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WATERSKI Magazine Vonore, TN – Despite Mother Nature's best attempts to rain
out MasterCraft's 35th Anniversary Homecoming celebration the event
was a success! Close to 1000 MasterCraft enthusiasts made the
pilgrimage from all parts of the nation to visit the headquarters
of the world's largest inboard manufacturer and the birthplace of
their most prized possession.
“Any time you bring together people with such a passionate
common interest, you build relationships and friendships that last
far beyond the experience of just owning a boat,” said Rob May,
Director of Marketing. “The rains certainly factored into
lower-than-expected attendance, but the event itself was a success.
Everybody worked hard to deliver the on and off-water MasterCraft
experience, and I think our owners and friends appreciated
that.”
On Friday, September 13, MasterCraft owners from as far away as
Texas, Michigan and New York converged on Lake Tellico and Fort
Loudon Lake for a Poker Run and lots of wakeboarding and water
skiing action. Eric Scott, from Island WaterSports, drove 16
MasterCraft owners 15 hours in an RV from Port Jefferson, New York,
to Vonore, Tennessee, for the event.
“We all piled into an X-30,” said Scott. “We wakeboarded all
afternoon and then went cliff diving. My guys had the greatest
time!”
After collecting poker cards at 5 different locations, all of
the participants turned in their poker hands and enjoyed lots of
laughs, stories and the “Best Ribs In America” at Calhoun's
lakeside restaurant. The boater with the best poker hand won a
Belmont 141, courtesy of Hyperlite, and the second-best poker hand
won a Zane 141, courtesy of CWB. Other winners received a pair of
Hyperlite Parks bindings, CWB Mobe bindings, an HO slalom ski and a
slew of autographed bibs and t-shirts.
On Saturday, September 14, MasterCraft owners started rolling in
the gates at the MasterCraft factory as early as 7:00 am to put the
finishing touches on their boats before the judging.
“I towed my boat 333 miles from Martinez, Georgia, on Friday,”
said Seth Paxton Thompson, the owner of a 1978 custom MasterCraft
Stars & Stripes and winner of the 1968 – 1979 MasterCraft
category. “It was my 5th MasterCraft boat judging. I polished it
inside and out before I left home, polished it again when I got to
the factory and then polished it the morning of the contest. My
boat has won a few awards, but this is the best one yet.”
While the boat judging was taking place, MasterCraft employees
guided tours through MasterCraft's state-of-the-art 300,000
square-foot facility and the company's world-class athletes gave
on-land clinics. MasterCraft team skiers Sammy Duvall, April
Coble-Eller, Jeff Rodgers, Terry Winter & Michelle Simpson
instructed a crowd of slalom skiers, while MasterCraft team riders
Zane Schwenk, Laura Lohrmann, Maeghan Major and Leslie Kent worked
with the wakeboarders. Hyperlite team rider Andrew Adkinson also
gave wakeboarding tips and MasterCraft team footer Keith St. Onge
schooled a very attentive group of barefooters.
If that wasn't enough, there was also an inflatable amusement
park, tons of food, 2 ski shows performed by the Wisconsin Stars, a
live band, boat demos and plenty of fun to be had with friends and
family on the water. Karel Wolters of Casnovia, Michigan, pulled 20
skiers at one time off the MasterCraft dock with a custom dual-prop
ProStar 190. It was a spontaneous and amazing feat! MasterCraft
also had the new MariStar 280 VLD and the totally redesigned X-Star
on site. Some lucky attendees even got to ride in and wakeboard
behind the new X-Star!
At the end of the day MasterCraft concluded its 35th Anniversary
Homecoming celebration with a special dinner, sponsored by Indmar,
an awards ceremony and the introduction of a limited edition 35th
Anniversary Stars & Stripes MasterCraft.
“We only made 35 of these boats,” said Scott Crutchfield, Vice
President of Sales & Marketing. “It's not just a boat with an
anniversary sticker on it. It's every MasterCraft owner's dream. It
has MasterCraft's traditional stars and stripes design, combined
with every modern bell and whistle. It's something a hard-core
collector would take to a Hot-Rod show.”
Of the limited edition 35th Anniversary MasterCraft ProStar
190's and 197's, #1 of 35 is the most coveted. To see which
MasterCraft dealer would get the boat, MasterCraft President &
CEO, John Dorton, drew one name from a box of 32 dealers who were
present to win. And the winner is… Ski Boats Unlimited of
Chesapeake, Virginia. Thirty-four more special edition anniversary
boats will be delivered to dealers that were present at the
Homecoming celebration in the coming weeks. MasterCraft expects
these boats to retail quickly, so call your local dealer to see if
they have one.
In addition to the long-anticipated introduction of the 35th
anniversary boat, MasterCraft owners and enthusiasts were also
chomping at the bit to know who placed in the boat-judging contest.
Dorton and Crutchfield presented the trophies and congratulated the
winners on stage. Winners included:
1968 – 1979 MasterCrafts
1st – Seth Paxton Thompson (1978)
2nd – David Jackson (1977)
1980 – 1986 MasterCrafts
1st – Ken Steeves (1984)
2nd – Dick & Janet Kreeger (1980)
3rd – G.F. Thompson (1984)
1987 – 1992 MasterCrafts
1st – Mark Graziani (1989)
2nd – Kirk Harris (1989)
3rd – Ned & Sue Wigley (1989)
1993 – 1997 MasterCrafts
1st – George & Sheryl Mayer (1993)
2nd – Mitch Fraker (1994)
1998 – 2003 X-Series
1st – Jerry Wolcoveick (2002)
1998 – 2003 ProStars
1st – Rick & Janice Copley (1998)
2nd – Larry Holt (1998)
3rd – Greg Webb (2002)
Tow Rigs
1st – Harold & Lynn Page (1989)
2nd – Chris Owens (2002)
3rd – Bob Litchfield (1998)
Farthest Boat Towed
Ken Steeves
American Spirit Award
Larry Holt (1998)
Best Of Show
Harold & Lynn Page (1989)
“Homecoming was very much like a family reunion,” said Dorton.
“I was driving my X-9 during the Poker Run noticing MasterCraft's
all over the lake with their families and friends skiing, boarding
and just hanging out. It's a nice feeling knowing that our sport
and our boats are bringing people together. Our dealers will
continue to celebrate our 35th anniversary and we'll see another
800 excited owners on October 5th when we host the West Coast
Reunion at Marine World in Vallejo, California.”
For more information regarding MasterCraft's West Coast Reunion
go to the “Team MC” section of mastercraft.com. For pictures of the
35th Anniversary Homecoming Celebration go to the “On The Water”
section of www.mastercraft.com.
MasterCraft is the world's largest producer of inboard and
V-drive water ski, wakeboard and luxury performance powerboats.
Located in Vonore, Tennessee, tours of our 300,000-square-foot
facility are not just available to the press, they are encouraged.
For more information, model specifications, high- and low-res
digital images or 35mm running and detail shots, please contact
Casey Quilter at (423) 884-2221, ext. 205. Or, visit our Web site
at www.mastercraft.com.
