American Skier Inboard Boats
American Skier boats, not to be confused with Correct Craft’s American Skier, was a tournament boat maker started by Ken Elkind in 1975 in North Miami Beach, Florida. After leaving offshore racing, he got into water skiing boats. In the early 1980s American Skier was among the first to gain competition approval from the American Water Ski Association. The first 18-foot Skiers, known as the 18 Skier or 18 Tournament Skier, were built in 1976 in Opa Locka, Florida. The 18 Luxury followed as a higher-end model. In 1982 the Volante was produced with a closed bow and a new hull-deck design. A barefoot model was added later, mainly differing by engine choice. In 1985 the Advance joined the lineup, combining elements of the 18 and the Volante. The 19-foot Advance became the best-selling model and continued in production until 2001, in a slightly updated form called the Lazer. The factory moved from Opa Locka to Ocoee, then to Cape Coral and finally to Giddings, Texas, during the 1990s. In 1995 Ron Tanis bought the company and moved the molds to Winnsboro, Louisiana. Tanis later sold the company to Ben Favret and Jay Blossman, who renamed it Elan Boats. The last true American Skier boats were built in early 2002.
American Skier produced several models over the years, including the original 18' American Skier (also called 18 Skier, 18 Tournament Skier, or 18 Comp Skier); the 18 Luxury; the 1982 Volante; the barefoot skier; the 19' Advance (later revised as the Lazer); the open-bow Volante; the 24' Eagle with a swim platform; and the 1989 Legend to replace the Advance; plus the TBX. In 1995 the Tanis family updated designs, starting with the Open Bow Volante, the Lazer, and the TBX. In 1999 the plant moved to a larger facility in Kentwood, Louisiana, and the Lazer was renamed Laz Air. In 2001 the assets were sold to Favret and Blossman, who turned the line into Elan Boats.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 17:58 (CET).