Nor-Tech Plays Bad Santa Again For Three-Time Owner

Now a three-time Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats center console owner, Wisconsin’s Gregg Kunes clearly loves the brand. But he had a simple mandate for the Cape Coral, Fla., company when he ordered his latest build, a 450 Sport.

“He told us to ‘make it bad,’” Trond Schou, the company’s chief executive officer, said then laughed. “We’ve known Gregg a long time, and we know what he likes and that he respects our suggestions when it comes to building his boats. So we made his newest one bad.”

Kunes previously owned two 39-foot center consoles from Nor-Tech, so to some degree stepping up to a 45-footer was “bad” in and of itself. So, too, was his power move. The 450 Sport is powered by five Mercury Racing 500R outboard engines. His most recent 390 Sport had 450Rs.

As he did with his other two Nor-Techs, Kunes took delivery of the center console just before Christmas. Nor-Tech delivered the boat to the docks at the Westin Resort in Cape Coral, where he has a second home nearby.

The builder plans to make the fiery center console the centerpiece of its 2025 Miami International Boat Show exhibit in February.

“Gregg left the majority of the build open to Nor-Tech to build the boat the way we thought it would best for him,” Schou said. “There were a few surprises and custom items that were added to the build along the way.”