Skater At 50—The Fiery Beauties Of Mr. Ciasulli

More than few Skater Powerboats catamarans have boasted molten-hot paintjobs during the last 50 years. But in terms of pure heat, few if any can top the 2014 model-year 388 cat first-owned by longtime performance boat enthusiast Michael Ciasulli of New Jersey.

Michael Ciasulli’s passion for owning fiery Skater catamarans began with a 38-footer. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

As it happened, Dean Loucks and his crew at The Art Of Design in Elkhart, Ind., had already painted the 38-footer when Ciasulli decided to buy it. The Mercury Racing 1350 engine-powered cat was ordered by another would-be Skater owner, but the deal fell through before the boat was completed. Ciasulli, who liked fast red things and knew a good thing when he saw one, grabbed it.

“I always wanted a true, race-bred catamaran,” said Ciasulli, who took delivery of the cat during the 2014 Miami International Boat Show and debuted it the following weekend at the Florida Powerboat Club Miami Boat Show Poker Run. “With the Skater 388, I have that now. The boat accelerates like a sportscar. It accelerates like something on land, not on water.”

In 2021, Ciasulli stepped up—so to speak—to a Skater 438 of similar hues. This time around, the catamaran was painted in house at the Douglas, Mich., facility by Steve Schulte and his son, Jake. Ciasulli debuted the 43-footer during the 2021 Desert Storm Poker Run in Lake Havasu City, Ariz.

“The 438 is a 388 on steroids—all of its dimensions are increased by 10 percent,” he explained during the event to speedonthewater.com co-publisher Jason Johnson. “The 438 has a lot of the same handling characteristics as the 388, but it definitely has more of a big boat feel.”

Ciasulli’s next red-hot Skater was a 438 model. Photo by Tom Leigh copyright Tommy Gun Images

Ciasulli no longer owns either boat. Like so many once-passionate sterndrive catamaran owners, he’s moved into the outboard engine-equipped catamaran realm. The 388 is overseas and the 438 is out West, according to Skater Powerboats national sales manager Tony Cutsuries, though he isn’t 100-percent sure of their whereabouts. But one thing is certain. On pure graphic heat alone, both cats were unforgettable.