she "had a bad day," in her words during her semi-final round. This type of thing does happen and according to Dallas only makes her work harder.

The next event for Ms. Friday is May 16-18 in Acworth, Georgia. This is the first stop of the 2008 Pro Tour and surely the beginning of a promising season for wakeboarding's super star.

Sure boating and water sports are fun and we have seen these hobbies bring families closer, but can these pastimes actually help heal? The Whittet Family is an example of Malibu boat owners who are looking for togetherness on the boat to help their healing process. The Whittets' son Zach passed away in a car accident earlier this year. Together with their friends at the Ski Shack, Greg, Jolie Ann and their six-year-old daughter are throwing themselves into the activity that brought Zach and the entire family so much joy, prior to his death.

The Whittet family was new to water sports in 2002. It was during this time they purchased a Malibu boat from the Ski Shack and became a wakeboarding family. There was no one in their family more profoundly affected by their purchase than their son, Zach. He spent every summer since that time wakeboarding. It became his passion and in turn brought the family closer together.

"It [wakeboarding] became the defining nature of their family." Recalled Greg Mustain, owner of the Ski Shack and close Whittet family friend.

Zach began working for the Ski Shack, part time, several years after the boat purchase and made plans to attend college in Florida just so he could ride even more.

For most of us that work here at Malibu Boats or for one of the Malibu dealerships boating and water sports are a way of life. This is what we do day in a day out. We can begin to take for granted the fact that we sell fun and family togetherness. We can get wrapped up in our day-to-day lives and miss the fact that passion for these activities can have a large impact on a family.

Greg at the Ski Shack, e-mailed us to let us know, not only that the Whittet family dynamic was forever changed by the passion water sports ignited for them, but that they continued to find strength in that passion even after Zach's passing.

The Whittets lost Zach in a car crash in January. And even after the trauma of loosing a child, Zach's father took the time to console their friend Greg and let him know just how much his friendship and the boat he sold them meant to the Whittet family.

After Zach's death the family didn't think they would ever would be able to bring themselves to boat again. The memory of Zach and his passion for water sports was just too overwhelming. But for some reason they could not part with their Malibu. It was still the source of so many great memories and such a big part of their son's life.

Amazingly enough, the Whittets decided to purchase to a new Malibu boat. The impetus behind this decision is their 7-year-old daughter Natasha. The Whittets want her to share Zach's affinity for boating and water sports. The Ski Shack was so moved by this decision that they are selling the family this boat at cost and making the process an experience that is worthy of a tribute to Zach.

"I am just glad that they are going to remain in boating for their sake and especially for their 7-year old daughter, Natasha." Greg Mustain told us.

We have met a lot of cool people through our MySpace page. We have added the "MalibuSpace" section of our newsletter to introduce you to some of these friends.

We met Chad and Rachel on the Malibu Boats MySpace page. They sent us images of their wedding, which featured their love for one another as well as a Malibu boat.

The Browns don't own a boat, but they are Malibu through and through. They have worked with Central Florida Boating Center, the local Orlando, Florida Malibu dealer, for years. Chad and Rachel are extremely dedicated to water sports. Their MySpace page proves that.

Here's a little more information about our new friends.

I [Rachel] am a graphic designer working part time with an advertising publication, and then help Chad with our company and everything else going on the rest of the time. We love the water sports industry and do as much as we can with it.

Chad was the head coach at Orlando Watersports Complex (OWC) for 3 years, and trained under Mike Ferraro and Glen Fletcher. He has coached professionally for 5 years now. He still rides in amateur competitions and Open Mens in nationals just for the love of the sport.

Thank you for your friendship and your dedication to water sports, Chad and Rachel. We feel fortunate to know loyal enthusiasts like you. Consider yourselves part of the Malibu Boats family, we do.

Visit MalibuSpace to meet more of our friends. More on the Malibu friends Chad and Rachel Brown.

Watch 15 universities battle it out behind the world’s #1 selling wakeboard boat at the 2008 Collegiate Wakeboard Nationals. Malibu Boats will be towing some of the country’s best amateur wakeboarders in Boulder, CO, May 16-18. You can be there to root for your alma mater, rock out at the music festival or simply to give your kids another reason to pursue higher education. Yes, they can wakeboard in college. If you can’t make it to the event, tune into CBS or CSTV for full tournament coverage.

The 2008 Collegiate Wakeboard Nationals will take place in Boulder, CO from May 16-18. All teams will take the lake at the Boulder Reservoir and admission is free to spectators. For more event information visit .

Last year's champion, UCF, will attempt to defend its title from the 2006 champion, Florida. Meanwhile, Collegiate Nationals newcomers like Virginia Tech and Texas State are looking to dethrone the favorites.

Competition Format:

• This tournament will be run in a head-to-head format. Each team will be seeded and paired against another school.
• Each team is allowed 4 male wakeboarders, 2 female wakeboarders, and 1 wakeskater (a wakeboard division rider will be allowed to ride in the wakeskate division).
• The teams with at least 4 wins out of the 7 match ups will win the head-to-head and advance to the next round.
• A new addition this year will be an individual tournament at the end of the event.

It’s one thing to watch professional athletes compete. It’s quite another to hang with them. Club Malibu members will be granted unlimited access to the athlete’s VIP area during the Malibu Open, July 18th - 20th in Oakland County Michigan at Pontiac Lake. Club members will also receive up to 4 free event passes and 2 free event t-shirts per family.

The VIP area at a water sports competition is typically reserved for professional wakeboarders and water skiers. At the 2008 Malibu Open this exclusive area has been expanded to include Club Malibu members. Here these Malibu Boats family members will receive free food and drinks as well as access to their favorite pro athletes. Pros like Dallas Friday, Phillip Soven, Chad Sharpe and Randall Harris will be available for a conversation, an autograph or just a friendly hello.

When asked about this latest Club Malibu benefit, Lani Farmer, Malibu’s Team and Event Director, responded this way, “We always try to treat our owners like VIPs.” Farmer explained, “Club Malibu and events like the Malibu Open just give us more opportunities to show our appreciation. We jump at every chance.”

If you are a Club Malibu member interested in attending the 2008 Malibu Open in style, please contact clubmalibu@malibuboats.comm. By sending an e-mail to this address you can claim as many as 4 free event tickets and VIP passes as well as 2 free event t-shirts.

If you are interested in becoming a Club Malibu member or renewing your membership please visit http://www.malibuboats.com/Default.aspx?pageID=33 and click on “Club Malibu”.

Club Malibu is an organization of proud Malibu boat owners who receive a number of exclusive Malibu benefits in exchange for a yearly fee. Membership entitles members to their choice of a special “Club Malibu” gear package as well as a 1-year subscription to myMalibu (Malibu’s quarterly magazine), a monthly e-newsletter, VIP invitations to Malibu events, discounts on Malibu Boats gear, discounts on Malibu boat insurance and a 1-year subscription to either Wake Boarding or WaterSki Magazine.

Sport some clothes from back in the day. Malibu Boats was founded in 1982 and this hip fitted Women's T-shirt illustrates that fact. The front of the shirt is branded with the Malibu Sun while the back calls out the year that saw the beginning of the World's most successful water sports boat company.

Visit the Malibu Boats Gear web site to make your purchase today.