CLOSE
Sign up to get news on contests, pro events, new products and special offers.
WATERSKI MagazineIf you are an experienced ski boat shopper, there are certain facts you know to be true: You have to pay premium price to get premium performance, and big boats will run slower, throw bigger wakes and track worse than smaller boats.
A few years ago, avid skier Mark Overbye set out to challenge those facts and take the inboard ski boat industry by storm – in a boat named after a lizard. But before you laugh, consider the results of his quest. In the past few years, Gekko has raised more than a few eyebrows with designs like the 20-foot Catapult, which rockets to 36 mph in three seconds and tops out at 55 mph, yet rings up at just under $22,000 – complete with a chrome-wheel tube trailer, stainless-steel prop and Black Scorpion power plant.
This year, Gekko has challenged the norm again with a 22-foot boat that claims to deliver performance and wakes on par with the industry's finest 20-foot tournament boats – for about $10,000 less. Enter the GTO 22, a boat built by and for serious slalom skiers.
The builder attributes this boat's exemplary skiing wakes to the patent-pending ZS hull design, which is described as having “split radius pressure release flutes.” In simpler terms, it is a system that channels water to the stern, eliminating chine spray and adding lift in the process. The boat's 96-inch width also provides extra lifting area and enhances lateral stability both on and off plane.
The GTO 22 is no bargain-basement rig in terms of construction or materials. The hand-laid hull and deck begin with 22-mil gel-coat, a 23-step lamination schedule with ceramic heat barrier, and carbon graphite reinforcement. Upholstery is made of Nautolux vinyl, and hardware is stainless steel. The Rocket package features blacked-out hardware.
Although the GTO 22 is a relatively low-profile design, it bears little resemblance to the sled-like “econo-skier” designs of years past. The deck interior has sufficient freeboard to allow passengers to sit comfortably on ramped, multi-density foam seats rather than squat near the floor on glorified cushions. The driver is provided with a roto-cast, form-fitting seat, a footrest, and a head-high windshield.
Bow passengers are protected by thigh-high gunwales, while the dropped-nose design aids visibility when driving the course (without the passengers). The low-profile stern facilitates access to the integrated ski platform, which will fit a slalom ski on an angle.
Those who say a 22-foot boat can't keep up with the little guys should check out the GTO 22's ability to hit 36 mph in six seconds with a slalom skier in tow. Our test team found that the 315-hp MerCruiser Scorpion under the motor box not only pushed the boat to a top speed of 49 mph, but gave plenty of reserve power for instant speed correction when pulling aggressive shortline skiers.
And pull it did, earning the highest possible marks for slalom wake size, spray and hardness at both 34 and 36 mph. In addition, the GTO 22 earned the best tracking scores of the 1998 tests. Or, as one of our test team drivers put it, “This boat runs on a rail.”
A boat that delivers this type of world-class slalom performance should fail at wakeboarding. But once again, the GTO 22 broke the rules. While wakes were on the small side when unweighted, they earned good marks for shape, firmness and width. Add some weight to the stern and you'll enjoy medium-size, well-formed wakes.
