The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Here's Peter Hledin's first model...the 18 footer....built in the early 80's.

From little chestnuts.....big accomplishments grow.


T2x

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

That little duck billed daffy boat is the first skater?.... roflmao.... and you say cats west of the Mississippi are bad.... ho ho ho ho..... I know.... it's old... just a start... but still... way funny.... :p

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Nice stable boat's till you get to about 80 mph or so. Several running around here (they are built not far from me, so many of the older original boats are still in this area including several 24's). See the 18's for sale every now and then.

'Foul

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Looks like an "Addictor". They were built before that too. I wonder if it was modeled after the addictor.

The little 13' schiada's were cool boats too!

Tank

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Remember the cathedral hulled Thunderbirds? Were those boats part of the current Thunderbird Marine Company? Did Aronow have anything to do with them?

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

skater is the best boat i have ever drove PERIOD

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

I remember the Powerboat magazine test from '82, I believe, that said the boat ran 90 something with a 200 Mariner. That was before finger ported motors! Rich is that accurate, or was that an Alex motor?

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Even Peter started in an S.O.B. :D :D :D

Thanks Rich!
I saw one down in Pine Beach for sale for awhile.

Do you think they may be worth something big one day? :eureka:

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

A lot of the early cats had a full tunnels Anglo Malinaris designs way back another example.

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Steve...Don't you mean Renato Molinari from Italy? :crazy: Ed

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

ED I think Renalto was the #1 Son. Not sure been a while since I was over there.Anyway on one hand you can count guys who can Conceive/design/build/race..

Best Regards

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

I don't know.....it looks pretty "unstable" to me. :rolleyes: :eek:

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

I see that they kept the same cockpit size thru there entire model production!!! :D:D:D



Nice rig.

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

I'm not sure what you mean...The Skater hull was a tunnel hull...not a cathedral hull.

Don Aronow had nothing to do with them that I know of other than Thunderbird purchased Formula boat co. from him.

T2x

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Angelo Molinari....was the father and started the boat building company on Lake Como Italy. Renato was his son...and drove at the top echelon of race drivers in the world. His cousin Cesar Scotti started in Molinari hulls and later built Scotti hulls for OMC ....(Mercury had an exclusive on all Molinari's.....until the company switched to Seebolds)..... Sadly, Cesar was killed in one of his own boats at the Paris 6 hour marathon....... He hit one of the Seine's walls at about 100 mph.

T2x

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

[QUOTE=Reed Jensen]That little duck billed daffy boat is the first skater?.... roflmao.... and you say cats west of the Mississippi are bad.... ho ho ho ho..... I know.... it's old... just a start... but still... way funny.... :p[/QUOTE

That boat was pretty trick in its day.

T2x

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

I may be wrong, but I believe the 24 came next.......and the 21 shortly after.

T2x

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Cesar (on the left) and Renato.....gettin' it on.......

Two of the greatest drivers in history (Cesar on the right below)........ what a gene pool that was!

T2x

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

We can't even see the pointy head with all that dark stuff up there.

Did those powder flash blind you as much as they say back in the 1800's?

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

http://www.screamandfly.com/screaman...ne/Scotti.html

For those of you who appreciate talent over graphics.


T2x

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

"For those of you who appreciate talent over graphics" T2x

Very Impressive!!!

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Yup...That was the correct sequence. By the way...That silly little 18' Skater did'nt run so bad with a 2.4 Mod VP carb motor. I spun a 24" Chopper with the motor as high as it would go & still get water pressure. Fun little ride, but short lived, as the next ride was a 21' with twin 150XR2's. Ed :)

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

GLH...That's about it too...! That's funny! Ed :)

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Oh come on now GLH, They made a lil' more room for some guages & stuff... :D

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

hey that first pic, i was there at thast event, i was riding with shane in his 24 skater

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

At home somewhere I have pictures of the Skater(s) before that one. The pictures are from 1978 ish in Toronto Canada, long pond center island, at the world waterski championships..... Pete built the dingys for picking up the skiers....... and some patrol boats, and the new 18 was there on display. And if memory serves they were still built in Canada at the time. I was 4 at the time so I am going on what my dad told me.
I will try and post them monday.

RT

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Peter's brother Doc Hledin created a 6 carb manifold for Mercury's race v-6 outboards and marketed them and other mods under his Machma company banner.......

Quite a talented pair.

T2x

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

yup, I have 2 of them....... you ought to see his 2.7 run, had a 32 skater running 133 with them..... in heavy pleasure version.

RT

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Damn.I saw one of these for 500 bucks a few years ago.It was ugly.I thought the owner was BSing about it being a Skater.(kicking self in ass repeatedly)

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

I thought the 6-carb manifolds and the twin spark plug heads were from PTR (Performance Thru Research), which was Dr. Alex. We ran the heads on many different Mercs, including Champ motors and T-3's. Can you add anything Rich?

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Firewalker is right.. Pete was in Canada building them.. I did see a few old pics at one time.
The boat that was tested by PB mag in 82.. I took a ride in that with Pete at 93mph on the speedo going under the Douglas Bridge over the Kalamazoo river. I figured he had done many times before, so if it was my time.. well I just enjoyed the ride. His factory at that time was right on the water.. and with high water there was water in the shop. He had the plug for the 24 sitting upstairs and drawings streached from one wall to the next.

Those were the good ole days..

Dick

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

I first saw them on Oley Berkus' (Canadian Mercury tunnel boat driver)boat in about 1980 or so...... Right after that I got involved with starting up Shadow...and lost direct track of Alex's efforts..... I'd hear things from time to time......... mostly good. But, I have been much closer to Peter than Alex over the years.

T2x

Re: The first Skater....from the way back machine
 

Somehow I just saw this post again.

With Alex ( PTR ), yes he did build the cast aluminum dual plug head, and the dual ( 6 ) carb front end. Alex has always been able to build BIG HP from his motors, and if you don't hear about him it is because he really only does stuff for race teams...... read European F1 ( where the $$$$ is ), and some special customers ( hehe ).
He has done it all, and like his brother operates at a different level...... and is an ultra nice guy too boot.

RT