Wakeboard Boat Review
The MasterCraft X-Star has one of the most impressive résumés in all of wakeboarding. It has been the official tow boat of the MasterCraft Pro Wakeboard Tour for more than a decade and has pulled more professional events than any other boat in wakeboarding history. The MasterCraft X-Star also helped progress the sport outside the contest scene, pulling more official 1080s than any other boat and helping to launch the careers of riders like Parks Bonifay, Rusty Malinoski and Harley Clifford. Much of the credit for this imposing pedigree is due to the hull, which MasterCraft spent more than two years crafting specifically for wakeboarding. The result is perhaps the thickest wake with long transitions for consistent takeoffs and almost no trough for smooth landings. In 2011, the maxed-out wakes the X-Star kicks out on the Pro Tour are even more attainable for the average rider thanks to MasterCraft’s new plug n’ play ballast. The system allows you to directly integrate ballast bags into the X-Star’s standard hard-tank ballast and fill and drain them directly from the helm. Now you can load up as much weight as the MasterCraft X-Star’s iconic hull can handle, which is a lot. Just ask Rusty.
The MasterCraft X-Star is the best wakeboard boat for you if: You want to own one of the most iconic boats in wakeboarding history and progress your riding on the same elite wake as some of the world’s best pros.
How to max it out: The X-Star comes standard with a healthy 1,000 pounds of factory-installed hard-tank ballast. If you really want to unlock the elite size and shape of the X-Star’s wake, opt for MasterCraft’s new plug n’ play ballast system, which lets you add as much weight as you want with integrated ballast bags you manage directly from the helm. Next, gain more control than ever before with MasterCraft’s new Power Tower, which boasts an innovative design that allows you to raise and lower this beefy tow point electronically — right at the cockpit.
MasterCraft X-Star 2011 Specs
Length: 22 ft. 3 in.
Width: 100 in.
People: 12 people
Load capacity: 1,770 lbs.
Fuel capacity: 53 gals.
Dry weight: 4,250 lbs.
Standard ballast: 1,000 lbs.
Max ballast: 1,000 lbs. plus Plug and Play
Standard engine: Ilmor MV8 5.7L
Maximum horsepower: Ilmor MV8 6.2L
