Centurion Boats History

1972

Rick Lee Drag Boat Racing

With a drag boat-racing national championship and a world record under his belt, Rick Lee, the founder of Centurion Boats, has always been a pioneer in the world of water sports. Before founding Centurion Boats, Rick raced the first turbocharged exotic K-Jet in the 1,600-meter closed course circle class. Then he brought his innate knowledge of hydrodynamics and ability to design high-performance boat hulls to the recreational world.

1976

The First Order

Rick and Pam Lee took their first boat order by phone, as they were playing with their one year old who was sitting in an electric swing. A short time later, after word had spread, production began on the high-quality Jet boats and day cruisers with an emphasis on performance. The first watercrafts were manufactured in a leased, 10,000 sq. ft. industrial park in Southern California.

1978

First Facility in Merced

The facility in Merced, California, was a dream come true, not only for Centurion but for the entire industry as well. It became a breeding ground for water sports industry leaders. Today, the 121,000 square foot facility spans six acres of land, including a full size test lake. To meet the increasing demand, Centurion opened a second facility in Woodland, North Carolina, in 2000

1982

Warrior Barefoot Outboard

The growing sport of barefooting thirsted for more speed, power, and of course, a small narrow wake. In response, Centurion developed the Warrior Barefoot, which, in turn, inspired a cult following with impressive annual unit sales. With the introduction of the Warrior Barefoot Comp in 1985, the boat became the first outboard to tow the prestigious AWSA Barefoot National Championships. To this day, the performance of the Warrior Barefoot remains legendary among the competitive bare circle.

1984

Trutrac II with Spray Rails

On a hunch, our engineers bolted some two-by-fours to the side of a boat and shaped it to reduce spray. This experiment ultimately led to the TruTrac II with the world's first "S" spray rails. Today, all significant tournament style and wakeboard style boats have borrowed from our innovative thinking and have incorporated spray rails into their designs.

1986

First V-Drive

After manufacturing many V-drive race boats, Centurion built the first V-drive water sports towboat, the Falcon V-Drive. Going against the norm by placing the engine in the back, Centurion paved the way for innovative seating arrangements, smoother rides (due to the straked V-bottom) and, ultimate, bigger wakes for the soon to come wakeboarding market. Centurion pioneered the future V-drive technology and continues to develop it to this day.The Falcon V-Drive was Hot Boat Magazine's Ski Boat of the Year.

1990

C.A.T. Fins

Yet again, Centurion turned the water sports world upside-down - this time with steering technology. Centurion developed the patented Centurion Articulating Tracking System (CATS), which featured the first articulating front fin. This design enhanced steering tracking ability.

1999

ICS Construction

In 1999 Centurion received awards from Powerboat Magazine for product excellence - followed by another in 2000. The bar was raised further when Centurion engineers introduced ICS. ICS (Integrated Composite System) took all the components of the hull, deck, and support system and put them into a single, solid mold. Centurion introduced the smoothest ride ever experienced in a towboat.

2003

Sideswipe Exhaust

The latest innovation for Centurion is the new Sideswipe exhaust system. This patented system allows you to surf tucked up in the barrel, just behind the transom. It vents exhaust to the side of the boat, away from the rider. When used properly you can surf the "never ending wave". Sideswipe exhaust brings long wave riding to every corner of America.

2004

Enzo Series Introduced

With racing roots seeded in the 60's, it's no wonder Centurion continues to surprise the marine world with stand-out styling inspired by the automotive industry. Sleek, stylish and powerful, the Enzo Series immediately commanded attention whether parked for a party, charting a new course, or launching riders off legendary wakes. It's hard not to stare at the beautiful curves, polished accents and smooth mesh vents, that represents the most elite towboat line introduced to date.

2005

VTF Fins

Centurion boats are available with the new VTF fins. VTF, which stands for Ventilated Tracking Fins, releases the pressure build up by the water on the tracking fins of the boat, thus reducing vibration and noise. Again, Centurion technology enhancing the smoothest ride on the water.

2008

Commercail Flight Division Established

Centurion established its Commercial Boat Division and launched an R&D project to create a highly efficient state of the art commercial vessel capable of passenger transport and parasail operations. Marine Architect Dave Triano collaborated with the Centurion Team with CNC-CAD CAM drawings that were hydro dynamically confirmed then converted to aircraft quality molds plus cut on a 5 axis jumbo computerized router.

2010

Quick Fill Ballast System (Hull Flooding Ballast System)

The integrated Hull Flooding Ballast Wake System fills in under a minute adding 1000 pounds of water weight and empties even faster. No pump needed! Absolutely no bow-rise and effortless planing.

2014

Ramfill Ballast Technology

The Centurion RAMFILL ballast technology is the most revolutionary ballast system ever. The hull is flooded instantly with an underwater scoop that is controlled by the Centurion Touch Vision System. The ballast system will vent out the side of the RAMFILL vents and it empties from the transom RAMFILL drains. The system will fill an Enzo in under 30 seconds. It is the most ballast available of any boat and it is achieved without pumps, sacs or delay.

1995

First Watersport Specific Boat - The Wave

Centurion remained at the industry forefront with the development of the first towboat specifically designed for wakeboarding and wake-surfing. Called the WAVE, it had an elevated rope anchor point, built-in water ballast system to increase wake size, giant aft storage lockers, and a huge launch platform. One of the criteria insisted on by the Centurion engineering and test teams were that you could surf behind the boat. After testing, it was found that the wakes were good enough to hold the first World WakeSurfing Championship that same year.

1996

UCS Construction Eliminates Wood

Centurion introduced the world to the Unified Composite System, a high-tech construction process that eliminated wood from the structure of the watersport boat.

1997

Rick Lee Drag Boat Racing