Skater Powerboats

What Skater Powerboats does

Skater Powerboats, legally organized as Skater Corporation and headquartered in Douglas, Michigan, designs and builds fully custom high-performance power catamarans ranging from 28 to 58 feet in length. Founded in 1974 by Peter Hledin, the company operates from a 95,000-square-foot facility and produces a 12-model lineup plus matching custom hydraulic tilt trailers. Its core technical differentiator is pioneer use of vacuum-bagged composite construction with S-glass, Kevlar, carbon fiber, aircraft-grade balsa core sandwich, and epoxy resin, combined with in-house hand-built plugs and moulds that enable per-customer hull, tunnel, and sponson customization.

The business model is one-off direct-to-consumer sales of custom-built vessels priced in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, with quote-based pricing determined by model, power configuration (inboard, outboard, or both), paint, and interior specifications. Sales are handled primarily through the founder and a national sales manager, supported by an exclusive dealer (RP Elite Motors and Marine in Texas). Customer segments split between high-net-worth recreational enthusiasts and professional offshore racing teams, the latter reinforced by a documented 40+ year racing pedigree including Class 1 championship participation.

The company is privately held with no disclosed external funding, ownership changes, or executive succession plan. Commercial partnerships center on Mercury Racing as the dominant engine supplier, Performance Boat Center for race boat rigging, and media partnerships with outlets like Speed on the Water and Scrapyard Media. All boats are fully bespoke with no standardized pricing, making the business inherently low-volume, high-ticket, and dependent on the personal reputation of its founder and racing results for demand generation.

Name

Skater Powerboats

Legal name

Skater Corporation

Website

https://skaterpowerboats.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Skater Powerboats, founded in 1974 by Peter Hledin in Douglas, Michigan, designs and builds fully custom high-performance power catamarans (28–58 feet) and matching trailers using proprietary vacuum-bagged composite construction, serving high-net-worth enthusiasts and professional offshore racing teams through direct factory sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom High-Performance Powerboats

NAICS

Boat Building (336612), Ship and Boat Building (3366)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury Catamaran (Power & Sail) Manufacturing (IMAJAMAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Catamaran & Multihull Leisure Craft Manufacturing (IMAJAEAC)

Keywords

• Custom powerboats
• High-performance catamarans
• Offshore racing boats
• Boat manufacturing
• Composite boat building

Headquarters

HQ city

Douglas

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, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Custom High-Performance Catamaran Sales: Skater Powerboats generates revenue through the custom manufacture and sale of high-performance catamaran boats. Each boat is built to individual customer specifications including paint, interior, and power options. The company offers both inboard and outboard power configurations across all models. Boats range from 28 feet to 58 feet in length with prices typically in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Skater Powerboats designs and builds fully custom high-performance power catamarans ranging from 28 to 58 feet in length, using vacuum-bagged composite construction with S-glass, Kevlar, carbon fiber, aircraft-grade balsa core, and epoxy resin. Each boat is custom-built to individual specifications including paint, interior, and power configurations. The company also manufactures custom hydraulic tilt boat trailers designed to transport Skater vessels up to 52 feet.

Product overview

Skater Powerboats is the world's #1 builder of high-performance catamarans, offering 12 distinct models ranging from 28 to 58 feet in length. Founded in 1974 and led by Peter Hledin, the Michigan-based company crafts fully custom boats using vacuum-bagging technology, S-glass, Kevlar, carbon fiber, and epoxy resins. The product line includes: compact models (28, 308, 318) primarily with outboard power; mid-size models (368, 388, 40SS, 418, 426) available with inboard or outboard configurations; and large flagship models (438, 46, 50, 588) designed for racing and luxury performance. Nearly every model offers flexibility between inboard and outboard power options. The company also manufactures custom hydraulic tilt trailers for transporting boats up to 52 feet. All boats feature custom construction from paint to interior to power, with no two Skaters being identical.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Skater 28 The best-selling model, described as a 'Porsche on the water.' A 28-foot catamaran with lightweight, nimble handling and real offshore capabilities. Available in standard deck (seating for 5) or flat-deck with wrap-around windshield (seating for up to 6 with widened tunnel option). Outboard power only. Achieves 110+ mph with 300R or 400R Mercury Racing outboards and 400-mile range at 80+ mph cruise.
• Skater 308 A scaled-up version of the 28 for buyers wanting to step into the 30'+ size range with outboard power. Features raiseable windshields at the touch of a button, cockpit seating for 5, and a large molded-in rear hatch. Achieves up to 120 mph with Mercury Racing 400Rs and 500+ mile range with 100-gallon fuel tanks.
• Skater 318 An enhanced version of the 308 with a 10" wider tunnel and flat-deck/wrap-around windshield configuration. Outboard-only model with wide cockpit seating for up to 6. Features an aerodynamic front deck with up to 3 molded-in hatches and a rear deck with 1 large molded-in hatch for abundant storage.
• Skater 368 An 8" widened 36-foot catamaran based on the first offshore cat to officially clock over 200 mph. Features wider tunnel for stability and seating for up to 6 people. Custom flat-deck with wrap-around windshield. Achieves 115+ mph with Mercury Racing 400R outboards, 130+ mph with mild 700+ hp inboard motors, and 170+ mph with 1100+ hp turbo/supercharged engines.
• Skater 388 Current offshore racing national and world championship winning model. Features 38'0" length with 11'0" beam and 360-gallon fuel capacity. Available as custom flat deck/wrap-around windshield boat, standard or widened up to 10". Seating for 5-7 passengers. Achieves speeds exceeding 190 mph in shootouts.
• Skater 40 SS The gold standard for rough water cats, designed for the Super Cat class of 2000. Features 40' running surface with 11'10" beam and can carry up to 600 gallons of fuel for long range cruising. Known for outstanding rough water capability due to great tunnel depth and wide planing sponsons.
• Skater 418 Next-generation 40-foot catamaran inspired by Pro Class 1 offshore competition. Features aggressive 40-foot running surface with 72-inch tunnel, wider tunnel design for increased aerodynamic lift, and race-inspired running surfaces. Built with hand lay-up construction and supports speeds over 130 mph with inboard engines.
• Skater 426 A 40SS with extended bow (18" lengthening) and widened sponson for greater hull weight. Features 42'6" running length and true 12' beam for enhanced stability and performance.
• Skater 438 A 10% enlargement of the 388 featuring deeper tunnel, longer running surface, wider sponson, and wider tunnel. Designed for outstanding rough water capabilities with improved top-end performance and tremendous range. Accommodates ultra-wide cockpit for 8-9 adults with up to 600 gallons of fuel.
• Skater 46 Classic 46-foot catamaran with 12'0" beam and 66" height. Can accommodate various engine configurations from 750hp Mercruisers to powerful turbine setups.
• Skater 50 A 46-foot hull with a four-foot bustle, essentially a 46-footer with extended rear section. Powers up to 180 mph with dual Mercury Racing 1550/1350 engines producing 3,100 combined hp.
• Skater 588 The flagship 58-foot catamaran originally built to supersede the 40 Classic for racing. Features a 12'4" beam, 6'10" tunnel height, 500-gallon fuel capacity, and supports various engine configurations including 750hp Mercruisers, 1650s with #8 drives, turbines with surface drives, or quad-engine setups.
• Skater Trailers Custom-designed tilt boat trailers including standard hydraulic tilt trailers (boats up to 40' with 11' beam, 14,000# capacity) and heavy-duty hydraulic tilt trailers (boats up to 52' with 12' beam). Features include triple axle heavy duty air bag suspension, full box frame construction, and disk brakes on all wheels.

Quantifiable outcome

• Speeds exceeding 190 mph achieved in offshore racing and shootout events
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Monster EnergyflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 November 2022Monster Energy serves as the primary sponsor of the M CON Racing team, which competes in Class 1 offshore racing using Skater Powerboats catamarans. The partnership represents high-profile visibility for Skater in professional racing circuits.
• RP Elite Motors and MarinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRP Elite Motors and Marine serves as the exclusive dealer for Skater Powerboats. Founded by Ross Ramsey in Springtown, Texas, the company handles brokerage of pre-owned Skaters, new boat sales, and customer introductions to the factory. They brokered deals for customers including Bobby and Stacey Willingham and Kevin Birrell.
• Mercury RacingcoreTechnology or IntegrationMercury Racing is the primary engine supplier for Skater Powerboats. Their engines power virtually all Skater models, including the 400R outboards, 1075SCi, 1100 Comp, and the powerful 1550/1350 dual-calibration engines. This is a key integration partnership for Skater's high-performance offerings.
• Performance Boat CentercoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPerformance Boat Center, led by owners Tyler and Lindsey Miller, works with Skater on race boat construction and rigging, particularly for the M CON Racing team. They handle critical build and setup work for competition vessels.
• Sterling Performance EnginescoreTechnology or IntegrationSterling Performance Engines in Milford, Michigan is a longtime engine builder for Skater Powerboats. Founder Mike D'Anniballe was among the engine-builder's first customers, and Peter Hledin actually introduced D'Anniballe to his future wife Connie Cushing.
• Scrapyard MediaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerScrapyard Media, led by Brad DiMaggio, produced the M CON Racing documentary and the 'In The Lead' video series documenting Skater builds and personalities. Created 30+ minute documentary on Skater Powerboats construction.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fountain Powerboats: Fountain builds high-performance offshore powerboats, including catamarans and V-bottoms, that overlap with Skater's enthusiast and racing customer base, and have historically competed in the same events.
• Nor-Tech Boats: Nor-Tech manufactures custom high-performance center consoles and catamarans with a similar customer profile to Skater and a strong Super Cat racing heritage.
• Cigarette Racing Team: Cigarette Racing is a long-established direct competitor producing high-performance offshore powerboats (V-bottoms and cats) using Mercury Racing engines. The brand targets the same affluent enthusiast and racing segments as Skater.
• Mystic Powerboats: Mystic Powerboats is one of the closest direct competitors to Skater, building custom high-performance luxury catamarans with inboard power, advanced composite construction, and racing pedigree. Both target high-net-worth enthusiasts seeking 40-50 ft performance cats.
• Outerlimits Offshore: Outerlimits designs and builds custom high-performance offshore powerboats (cats and V-bottoms) for wealthy enthusiasts, with hand-laid composite construction and racing credibility directly comparable to Skater's offering.
• Eliminator Boats: Eliminator is a long-standing manufacturer of high-performance powerboats with racing heritage and custom configurations, positioned in the same premium enthusiast market as Skater.
• Marine Technology Inc. (MTI): MTI builds high-performance offshore catamarans and center consoles with a strong racing heritage, similar size range to Skater, and twin/outboard power options. They compete head-to-head with Skater in poker runs, shootouts, and custom luxury cat orders.
• DCB Performance Boats (Dave's Custom Boats): DCB builds custom high-performance catamarans in a similar size range to Skater with comparable Mercury Racing power and active presence in Super Cat and Class 1 racing circuits.
• Sonic Boats: Sonic builds high-performance offshore boats in comparable size ranges with racing pedigree, targeting the same powerboat enthusiast segment that Skater serves.

Emerging players

• Wright Performance Boats: Wright Performance Boats is an emerging custom performance catamaran builder with racing success in Super Cat events, drawing on technology and talent overlapping with Skater's design heritage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/skaterpowerboatsbydmc
• Instagraminstagram.com/skater.powerboats
• TikToktiktok.com/@skaterpowerboats
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skater-powerboats

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 Skater Powerboats