Ashley Kidd to Centurion

[LKG PH Creek]

I asked her and this is what I got.. Go surf behind both and tell me what you think.. Interesting =)

You didn't really expect her to say she did it for the $$, did you?

[Wickedcummins]

I said money aside why did you switch... not to mention what boats tow the pro events? And yes she had always been honest with me. I asked her about the g at the pro even she said it had an amazing surf wwake but she had ridden behind even better aka what she's behind now.. not too surprising tho look at the cats fin and plate the cats makes the boat almost drive sideways in theory like a snow plow moving more water... I am going to demo one ad I love the ballast system and the idea behind the cats. Never know unless you try. Also going to demo a supreme as Mr James walker seems to swear by them and they are half the price. That alone makes me interested. Don't like the feeling that I'm being rapped on the price. It costs more to build cars and they are more than half the price.

[LKG PH Creek]

Wicked,
Thanks for the expanded response. I'm sure if the projected demand for boats was 16 million units per year the cost could be brought down. But let's face it, you are looking for a performance boat for a Yugo price. Not likely to happen :-) I've enjoyed following your pursuit of the perfect affordable wave. Keep up the good work.

[begone]

What I've found through searching for a new boat some interesting facts:
1. Boats are way overpriced for what they are and what they do for our lives.
2. Differences in quality between entry level and mid level boats are negligible. They all pretty much use the same parts/materials, engines, and transmissions, just slightly different.
3. The differences between mid-level (tige, supra, etc..) between the big 3 are negligible - comes down to style, price, a couple options, and their "Surf/Wake Systems"
4. Everyone uses the same engines and transmissions - I say this again, cause it's pretty absurd if you think about it.
5. There are no "true" reviews out there, just neutral parties all getting paid advertising dollars to review boats and new models.
6. Buying a new boat in todays environment is confusing and NOT like buying a new car.
7. Dealer markups are ridiculous and it's a shell game.
8. The "Technology" in these boats and the evolution is SLOW - Differences between my 2005 Moomba and 2014 Tige is Hull Design, Gimmicky Surf System, and a Touchscreen ($46k in 2005 and $86k in 2014)

Anyways, this is what I've observed over the past 2 months of searching for a new boat. I found you could really drive yourself mad if you start getting to detailed about it. It's NOT like a house, it's NOT like a car to where you are using these items everyday and so factors like reliability, maintenance programs, comfort, location, dealer, etc...all play a key role in your decision. Hell I'm sure 80% of people that buy a boat never even take it back to the original dealer for normal maintenance or repairs.

For me, I needed a boat that didn't break the bank, could seat 16 people, could surf and wakeboard behind, had a unique look, interior was a nice place to be, and had a good stereo. So I bought the Tige Z3

[Wickedcummins]

I'm sure if cost was brought down they would sell a hell of alot more boats. There is such a small percentage of people that can get financed at the prices I believe it's hurting there sales honestly

[Wickedcummins]

I'm mean **** you can own two corvettes for the price of these big three boats

[Dandy]

It’s interesting to see what everyone thinks. Truth be told, my thought is it is a combination of both – not really the $$ but the additional $$ of support and marketing that Centurion can provide. I don’t know Ashley or anything about her other than she is an extremely talented athlete and has helped to make a lot of traction for the wakesurf industry, I think she is part of why our 10 year old daughter is excited to get out and learn the sport.

I do like our Tige and the sales and service support from our dealer. I have posted several times that our dealer is one of the main reasons we have the boat we have. That aside, let’s face it Centurion must put out a very good surf wave without any random attachments, just the hull design and now with the new CATS system. They have built market relationships with Inland Surfer, Body Glove and I believe Liquid Force. Just the marketing presence/exposure alone should be good for a career.

Looking to the analogy from chpthrl, Payton and other athletes do move for money, but they are competitive and want to improve their chances at winning. Put a competitive team together and it draws competitive players.

Tige has put a lot into building their team and change happens. As the snow melts and demos begin across the country it will be interesting to see if some of the new designs (CATS w/RAM Fill, MCs Gen 2…) will bring as much to the market as their marketing is demanding.

Thanks for all the feedback – didn’t expect it.

[jzts0214]

I think the price of boat is crazy but with the limited water in colorado i dont want them to drop the price. If the boats were any cheaper the lakes would be more crowded with people surfing. I surf alot but it tears up the water.

[Matt Garcia]

What I've found through searching for a new boat some interesting facts:
1. Boats are way overpriced for what they are and what they do for our lives.
2. Differences in quality between entry level and mid level boats are negligible. They all pretty much use the same parts/materials, engines, and transmissions, just slightly different.
3. The differences between mid-level (tige, supra, etc..) between the big 3 are negligible - comes down to style, price, a couple options, and their "Surf/Wake Systems"
4. Everyone uses the same engines and transmissions - I say this again, cause it's pretty absurd if you think about it.
5. There are no "true" reviews out there, just neutral parties all getting paid advertising dollars to review boats and new models.
6. Buying a new boat in todays environment is confusing and NOT like buying a new car.
7. Dealer markups are ridiculous and it's a shell game.
8. The "Technology" in these boats and the evolution is SLOW - Differences between my 2005 Moomba and 2014 Tige is Hull Design, Gimmicky Surf System, and a Touchscreen ($46k in 2005 and $86k in 2014)

Anyways, this is what I've observed over the past 2 months of searching for a new boat. I found you could really drive yourself mad if you start getting to detailed about it. It's NOT like a house, it's NOT like a car to where you are using these items everyday and so factors like reliability, maintenance programs, comfort, location, dealer, etc...all play a key role in your decision. Hell I'm sure 80% of people that buy a boat never even take it back to the original dealer for normal maintenance or repairs.

For me, I needed a boat that didn't break the bank, could seat 16 people, could surf and wakeboard behind, had a unique look, interior was a nice place to be, and had a good stereo. So I bought the Tige Z3

Pretty solid post and accurate in my opinion and experience.

[Allan Kendall]

I had a long conversation with Ash today and at the end of the day she feels that Centurion puts more focus and efforts into the sport of wake-surfing. Ash simply said they offered her a deal she couldn't refuse...

[Iwndr]

I had a long conversation with Ash today and at the end of the day she feels that Centurion puts more focus and efforts into the sport of wake-surfing. Ash simply said they offered her a deal she couldn't refuse...

Lol = money

[robert theisen]

Did you read between the lines too? IWNDR. Money is a good motivator.