Calling it the “G23” still feels funny to me because for the past 3 years this boat / project has been code named the  “gray project.” Why?  Because the boat was covered in massive amounts of a gray bondo type material applied to the hull of the prototype so the engineers could shape the boat in whatever way they felt necessary, based on the riders input. The coolest part of this whole project was that there was an agreement between the wake athletes and Nautique that we wouldn’t put an end to it until every team member signed off on the most important feature: the wake. No matter how short or long it would take, everyone was committed to making the best wakeboarding wake to date, hands down.

10 years ago I remember begging the brand to get me a v drive “Super Air Nautique” even if it meant driving that boat in a lawn chair. Whatever it took to get my hands on it because that hull / wake was exactly what I needed to take my riding to the next level. Now 10 year later I find myself in the same situation… The G23 is the best wakeboarding wake I have ever ridden. Monday the entire pro team got the chance to ride the finished product and the results were mind blowing. I’ve never seen Shaun Murray go bigger than he did. I also landed a new trick off the wake that I’ve never done before. Not just a new grab variation, but a new trick involving a nose grab and 3-4 handle passes. Some real pro tour type stuff. Haha! I’m definitely excited to see what this boat will bring to the riders this upcoming season. All I know is the trick of the year battle is going to be next level. Even the old dogs will learn new tricks. Thanks to the entire team of athletes, engineers, and everyone else who has been part of this project. I’m picking my colors now…I wonder how yellow red and pink will look? Ha.

– Jeff McKee

It is one thing for our Associate Editor, Mr. Jeff McKee who happens to ride for Nautique to tell us all that the new Nautique wake is legitimate and going to change what a wakeboarder can do behind a boat, but it is another for me to say it. I was fortunate enough to be at the media release of this boat on Monday morning with the rest of the Nautique team and the endemic media. We were offered a full run through of the boat to see all of its technological advancements; to say that this boat is tech and well thought out is an understatement. Then, we were offered the opportunity to go out and ride behind it. For some reason the rest of the media were content to ride in the boat and watch the team riders go for
it.

Personally, I was not going to let this opportunity go to waste. So we turned on the pumps and went for a ride with the factory ballast. In the past I might have said “with the stock ballast” or “only the factory ballast,” but my impression of a wake with “factory ballast” is now forever changed. So the rope came tight and I was up and riding. My first impression was simple, “Holy Crap! That thing is huge!” I approached with caution to jump the wake and my first impression was spot on, it was big, I was in the air for a long time and I just went wake to wake. Bottom line?  It’s the real deal. How big, well, bigger than any wake I had ridden to date. And this was factory ballast, no bags, all of the lockers were empty and available for storage. Honestly, outside of a handful of the top pros, there is no need to put any additional weight in this boat. It is huge and clean right out of the box.

– Bill McCaffray

Check the photos and the video. Then try as hard as you can to get a ride behind one of these things. You will be happy you did.