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/// Market Trends /// Photo courtesy of WSIA A company built around water sports, Nautique CEO Bill Yeargin connects with his audience through his "Nautique Insider" blog that is intended to give enthusiasts insight into the company and build an emotional attachment to the brand. As one of the world's leading ski boat manufacturers, Nautique actively monitors water sports trends like other brands, yet tries to use its position to lead the industry in terms of technology and direction. "We don't look at ourselves as being market driven — most companies are market driven, so they look at the market and say what does the market want and then try to engineer, design, build what the market wants," Yeargin said. "We're driving the market and we're giving the market new things they didn't know they wanted." Part of that innovation has recently included the development of the Nautique Surf System that allows operators to switch the wake's wave from side to side, as well as modify its shape, at the press of a button. The system's integrated Waveplate redirects the flow of water coming off the boat, which changes the wake without moving passengers around on the boat or offloading ballast water. Yeargin cited a similar roster of qualities that have made wakesurfing so popular — lower speeds, painless falls and appeal to a wider audience. "Wakeboarders, water-skiers and wakeskaters are getting older like myself. It's a lowimpact way to keep those of us who love watersports fully engaged in the industry as we age," he said. "It's definitely the perfect storm of factors and technologies." Perhaps it had something to do with being interviewed during the 71st Water Ski National Championships, which attracted hundreds of skiers to West Palm Beach, Fla., but Yeargin downplayed the idea that waterskiing is in decline. "There are a lot of [young people] in this sport and you look to the kids and teenagers … because they're the future, and they're as enthusiastic about it as their parents," Yeargin said. "I think the wake sports have brought a lot of people into our industry, and they've expanded the industry, but waterskiing is still alive and well." Photo courtesy of Nautique Leading the industry With new technologies, ski boats can produce large, asymmetric waves ideal for surfing. to respond with new technology, specifically when it comes to making larger wakes. "Designed from the wake up," Nautique's G-Series boat was honored as the WSIA's Most Innovative Product in 2012. The G23 is aggressively styled, but received accolades for its hydroplate technology that adjusts the hull's surface using internal ballast for a larger wave. Yeargin credited the new sports for spurring innovation throughout the industry. "We were fortunate to be on the innovative side and have the cool new product, but it's made everybody else better," he said. "It pushes us, we push each other — they're all good companies and so the more we push each other, that drives innovation, that drives customer service, it's really good for the customer." A less visible innovation at Nautique has been Spurring innovation, new markets With new activities requiring new characteristics from the boat, the major sport builders have had www.BoatingIndustry.com P42x47-BI13OCT-MarketTrends.indd 45 October 2013 | Boating Industry | 45 9/5/13 11:55 AM