Were these early single step models just experiments before Cigarette went on with the TS and Fountain with a more sophisticated single Step (on the 35’Executioner) or were those designs also available to their ‘ordinary’ customers back then? How many were built and was there a notable difference in performance compared to the straight bottoms?
Two examples:

5 cigs built

losts of spins rolls!!

Very, very true, also quality control on my 2000 ss TG was terrible..no factory support, and the scariest unpredictable riding boat Ive owned to date....Nothing like the quality products that come out of the Cig factory today...Jeff

I was told 6 were built to date with mine being hull #3.

The boat in the first pic spun, and I think ejected everybody and partially submerged,at LOTO while testing for the OSS races about 14 months ago. The boat is still at LOTO.

The single steps were modified from the straight bottom mold and didn't work well. The T/S Cigs are a new design.

I think the Single step Fountains are fine. Just not as fast. Fountain just brought them back as a lower priced boat a few years ago.

The reason the single step on the Cigs didn't work was the location of the step. You have to understand the footprint of your hull and where the high pressure and low pressure of the water hits on your hull... long story short the air was getting sucked in under the hull from the single step but it was so far forward that the pressure was still hitting the rear of the hull in the wrong place. They came with the twin step and the low/high pressure was balanced better. I can't help you with why fountain used the single step for so long on the 35's.

The only SS that I have been on that works and is proven is on the 37 A.T., that was designed by Harry Scholl.

37 Outerlimits as well.

Rice Hauler owned the Roul Bousel thumprint boat

Yep, and he has just as much negative input that's already been told here.

Which was a cut down 40 hustler