MB Sports

What MB Sports does

MB Sports is a privately held, family-owned manufacturer of custom wakeboard and surf boats headquartered at 280 Airpark Road in Atwater, California. Founded in 1993 by Mike Brendel and his father Irv Brendel, the company designs and builds high-performance recreational boats under two main series—the B52 (deep V hull design optimized for wakeboarding and surf) and the Tomcat (picklefork bow design)—each offered in Alpha (premium) and Classic trims with lengths spanning approximately 21 to 25 feet. Core proprietary technology includes the deep V hull developed in the early 1990s, the MB Switch Surf System (a push-button wake-to-surf transition introduced in 2015), the Gravity Fed Ballast System (fast-fill ballast introduced in 2009), fiberglass vacuum infusion hull construction, and billet 6061T6 aircraft-grade aluminum accents. Boats are powered exclusively by Indmar Raptor engines ranging from 350HP to 575HP (Roush Supercharged).

MB Sports sells exclusively through an authorized dealer network across the United States and Canada, with end-customer transactions, financing, delivery, and service handled by dealers rather than the factory. Boats are built to order with extensive customization options for gelcoat colors, upholstery, audio packages, surf systems, trailers, and accessories, supported by an online configurator at builder.mbsportsusa.com. Base MSRPs range from approximately $103,896 (Tomcat F21 Classic) to $217,433 (B52 25 Alpha), and the company emphasizes standard-included features over à la carte add-ons. Marketing channels include the website and configurator, an Instagram presence (@mbboats), an owners' community site, and annual participation in major North American boat shows in Portland, Kansas City, Chicago, Seattle, Vancouver, Detroit, Calgary, and Sacramento.

Revenue is generated primarily through one-time new boat sales and customization upgrades, supplemented by parts and accessories via an online shop. The company relies on a set of technology and component partners including Indmar for marine engines, JL Audio, Exile Audio, and Wet Sounds for audio systems, Gator Step for flooring, Zero Off for GPS-driven cruise control, Livorsi for instrumentation, and PTM for tower mirrors. With 11–50 employees, MB Sports operates as a niche, artisanal, build-to-order manufacturer rather than a mass-market boat builder, and remains family-owned with no disclosed external investors, subsidiaries, or parent company.

Name

MB Sports

Legal name

MB Sports

Website

https://mbsportsusa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MB Sports is a family-owned manufacturer of custom wakeboard and surf boats based in Atwater, California, serving water sports enthusiasts and families across North America via an authorized dealer network, with base MSRPs from approximately $104,000 to $217,000.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Recreational Wakeboard and Surf Boats

NAICS

Boat Building (336612)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Semi-Custom & Series Production Yacht Manufacturing (IMAJAEAM)

Keywords

• Wakeboard boats
• Surf boats
• Custom boat manufacturing
• Recreational marine vessels
• Watersports towboats

Headquarters

HQ city

Atwater

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. New Boat Sales: MB Sports generates revenue primarily through the sale of new custom wakeboard and surf boats. Boats are sold through an authorized dealer network with base prices ranging from approximately $100,000 to $217,000 depending on model and configuration. Each boat is built to order with extensive customization options.
2. Customization and Accessories: Revenue from customization options including gelcoat colors, upholstery materials, audio packages, surf systems, trailers, and various accessory options. These are sold as add-ons to the base boat configuration.
3. Dealer Network: Sales flow through authorized dealerships that handle customer transactions, financing, and service. Dealers serve as the primary distribution and sales channel.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MB Sports manufactures and sells custom wakeboard and surf boats in two series — the B52 (deep V hull) and Tomcat (picklefork bow) — each offered in Alpha and Classic trims with multiple length options. Boats are built to order with thousands of customization options (colors, fabrics, paint, accessories) and configured online before being sold through an authorized dealer network across North America. Each boat comes standard with proprietary technologies such as the MB Switch Surf System, Gravity Fed Ballast, and Indmar Raptor engines.

Product overview

MB Sports is a wake/surf boat manufacturer offering two distinct boat series: the B52 Series (designed in the early 90s for wakeboarding with deep V hull) and the Tomcat Series (featuring picklefork bow design with aggressive modern look). Each series is available in Alpha (premium) and Classic (standard) trims with multiple length options (21', 22', 23', 24', 25'). All boats come standard equipped with INDMAR Raptor engines, MB Switch Surf System, Gravity Fed Ballast, Exile Audio systems, and customizable gelcoat/upholstery options. The company operates an online boat configurator at builder.mbsportsusa.com for custom builds.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• B52 Series: Wake and surf boat series designed in the early 90s for wakeboarding enthusiasts. Features deep V hull design with surf system and 30-year pedigree.
• Tomcat Series
• Alpha Series
• Classic Series

Products and services

• B52 Series Wake and surf boat series designed in the early 1990s for wakeboarding enthusiasts, using a proprietary deep V hull design that crosses over into wakesurf to produce a high-quality surf wave.
• Tomcat Series

Quantifiable outcome

• Ballast fills in seconds vs. minutes with traditional pump systems
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, standard and minor.

• IndmarcoreTechnology or IntegrationIndmar supplies the Raptor engine series exclusively to MB Sports. This includes Raptor 400 (350HP), Raptor 440 (398HP), and Raptor 575 (510HP Roush Supercharged) engines. Indmar's Raptor Series comes with a full 5-Year Factory Warranty and offers more power, torque, and better fuel economy.
• JL AudiostandardTechnology or IntegrationJL Audio provides speaker systems for MB Sports boats including M6 8.8 cockpit speakers and subwoofer upgrades. JL Audio products are featured in tower speaker packages and audio system upgrades.
• Exile AudiostandardTechnology or IntegrationExile Audio provides audio systems including XM9 tower speakers, XM30.2 amplifiers, Xi 12 DVC subwoofers, and Exile Audio Media Center with ZLD MKII Zone Controller. Used in standard and upgrade audio packages.
• Wet SoundsstandardTechnology or IntegrationWet Sounds provides premium audio packages standard on Alpha series boats. Part of the comprehensive audio system offerings for high-quality marine audio.
• PTM (Performance Tuning and Manufacturing)standardTechnology or IntegrationPTM supplies VR-140 Full View Mirror with Billet Aluminum Bracket as a standard or upgrade feature on MB Sports boats.
• Gator StepstandardTechnology or IntegrationGator Step provides non-slip flooring solutions including plank, hexagon, cascade, and other pattern options for MB Sports boat flooring.
• LivorsistandardTechnology or IntegrationLivorsi provides MB Sports 5-inch High Performance instrumentation for boat dashboards and gauge clusters.
• Zero OffstandardTechnology or IntegrationZero Off provides Wakeboard Pro Cruise Control GPS-driven speed control system for consistent wakeboard and surf performance across all conditions.
• Boat Show OrganizersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership with various boat show organizers including Chicago Boat Show, Portland Boat Show, Seattle Boat Show, and others for annual show participation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Axis Wake Research: Value-performance wakeboat brand owned by Malibu Boats. Directly comparable to MB Sports in product category and target customer, leveraging Malibu's hull technology at lower price points.
• Malibu Boats: Largest US manufacturer of performance wakeboats, including the Malibu and Axis brands. Competes head-to-head with MB Sports in the wakeboat segment with similar engine, ballast, and surf-system technologies and a comparable dealer-driven distribution model.
• Heyday Wake Boats: Entry-level wakesurf and wakeboat brand owned by MarineMax. Competes with MB Sports at lower price points in the same product category, targeting first-time and value-oriented buyers.
• Moomba Boats: Value-tier performance boat manufacturer producing wake and surf boats under the Skier's Choice parent. Comparable to MB Sports in product category and dealer-distribution model, though positioned at lower price points.
• Sanger Boats: Smaller specialty manufacturer of inboard ski, wake, and surf boats. Comparable to MB Sports in company size, dealer distribution model, and customization focus within the performance boat category.
• Nautique (Correct Craft): Manufacturer of premium ski, wakeboard, and wakesurf boats under the Nautique brand. Direct competitor to MB Sports in the high-performance wakeboat category, with comparable proprietary hull, surf, and ballast technologies and similar premium pricing strategy.
• MasterCraft Boat Holdings: Publicly traded manufacturer of premium performance wakeboats, towboats, and luxury boats. Most direct competitor to MB Sports in the high-end wakeboat category, with overlapping customer base of wakeboard/wakesurf enthusiasts and similar proprietary surf and ballast technologies.
• Centurion Boats: Manufacturer of performance wakeboats focused on wakesurf and wakeboard, offering the Opti-V hull and proprietary surf systems. Directly comparable to MB Sports in product category, target customer, and premium positioning.
• Tigé Boats: Manufacturer of inboard wake and surf boats with proprietary TAPS surf system. Closely comparable to MB Sports in size, product category, dealer-driven distribution, and wakeboat-specific engineering focus.
• Supreme Boats: Smaller performance towboat manufacturer producing wake and surf boats at comparable price points to MB Sports. Overlaps in dealer-channel distribution and enthusiast-focused marketing approach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/mbboats
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mb-boats

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about MB Sports