Scott Vruggink doesn't associate the month of April with taxes. For most people, that period of time means rushing to the post office to mail last-minute tax forms that take a chunk out of their checking accounts. For Scott, rain or shine, April means a different kind of rush - one that only comes from being out on the water with his family in a brand-new Malibu boat.
For the Vrugginks, boating is a part of everyday life. They live on a small Michigan lake and enjoy watersports such as wakeboarding, skiing and wakesurfing. Scott and his wife Jaci have two children - Tifani, 15, and Mitch, 19. Malibu sponsored Mitch in competitive watersports before he decided to focus solely on hockey in high school. Scott says that he has fond memories of being out on the water, teaching his son new tricks and techniques, and watching him hone his wakeboarding skills.
"My favorite thing to do every day from when he was 12 years old was to get home around 3 or 4 p.m., and we'd go out all afternoon," Scott says. "I'd train him and work with him on things like technique. He was so into it that we'd do it every day."
But like all
parent-child relationships, when the teenage years arrive, things change. Mitch turned 16, started
driving car, and his time on the water was then split between friends and family. "I came home one
day, and we went and put the boat down," Scott recalls. "It was the first real sunny day, maybe 68
degrees. All of a sudden, there were five girls at the dock and four of his friends, all sitting
there. I walked up and said, 'Hey guys, how are you doing? What's going on?' I was so excited to go
out there and watch Mitch do all of his tricks and flips. He pulled me aside and said, 'Hey, can
you leave us alone, please, when we go out?'"
So Scott did, watching instead from a window. And his daughter isn't far behind. Tifani is close to being old enough to take the family boat out on her own, according to Scott. But there are still plenty of opportunities for the family to get together: They take advantage of calm water days on Lake Michigan about three times a year, and take time off from work to wakeboard and ski on the glassy waters. There are also getaways to places such as Torch Lake in Northern Michigan, and Dale Hollow and Lake Cumberland down south in Kentucky.
The Vrugginks have been enjoying Malibu boats since 1999. They've owned six models, which they sell each fall or winter, only to turn around and buy a new Malibu at the beginning of the boating season. Scott, who currently owns a Malibu 23 LSV, says that he looks forward to the new designs and features each year, from improvements in the ballast system and new hulls on favorite models, to fresh seating arrangements. "The little bit that I gain every year - the way the boats change - is just so worth it," Scott explains.
The trip to Dale Hollow has become more than just a family tradition. The excursion now often
includes up to 80 kids, six to eight houseboats, and a fleet of boats for watersports, including
the 23 LSV. Scott helped build a $5 million youth center for his church and is actively involved in
the youth program. Each year he organizes a contingent of eager family boaters who travel to Dale
Hollow for a few days of cruising, swimming and watersports. There's little downtime for the
Vrugginks, however, as requests for rides on the Malibu
boat often have kids lining up at their houseboat early in the morning. "You're going all
day, from 7 and 8 in the morning until 10 at night," Scott says.
The trip is a unique opportunity for kids from
different backgrounds to interact with each other in an exciting, new setting. Scott says that
during a recent Dale Hollow trip, two siblings from the city wanted to come along, despite not
knowing how to swim, let alone having ever ridden in a boat. Fortunately, the hesitant brothers
went from screaming in terror to pure delight in just a few days' time. It was also a way for the
boys to to connect with their peers, especially the older of the two boys.
For the Vrugginks, boating is always a sure-fire way to connect with one another. "We were on
that trip with 70 to 80 kids, and (the older brother) walked in on a Sunday morning and all of
those kids were high-fiving him," Scott says. "That trip really brings a community of kids
together."
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Boating World Family File
FAMILY MEMBERS: Scott (dad), Jaci (mom), Mitch (son, 19), Tifani (daughter, 15)
LOCATION: Michigan
BOAT MODEL: Malibu 23 LSV
FAVORITE ACTIVITIES: Watersports, cruising
Family Boating tips from the Vrugginks:
Take a trip
The Vrugginks enjoy boating hotspots in Michigan and Kentucky. Their first jaunt was actually
while trailering a boat back home from Florida. They stopped at a Georgia lake to give it a test
drive. However, Jaci spent most of the excursion worried that it was too much, too soon. "We all
laugh about it now, because we go down to Dale Hollow and Lake Cumberland and do these big
houseboating trips," Scott says.
Invite a friend
Neighbors and kids from the local youth center are part of the Vrugginks' boating plans. It
helps that their 23 LSV can seat a lot of people. "You can get a lot of people in the boat and not
have to worry about scrunching," says Scott.
Switch things up
Scott says that a new Malibu each year really spices things up on the water, and that the
family chooses a new color each year, too. "I love having a new model every year," says Scott.