A true slalom towboat with an open bow. The wake is the whole point.
The Malibu Response TXi is a competition ski boat that happens to have bowrider seating, and that ordering matters. Everything about the hull is designed to produce a small, clean, hard wake at slalom speeds.
The engine sits amidships in a direct-drive configuration, with the propeller under the hull rather than behind a drive leg. That layout centres the weight, keeps the stern flat and delivers the instant, linear pull that skiers want out of the gate.
At 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m) it is compact by modern standards, but the open bow still seats a family and the observer position is genuinely usable. Storage is skier-focused: long lockers for slalom skis, wet storage for vests and a dedicated rope locker.
The trade-offs against a general-purpose bowrider are honest ones. Direct-drive inboards have a shaft, a strut and a rudder under the hull, so beaching is out and shallow ramps need care. Fuel burn under load is higher than an equivalent outboard, and the engine box sits in the middle of the cockpit.
If skiing is the reason you are buying a boat, nothing on this list comes close. If skiing is one of five things you want to do, a mainstream bowrider with a tow pylon will serve you better. Used Responses hold value strongly among ski clubs, so buy on hours and service history rather than cosmetics.
The world's best-selling bowrider size, in its most accessible form: light, simple and easy to tow.
US$38,000 - US$52,000 new
The refined mainstream benchmark: quiet, dry, and beautifully finished for the money.
US$72,000 - US$95,000 new
The quality yardstick of the class. Everything is heavier, quieter and better made.
US$155,000 - US$210,000 new