Nick Dietrich: A Trip to the Tige factory

To be given the honor of being one of the few to ride the all-new ASR from Tige Boats was a privilege that I will not forget. When first told of the possibility that this trip could become a reality I was both nervous and excited. Before I knew it, my flight was booked and I was getting prepared to migrate south for a short but memorable trip.

Upon arriving at the factory, two things were very clear. As soon as you walk through the doors, you are instantly treated like a part of the Tige family, and they need to build a new trophy case to make room for all of their awards for customer service. Who would have thought that these Texans would work so hard to back up the southern hospitality claims that I have heard so much about? As we began walking through the factory, it was evident that their customers/visitors aren’t the only things that the employees work hard to take care of. From research and development, to putting the finishing touches on the boats, everyone involved is passionate about the Tige brand, water sports, and providing their customers with the best possible products.

As we approached the end of the manufacturing line, in a room full of beautifully crafted wake machines, one fierce component of the Tige line stood out amongst the rest. From the second that you lay eyes on it, you know that you are looking at something special. It’s sleek yet towering appearance makes the Tige ASR stand out amongst the rest. After inspecting every inch of the boat, it was time to leave the factory and make our way to our accommodations for the night. There was nothing left to do but wait patiently for the next day to come, when I would finally get the opportunity to try out the much hyped wake that the ASR leaves in its trail.

Up at the crack of dawn, we made our way back to the factory where I once again found myself wandering the facility. Just like a kid in a candy store; eyes wide, mouth open, it is tough to not get caught up in the whole process of hand crafting such a machine. I made my way to the ASR that was then being hitched to a truck and we made our way to a lake about an hour out of Abilene. We had an awesome day discovering what the ASR was capable of and I for one was not disappointed. We started off by testing the wake with its astounding 3000 pounds of stock ballast, which proved to be more than enough to deliver a wake worthy of any level of rider. The wake is big, with a smooth transition, right through to the top of the wake, providing you with height to complete any trick with relative ease. After taking some time to get used to the wake, it was time to load it up with more ballast and see what this thing could really do. The new Indmar engine put the fully loaded ASR on plane with ease as it pulled me out of the water. I have never seen a wake that was so big, that stayed so clean. It kept that smooth transition in the trough of the wake until the very top, which now provided that straight up pop that Tige boats are
famous for.

Now I know the question on everyone’s mind. “Sure the ASR can throw a big wakeboarding wake, but how does it surf?” The ASR has that long and usable surf wake that Tige has worked hard to develop. Its shape is similar to that of its older brother the Z3, but this young gun is looking to prove itself. It is thick all the way through to the barrel, providing you with that addicting push that surfers can’t get enough of.

No words can really capture what it’s like to be in the presence of this boat, so my suggestion to you is if you have the opportunity to check one of these boats out for yourself, don’t miss out. You won’t be disappointed in the design and versatility that Tige has strived to provide to their customers. I would like to thank Tige for the opportunity to visit the factory and letting me test out their newest addition to the family.

I would also like to thank Tyler at GT Performance for making this trip possible and Liquid Force for providing me with gear to keep me on the water. I look forward to seeing the fine folks at Tige in the near future.