Chatter: Aquaman

Competition’s fierce in the specialty-water world these days; last year, Coca-Cola paid $4.1 billion for Vitaminwater and signed gansta rapper 50 Cent to shill for it. But Pat Croce is still psyched to try to make a splash with Skinny Water, a fledging Bala Cynwyd company that just put five flavors of zero-calorie H2Os on the shelves of Target and LUKOIL stores. Not only does the super-charged motivational superstar-cum-spokesperson swear by the stuff (he even helped develop an acai-grape-blueberry version that boosts — surprise! — energy); he scoffs at the idea of being intimidated by the Vitamin leviathan. “It’s like when I got to the Sixers in the ’90s,” he says. “We were the worst in the league, and we had to go up against the Bulls and Michael Jordan.” Um, Pat? The Sixers lost a lot that season. “But five years later, we were in the playoffs and the Bulls were on the sideline.” And on going head-to-head with Fiddy? “Put me in a cage with him! My Skinny Water’s got gusto! Vitaminwater has calories! Besides, I bet in a quiet moment, 50 drinks Skinny.”