While it’s hard not to notice a bright-pink boat with metal-flake treatment, what really sets Centurion’s 2020 Vi22 apart from other wake-sports boats are its ultraclean lines and lower, sportier gunwales. The Vi22’s style hearkens back to another era. Take off the tower, and the Vi22 would look like a beefed-up version of an early ’90s ski boat, and in the opinion of this 30-something editor who grew up on those boats, that’s a good thing.
From the bottom up, the Vi22 possesses the distinct advantage of running on Centurion’s Opti-V hull. With 20 degrees of deadrise, and designed specifically to push more water at wakeboarding and wakesurfing speeds, the Opti-V hull shapes up sizable and symmetrical wakes and waves. Add in the 2,850 pounds of subfloor ballast, plus another 1,750 of optional plug-and-play ballast, and this boat displaces serious water. Wakes and waves can be tweaked with the push of a button, thanks to Centurion’s QuickSurf Pro system tabs on each side of the transom, as well as the center-mounted Stinger Wake Plate.
Inside, the Centurion boasts Spradling upholstery, Gatorstep-lined floors, and customizable seating options with room for 12. At the helm, the captain utilizes a 12-inch touchscreen dash to control major functions, including Ramfill ballast, speed control and much more.
When testing the Vi22’s wakes and waves, we ran the boat with a driver and a crew of two. For a 22-foot boat, it produced a solid wave with plenty of size and push for a variety of skill levels. Add more crew, and the wave will grow even bigger. At wakeboarding speeds, the clean, consistent wakes provided a punchy platform with a solid lip for catching air. Thanks to the PCM 409 powerplant, the Vi22 planed without a problem, and with Centurion’s QuickLaunch technology, bow rise proved minimal, providing us with clear sightlines at all speeds.
Centurion’s Vi22 is a great boat for the watersports family that doesn’t need as much size or space as a bigger boat.
High Points
- We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: This boat looks gorgeous, thanks to its clean lines and lower profile.
- Rear wet/dry storage lockers are easily accessible from the swim platform and great for storing life jackets, ropes and other requisite watersports items.
- Paddle shifters behind the steering wheel make it a breeze for the driver to adjust the boat’s speed and the Stinger Wake Plate’s position.
Low Points
- Passenger capacity is lower than similarly sized boats in the market.
Toughest Competitor
Malibu’s 22 LSV is a similarly sized and versatile multisport machine worth looking at, but it will be more expensive when optioned out similar to our test Vi22 ($112,000 starting).
Price: $141,373 (as tested)
Available Power: V-drive
How We Tested
Engine: PCM 409
Prop: 2907 16:13
Gear Ratio: 1.72:1
Fuel Load: 60 gal.
Crew Weight: 376 lb.
Centurion Boats – Merced, California; 209-384-0255; centurionboats.com
