By Jack Burden

Something’s Coming. Maybe. Probably.

There’s been no press release, no teaser post, no flashy reveal. But in the murky world of online forums and dockside whispers, the chatter is getting harder to ignore: Nautique might be preparing to retire both the Ski Nautique and the 200 in favor of a single, consolidated tournament boat.

No one’s saying it outright. But a growing chorus of off-the-record comments, speculation, and enough smoke to signal a new Pope suggest that something is in the works. Rumor has it AWSA certification may already be complete. If true, that would mean production is well underway.

What this would mean for the world of waterskiing is unclear. The 200, released in 2010, became a staple at every level of the sport. Its successor, the 2019 Ski Nautique, brought a radically different hull and tech-forward redesign. But despite the newer hull’s credentials, the 200 never went away. For years now, two official “tournament boats” have coexisted on Nautique’s lineup like divorced parents sharing custody of Regionals.

A move to consolidate would make sense. Two molds, two marketing campaigns, two price lists—all for a niche sport with declining tournament participation. But while a unified boat might simplify things for the manufacturer, it’s less certain what it would do for skiers.

Especially when it comes to cost.

The pricing trajectory for tournament boats over the past few decades has been, frankly, astronomical. In 2000, a new Nautique cost around $32,000. By 2010, the 200 launched at roughly $59,000. Today, the Ski Nautique lists at over $170,000. Meanwhile, median household income has climbed by less than half that rate. The result is a widening affordability gap that’s pushed new boats out of reach for most ski clubs and families.

While by no means cheap, the 200 has consistently been the most affordable tournament boat on the market since the Ski Nautique leapfrogged it as their flagship model. It’s remained a favorite of ski clubs and programs precisely because it undercuts the higher-end offerings from MasterCraft and Malibu, both of which have largely mirrored the Ski Nautique’s price trajectory.

Whether this new boat—if it exists—will change that is anyone’s guess. Any kind of price cut seems unlikely. But with the Masters, Nautique’s flagship event, coming up later this month, all eyes will be on Callaway Gardens. Not just for the skiing.

It may be nothing. Or it may be the start of a new chapter for tournament water skiing.

Either way, people are talking.