Check out the three finalists from the OPTIMA Ultimate Power Challenge. OPTIMA batteries are the ultimate power source to fuel any on-the-water party, so this summer OPTIMA and WAKEBOARDING hosted a search for the ultimate wakeboard setup. We’ve narrowed that months-long search down to three finalists — Jeff Aitken of Washington, D.C.; Chris Drascic of Monona, Wisconsin; and Nathan Thom of Rice Lake, Wisconsin. Each of the three finalists have won two OPTIMA BlueTop batteries of their choice. But we’re not done yet. Soon, we’ll pick a grand prize winner, who will also receive a set of M282B marine grade 8-inch tower speakers and a PUNCH Amplifier from audio system leader, Rockford Fosgate. Meantime, tell us what you think. Check out each of the finalists’ setups on the following pages and vote for your favorite.
Jeff Aitken’s OPTIMA Ultimate Power Challenge Setup
Jeff Aitken’s 2007 Super Air Nautique sports eight 6.5-inch PolkMomo tower speakers, six 6.5-inch PolkMomo interior speakers, and four 8-inch PolkMomo subwoofers under the dash. The four subs are housed in a custom-built sub box and run off a 600-watt amp. The four Defcon II tower speaker sets each have a pair of MMC650 coaxials wired in series (8-ohm load per can), and each can has its own channel on one of the C400.4 amps. That tower amp runs off the rear output of the OEM Clarion head unit. The other C400.4 amp runs the six 6.5-inch speakers in the cockpit and bow and is fed with the front output of the Clarion head unit. As a result, if no one is in tow, you can fade to the front and enjoy the music without disturbing anyone behind the boat. With a rider out back, you can fade to the rear so he can hear it, but you can still talk to others in the boat.
Chris Drascic’s OPTIMA Ultimate Power Challenge Setup
Chris Drascic’s Super Air Nautique has six Skylon Rubicon 450 tower speakers — each of which contains three speakers with a total of 550-watt peak power handling. Inside the boat, there are six more speakers as well as a subwoofer that is fed by a 500-watt amp.
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Nathan Thom’s OPTIMA Ultimate Power Challenge Setup
Nathan Thom’s Centurion Avalanche Storm has four 6-inch Infinity tower speakers, four 6-inch Polk Audio interior speakers and two 10-inch Polk Audio subwoofers. All of that is powered by three amps, which together push 2,800 watts of peak power. The sounds are controlled by a Sony head unit as well as a transom-mounted remote just above the swim platform. Also in the mix is a HSE Revolution Volume Control, which powers the sound up and down with the boat’s RPMs. The Avalanche Storm also sports a host of 32-watt blue LED underwater and interior lights.
