Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 23, 1992 TAG: 9202240179
SECTION: BOAT SHOW PAGE: BS-2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By BILL COCHRAN OUTDOOR EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
NEW BOATS REDEFINE SKIING
Smith Mountain Lake, which sends its 20,000 acres shimmering along the foothills of the Blue Ridge, has been a popular water skiing spot for quarter-of-a-century.But recent seasons have seen the sport take on a certain maturity.
Three years ago, the Smith Mountain Water Ski Club was organized. The past two years, Sailor's Cove at Bernard's Landing has been blocked and some of the state's top skiers have competed in the Virginia State Games.
Now growing numbers of skiers are beginning to view their pastime with increased seriousness. Instead of using the family runabout they are eyeing and buying sleek, powerful tournament craft designed with three-event skiability in mind.
Boat manufacturers are taking notice, and so are local dealers. Sea Ray, one of the most recognized names in boating, is out with a ski craft it calls the Ski Ray 190.
Dick Arnold, of Smith Mountain Yacht Club, will show inboard and outboard models in the Southwest Virginia Boat Show.
The show opens 1 p.m. Friday for a three-day run at the Roanoke Civic Center.
"We've had a lot of people in the ski club coming in and taking a look at it," Arnold said of the new Ski Ray. "I think it is going to be popular with people who are hard into skiing, and we are going to get families into it, too."
The 19-foot craft is designed for a smooth wake and very little spray.
"Ski boats have a rough-ride reputation," Arnold said. "Sea Ray has been able to get some softness into it."
Conrad Brothers Marine will have four tournament ski craft in its boat show display, according to Mike Ratcliff.
"In the ski boat industry, the hottest thing this year is a tournament-rated boat with an open bow," said Ratcliff.
Conrad Brothers, located on Claytor Lake, will show two such craft, the MasterCraft Prostar 205 and the Correct Craft Ski Nautique Open Bow, Ratcliff said.
The open bow can turn a serious ski boat into an acceptable family craft by freeing up more passenger space.
While the recession has affected boating, as it has most segments of the economy, the industry has continued to launch a surprising number of innovative craft, and on several fronts.
Grabbing the attention of sailboat buyers is a new water ballast system which makes for easier trailering and launching in inland lakes such as Smith Mountain, Philpott and Claytor. Dave Condon, of American Marine & Sail Supply, hopes to have one - possibly two - of these craft in his boat show display.
A water ballast boat lacks the set keel that can make launching or shallow-water operation difficult, said Condon, whose business is located at Moneta.
After launching, a valve inside the boat is opened and a water tank in the bottom of the hull is gravity filled. Under power or sail, the weight of the water makes the boat stable and self righting. A retractable centerboard prevents side slippage.
"That is the new future of sailboats," said Condon.
No longer must the sailboat owner rent mooring space or own shoreline property or have a beefy tow vehicle, he said.
Not only can a single person launch these boats, but one person also can raise and lower the mast, said Condon.
The American Marine & Sail Supply boat show display will feature the MacGregor 26 ballast craft. Condon also hopes to have the Hunter 23.5, but this ballast boat is so new a prototype model may not be ready, he said.
The boat show also will feature a number of craft that might be called marine minivans, meaning that they devote gobs of room and versatility for fishing, skiing, cruising, sunning, diving, camping and entertaining.
Examples include the Bayliner 2609 Rendezvous and the Lowe Model 2200, both something of a marriage of a pontoon boat and runabout.
The Bayliner 2609 Rendezvous has a stepped catamaran hull. When fitted with a maximum 150-outboard engine, it offers the responsive, agile performance that even a skier can like, hitting speeds above 30 mph. The craft will be featured in the Bay Roc Marina and Yacht Club boat show display.
The monohull of the Lowe 2200 combines the roomy interior of a pontoon boat with the performance of a runabout, yet its aluminum construction keeps its weight and price down, said Ed Graves of Valley Marine Center in Roanoke.
"It can be pulled even with a smaller vehicle," said Graves, who will show the boat with a 120 Evinrude outboard.
Advantage Marine will display the more traditional pontoon boat, the Fisher Freedom 240, according to Mike Fielder of Roanoke. A close examination of the craft reveals some special features.
"It has full fishing seating on the front and the stern also is set up for fishing," said Fielder. "Fisher has fashioned the center of the boat for the family, with wrap-around seats, a Porti-Potti and Bimini top for shelter."
With its live well and fish finder, it has become a "hot item" for boaters with a keen interest in fishing, he said. Pontoon boats have been a top seller at Advantage for three years, and this new model may be on top of the pack, Fielder said.
A Larson 200 Lazer - an eye-catching example of the sporty, low-to-the-water, youth-oriented runabout trend - will be spotlighted in the Shoreline Marina display.
Somewhat more conventional, but still packing plenty of sports appeal, is the Maxum 2100, to be featured by Gio's Marine of Roanoke.
Made by the marine giant Brunswick, the Maxum is a mid-range, family boat, said Guy Sparks Jr., the owner of Gio's.
"Maxum puts the family into an affordable boat with nice features without taking their pocketbook away," he said.
Maxum models are part of the new boat packaging trend, where the craft, engine, trailer, even a digital AM/FM stereo, come as a turn-key operation.
"You don't have to price 15 different items to get the boat into the water," said Sparks.