We’ll also open an online
community where Heyday
owners can meet and share
experiences, images and ideas.”
Ben’s vision for the Heyday
Inboard brand is expansive.
“Our tag line is ‘Wake Tunes
Crew,’” Ben says. “That’s what
the Heyday lifestyle is about:
time on the water, music and
sharing the experience. I want
the Heyday website to become
a mashup of Pandora andYouTube, where people can
share photos, video and music
in a format that’s much bigger
than the typical owner’s forum
site. The Heyday brand is more
than just the boat.”
The WT-1 is designed
to get people on the water
during their personal heyday
— that time when they are
physically prime and likely
unencumbered with full
packages of commitments and
responsibilities. The Heyday
brand supports the experience.
It’s a business plan that’s
worked for companies like
Harley-Davidson and Burton
Snowboards but has never
been fully executed in the
marine market.The B t
The WT-1 is just as bold as the
business plan.
“I wanted this boat to
produce a great wake for both
surfing and boarding right
out of the box, fine-tuned
with ballast and boat speed so
it would not need tabs,” Ben
says. “To meet our price and
size parameters, we needed
to design an 18-foot boat that
would make the wake of a
21-footer.”The running surface came
first, developed by Cotton
Welshen, a former MasterCraft
designer with 30 years
experience who has moved
to Bryant. Working from an
existing boat hull, Welshen
and Ben reshaped the running
surface over and over until they
dialed in a wake shape they
liked with validation from UT
team riders and some pros.
With a hull shape in place,
Ben turned to Peter Granata,
the designer who introduced
MasterCraft and Cobalt’s
“pickle fork” deck layout that
has since been adopted by a
multitude of builders, for
a cockpit concept. Working
with design input provided by
19- to 24-year-old Lawrence
Technological University
students, Granata returned an
idea, boldly styled yet rooted in
pure function, so dramatically
different, it’s almost confusing
to look at. The WT-1 is to a
current tow-sports boat what
a stealth fighter is to an F-16 —
you assume that it floats or flies
almost on faith.
The bow of the WT-1 seems
simply clipped off, eliminating
length that doesn’t provide
much function in a boat
expected to see lake duty.SURF
My demo session with
the WT-1 was also my fi rst
chance to try wakesurfi ng.
Here’s what I learned.DON’T USE BEN DORTON’S
BOARD It was like trying to
ride a cafeteria tray. It’s only
3 feet 6 inches long with triple
fi ns and very sharp edges
— too twitchy and unstable
for a beginner. Instead go for
a board that’s wide, long and
forgiving, like the 4-foot-10-
inch Liquid Force Happy Pill.HEELS BACK I found that I
could keep the board tipped
while I sat in the water before
the start by putting my heels
back over the edge. The boat
driver should get into gear
at idle speed as soon as
the rider is in position, and the
resulting pressure holds the
board against the rider’s feet.
Suck your knees up toward
your chest and put your arms
straight out. Hit it and you’ll
pop right up, then move your
feet into a more centered
position on the board.LINE LENGTH You can’t ride
in the sweet spot of the wake
where there’s enough energy
to surf if the towline is too
long or too short. After my fi rst
two attempts, Ben shortened
the line a segment, and it
clicked for me.SLACK LINE You know you’re
surfi ng when the towline goes
slack, but you are still moving.
To stabilize the board, make
sure you maintain pressure on
both feet. Too much pressure
on your back foot will make
the nose of the board twitchy.
PHOTO: (TOP RIGHT) MICHAEL SCHOENECKER
BOATINGMAG.COM JUNE 2016 75