Among performance-boat enthusiasts, arguing about brand superiority is more than an entertaining pastime. It’s a lifestyle. Whether you currently own a go-fast boat or not, you probably have a favorite brand that you believe is superior to all others. And no one can convince you otherwise.
That’s a good thing, right? Without that kind of passion, the high-performance marine industry withers and dies.
Mutual respect and admiration flowed when Skater guru Peter Hledin spent a day with the DCB Performance Boats team.
Yet, while there is plenty of pettiness and no shortage of squabbles within the industry, there also is respect among builders at the highest level.
Case in point, Peter Hledin, the founder and owner of Skater Powerboats in Douglas, Mich., and Jeff Johnston, Tony Chiaramonte, Paul Miller and the rest of the crew at DCB Performance Boats in El Cajon, Calif. Last week, Hledin paid a visit to DCB—his first—and spent a day hanging out with the DCB team.
“They build a very, very nice product in spite of having such a tight facility and limited space,” he said.
and then