The History of Ski Nautique

Thanks to his passion for water-skiing, Bentz decided to design a better ski boat. Courtesy Leo Bentz

The story of the specialized ski and wake category in boating begins with an idea inspired by a problem. Today, we take for granted specialized boats for watersports enthusiasts, providing perfectly shaped wakes, ample engine power, and accurate speeds down to 0.1 mph. However, this wasn’t always the case.

Leo Bentz, who celebrated his 100th birthday this past July, and Correct Craft significantly impacted the boating world. Their intertwined stories mark the origins of a new boating category.

Leo Bentz made a huge mark on the boating industry with his Ski Nautique. Courtesy Leo Bentz

In the mid-1950s, Bentz and his wife, Mary, owned and operated the Lee Water Ski School along the Intracoastal Waterway just north of Miami Beach, Florida. As a passionate water-skier and coach, Bentz was dissatisfied with the boats they used, such as the wooden Higgins or Century Resorter, which cast too large a wake and required constant maintenance.

In 1957, Bentz decided to ­design a boat specifically for water-­skiing. He chose fiberglass, then rare in boatbuilding, for its low maintenance, seeing it as the future of boat manufacturing. He ­outsourced the mold-making to a Miami boatbuilder, using the hull of an 18-foot Higgins as a base. He designed a wider hull to produce a smaller wake. Additionally, he equipped the boat with an 8-cylinder 215 hp Interceptor direct-drive inboard engine placed amidships to provide water-skiers with ample power. Additional features included a ski pylon placed just forward of the engine, a ski mirror, and a larger dash for gauges, including a speedometer.

The boat needed a name, which came fortuitously in September 1959 when Leo and Mary traveled to the French Riviera after attending the Water Ski World ­Championship in Milan, Italy. There, they saw signs for “L’ecole de Ski ­Nautique” (water-ski school) and decided that Ski Nautique would be a perfect name.

By 1960, they showcased the Ski Nautique at tournaments in Miami and central Florida, where its fiberglass construction, smaller wake, and powerful engine intrigued water-skiers, leading to sales. Bentz sold several, but with a successful water-ski school and a family, he did not envision becoming a full-fledged boat manufacturer. In spring 1961, Bentz decided to sell the Ski Nautique and ­traveled to Pine Castle, Florida (near ­Orlando), to sell it to Correct Craft.

Initially, Correct Craft rejected his $10,000 offer for the mold and name. However, several months later, influenced by water-skiers’ praise for the Ski Nautique, Walt Meloon Sr. and Walt Meloon Jr. of Correct Craft traveled to ­Miami Beach to meet with Bentz. Instead of offering him $10,000, the Meloons offered him one Ski Nautique per year for three years and servicing for the Ski Nautique boats he had already sold. Wanting out of the boatbuilding business, Bentz accepted the offer.

Read Next: Celebrating the Birth of Water-Skiing

The Ski Nautique was built using fiberglass and offered many things skiers were looking for. Courtesy Leo Bentz

Correct Craft marketed the Ski Nautique to a wide audience. Success brought competition from the MasterCraft ski boat in 1968, and later, Ski Supreme.

Today, the Ski Nautique is in its 8th generation, significantly evolved from Bentz’s original design 65 years ago. As Bentz and Correct Craft celebrate their milestones, their shared legacy is undeniable. The Ski Nautique became a global phenomenon, used in tournaments and by water-skiers on every continent except ­Antarctica, and Bentz’s vision continues to shape the way we enjoy the sports experienced behind a boat.

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