New Video: In The Lead with Peter Hledin of Skater Powerboats

For decades we have covered the radical Skater Powerboats catamarans that have left the Michigan-based Douglas Marine factory for either pleasure of racing purposes, and we’ve yet to meet anyone quite like Peter Hledin, the owner and founder of the company who has been dubbed by many to be the ultimate craftsman. We’re not here to argue that point. In fact, the craftsmanship and customization that Hledin and the team that builds the various Skater Powerboats models brings to the table is the main reason why Hledin is the first subject in the second season of the Speed On The Water In The Lead series presented by Mercury Racing and produced by the talented Scrapyard Media crew.

With help from Hledin, Skater Powerboats national sales manager Tony Cutsuries, father-and-son Skater painters Steve and Jake Schulte and several others—not to mention a slew of sponsors that include MYCO Trailers, Hamilton Marine Finance, Bluave Marine Audio, CP Performance, Hardin Marine, The Firm Realty Group and The Firm Racing Team—we’re happy to present In The Lead with Peter Hledin. As you’ll see in the episode, the legendary Hledin and his team continue to push the limits of what it means to be a custom boat builder with every delivery to their devoted Skater Powerboats clientele.

Not only have we been able to visit the factory many times throughout the years, conduct hundreds of interviews with the builder and his legion of loyal customers, watch his raceboats dominate many offshore races, ride in several of his radical creations, and share several meals with him and his family in Key West, Fla., we’ve enjoyed getting to know him while seeing his brand flourish and grow during the past few decades. Hledin—along with the five other subjects we’ve selected to feature in the 2022 In The Lead series—was an easy choice to include in this year’s stories of the most accomplished and innovative racers, builders, influencers and entrepreneurs in the powerboat industry.

If you haven’t already started watching it, you’re going to want to set aside some time today to enjoy 12 minutes of “In The Lead with Peter Hledin.”

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