A common response the first time someone sees Tony DeMatteo’s 50-foot V-bottom Wild Trips from Hustler Powerboats, is “what a monster.” What’s amusing is when the comment comes from someone without any performance boat knowledge—the fisherman in the marina or the woman at the gas station. Little do they know, that’s the name of the model—a 50 Monster.

Featuring a trifecta of 800-hp engines from Innovation Marine in Sarasota, Fla. DeMatteo’s boat is the second 50-foot Hustler he’s owned. He had a 40-footer from the Calverton, N.Y., company for 17 years before that and chances are he’ll never own anything but a Hustler.

You see, DeMatteo—and any Hustler owner for that matter—is family. In DeMatteo’s case he practically is family as he’s been friends with Joe
LoGiudice since 1995, before LoGiudice acquired Hustler a couple of years later. Back then LoGiudice also owned a 40-footer Hustler.

To read the entire article, download the March/April 2014 issue of Speed On The Water Digital Magazine at no charge by clicking here.