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WATERSKI MagazineThere's a reason the TBX (Tourna-ment Boat Extraordinaire) is called what it's called. It's a blue-collar skier's boat, built to stand up to the rigorous demands of purists who want consistent pulls, dead-on tracking and never a single concession from the boat.
The model name isn't too far from the truth. New American Skier president and former WaterSki Magazine test team member Ron Tanis knows how to build that kind of boat; he was a vice president of Skier during the company's heydays in the 1980s. He also knows what our test team skiers look for in a boat – which just happens to be what the majority of consumers look for as well. Is it any wonder that he's hit the nail on the head with the reintroduction of the tournament-designed TBX? Not really.
An engineer by trade, Tanis left no stone unturned in the TBX's construction. The TBX rides on a semi-modified vee with 4 degrees of deadrise aft. It uses an all-composite construction, so there's no wood in the structural sections of the boat.
Excuse the use of the superlatives, but the TBX is one extraordinary slalom boat. Our skiers raved about the boat's strong, consistent pull through the course and about the low, soft and flat slalom wakes all the way into world-record territory. At one line length (35 off) they remarked: “It's flat, soft and there's no spray.” At another (28 off), they matched it up with some of the best slalom boats in the world. This boat now certainly belongs in that class.
Driving for slalom received praise from our team too. Both forward and rear visibility were perfect, and we noted the easy speed- and line-holding capability behind the wheel. Tracking was excellent with Skier's new Z Marine rudder (see Boating, Sept./Oct. 1996), which can provide instant and changeable rudder loading. Unfortunately, we also noticed some loss of rudder control on deceleration while turning to port (not good on skier cutouts). Tanis says the matter is being attended to.
To complete the slalom package, a new rope protector has been added to the center-mounted pylon. Plus, Skier has added a unique “one last run” feature: A 4-gallon reserve gas tank ensures that even when the needle says “E,” there's enough fuel left to grab a few more balls.
Of course, with every new boat, there are always some initial glitches that work themselves out before full production boats hit the showroom floor. The interesting, multi-piece convertible rear bench seat should be cleaned up before boat-show season. The sun deck folds down into a couch and creates a large step-over to the carpeted platform. And the tachometer placement is off to the side. We'd like to see it repositioned to the middle, since many slalom drivers rely on the tach more than they do the speedo because it won't fill up with weeds like a speedo pick-up can. These things you expect on the first boat out of the mold – the excellent skiability, you don't.
American Skier has hit on a winner with the revised TBX, and serious skiers should include the revamped model when looking for a ski boat that will stand up to the rigors of everyday use – and the expectations of the skiers who use it.
