AWSA Approves New 2026 Ski Nautique

May 23, 2025

by USA Water Ski & Wake Sports

The new 2026 Ski Nautique has been approved as an AWSA Tournament Towboat to pull athletes in sanctioned tournaments.  Approval includes events for the American Water Ski Association, National Collegiate Water Ski Association and USA Adaptive Water Ski & Wake Sports.  Approval by USA Water Ski also means the boat is recognized by the International Water Ski and Wakeboard Federation (IWWF) to pull water ski tournament events worldwide. The 2026 Ski Nautique is approved with two engine configurations - the PCM ZZ6 – 6.2 liter engine and the PCM ZZ5 – 5.3 liter engine.

From the Manufacturer:

• The all-new 2026 Ski Nautique is completely redesigned from bow to stern and is significantly lighter than the previous generation. The 2026 Ski Nautique holds true to the design philosophy of “form follows function.” Every detail has been purposefully engineered to seamlessly integrate ease of user experience with unprecedented performance capabilities.

• In tandem with the patented MicroTuner® and redesigned HydroGate® technology, the all-new hull design creates more lift and minimizes displacement for naturally flatter wakes with more support in the trough areas, resulting in gains across the entire range from higher speeds and shorter rope lengths to slower speeds and longer line lengths.

• We’ve optimized the interactions between the engine, integrated Zero-Off®, and propeller through extensive testing and calibrations to fine-tune the feel at the end of the line, enhancing performance and efficiency across the board for all three disciplines. This gives skiers more adjustability in the pull as they move from letter to letter and number to number, provides maximum power for jump acceleration, and keeps RPMs consistent across different conditions.

• Numerous all-new features such as the windshield, ski cradles, helm, glovebox, and hand stitched grab handles were thoughtfully designed to contribute to the Ski Nautique’s sophisticated aesthetic while playing a role in reducing overall weight – striking the perfect balance between style, function, and performance.

• The all-new LINC Panoray interface contributes to the thoughtfully curated driver experience along with the all-new Helm Command Center, start/stop and remote battery switch buttons, and adjustable mirror. We have also incorporated a wireless phone charger that holds any sized smartphone in the driver’s direct line of sight, providing full screen visibility for use with supplemental tournament applications.

You can find the list of all approved Tournament Towboats HERE:

List of Approved Tournament Towboats

About the Towboat Test Program

In 1983 AWSA established its first set of comprehensive technical evaluations of inboard and outboard water ski towboats. These procedures have been updated every year since then to take advantage of the most up-to-date technology available.

While successful completion of the towboat evaluations allows a manufacturer to pull tournaments, there also are several other advantages. Private-lake communities continue to be built all over the country. Most developments require any boat used on the lake to be on the AWSA-Approved towboat list. Many city and community-owned lakes also only allow AWSA-Approved towboats on their waterways. Public and private lake communities have peace of mind knowing these boats have been put through the most rigorous testing in the industry. Approved towboats also carry more value to marine dealers in terms of marketability.

Once a model successfully completes the evaluations, the manufacturer is encouraged to pull skiers at AWSA-sanctioned tournaments. By pulling a predetermined number of sanctioned tournaments at various levels of competition, a manufacturer’s towboat model becomes eligible to participate in AWSA’s regional and national championships. Although the Towboat Committee compiles reams of test data for each towboat, it is important to note that this information is confidential and only released to the manufacturer. Currently, the purpose of the evaluations is to determine if a towboat has suitable characteristics for water ski competitions.

Before a boat even hits the water, the test team runs through a detailed check-in procedure. All aspects of a boat are measured, including the overall length, width, fin placement and depth, prop pitch, and shaft angle. Engine and transmission serial numbers are recorded along with technical data from the power package. The boat’s hull characteristics are noted, and pictures of the stern, side, cockpit and interior are taken.

To be used in competitions, three-event towboats must meet certain performance standards that are designed to give skiers and drivers optimum conditions during tournament competition. These standards are established by AWSA’s Towboat Committee to achieve tournament-capability status. Each boat must pass a series of 11 tests and sub-tests: power and acceleration, handling and maneuverability, engineering, drivability, sound level, slalom course center-line deviation, slalom spray, jump course center-line deviation, and slalom, tricks and jump wake evaluations.

About USA Water Ski & Wake Sports

The American Water Ski Association, National Collegiate Water Ski Association and USA Adaptive Water Ski & Wake Sports are three of nine sport discipline organizations of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports, the national governing body of organized water skiing and wakeboarding in the United States.