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Hickman
With the direction of World Champion Barefooter Ron Scarpa, Malibu Boats introduces the Scarpa Suppression Plate (SSP).
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 16, 2002
(Merced, CA) – When Malibu Boats develops new water sports technology; they go straight to the most accomplished pros in the world for input. The birth of the Scarpa Suppression Plate was no exception. As the name suggests, World Champion Barefooter, Ron Scarpa played a vital role in developing the tool, which will be a standard accessory on the 2003 Response Barefooter and an option on the 2002 for the remainder of this model-year.
Tournament approved by the American Barefoot Club (ABC) in late September, the Response Barefooter pulled the industry onto its heels with the power of a 365 HP engine and all of the amenities needed to make a great barefoot boat. In keeping with the innovative and forward thinking nature of Malibu Boats, the Malibu Research and Development team resolved to make this great boat even better. With this concerted effort, came the logical inclusion of the most accomplished professional barefooter in water sports history.
Scarpa agreed that the Response Barefooter was a wonderfully agile and powerful competitive tool, but like the research and development individuals at Malibu, he knew that Response Barefooter was ramming the industry ceiling just begging to bust through. The battering ram took the shape of a prototype wake suppression plate designed by Scarpa. Precisely engineered to fasten to the four connection points of an existing Malibu Wedge plate, the Scarpa Suppression Plate (SSP) extends from the transom and molds the industry's most sought-after wake into an even more unbelievably smooth experience.
Scarpa explained the wake effects caused by the SSP. ''It [the SSP] helps reshape the wake and it really helps to define the wake crests as well.''
The suppression plate testing began with Scarpa behind the boat and eventually included a handful of fellow pros as well as some students under Scarpa's instruction. The result was a solid concept that made its way back to Malibu with the Scarpa stamp of approval. That is all it took for the Malibu's R&D crew to spring into action.
When asked about the performance level of the Response Barefooter with the addition of the SSP, Scarpa excitedly replied, ''I love it!'' Scarpa elaborated by saying, ''I think overall the boat is in a class by itself. I have never been behind a world class ski and barefoot boat rolled up into one.''
As soon as Malibu received the original device, the R&D Center was buzzing with excitement. This wake suppression plate was just what they were looking for to make the Response Barefooter even better. The fine-tuning commenced and in true Malibu fashion the new SSP was fabricated and ready for installation on production boats within a matter of weeks.
After earning re-approval by the ABC with the SSP installed, the Malibu Response Barefooter is ready for the professional tournament circuit and barefooting pros like Scarpa couldn't be happier.
''Malibu keeps pushing the performance envelope and I am delighted to be a part of the team.'' Scarpa pridefully concluded, ''The new Barefoot Response is everything I could have hoped for in the ultimate barefoot boat.''
For further information, contact:
Amy L. Mauzy
(209) 383-7469 ext. 348
amym@malibuboats.com
http://www.malibuboats.com
