WATERDOG
Gemini
HDF Silver Supporter
Don't Bother Me, I'm in Havi
 
MENIFEE, CA
Posts: 10,292
APPD 1.65
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ELIMINATOR EAGLE
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Posted: Mar. 12 2010,7:41 am |
Post # 4 |
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Top high performance boats to kick show up a notch
By NATHAN BRUTTELL
Today's News-Herald
Published Friday, March 12, 2010 7:09 AM MST
For years, Lake Havasu City has become a destination for high performance boating, officials say, and this year manufacturers are responding with what they expect to be “the premiere performance boat show in the West.â€
Like most industries, the Lake Havasu Marine Association struggled because of a down economy in recent years for its annual boat show. But this year, for the LHMA’s 19th Annual Boat Show, officials are looking to kick things up a notch — or several notches. Marine Association Executive Director Jim Salscheider said this weekend’s show has doubled from years past.
“I think this year we’re going to start coming into our own as one of the top performance boat shows in the country,†Salscheider said, adding this year’s show is expected to bring in 14 manufacturers, compared to the eight last year. “We’re doubling up on everything. Last year, we had 16 vendors and this year we’re already looking at 34. It’s huge.â€
The show, which is free to the public, opens from noon to 6 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Lake Havasu State Park Windsor 4. Attendees are asked to use free parking areas either at the city lot next to the Hampton Inn or inside Lake Havasu State Park. Salscheider said he invites residents to take a look at boats and perhaps do something that’s not possible at other boat shows.
“This show is going to be a nice successor to the (Los Angeles) boat show because they may have gotten people interested in a boat there, but people maybe didn’t buy because they wanted to take a ride in it and test it out,†Salscheider said. “Well, now those prospects at the LA show and others here will now be able to come and take a ride on the lake.â€
Salscheider said he attributes the sudden expansion for the show to one man — Bob Teague of Teague Custom Marine, the official sponsor of the show.
“We suffered along with construction and other industries in the last couple of years. We were facing the prospect of a much smaller show this year for something that has been a good piece of the economic pie for the city,†Salscheider said. “And then, to the rescue came Bob Teague — one of the premiere engine builders in the country. … Now we’re bringing in more manufacturers than the LA Boat Show. That’s the result of Teague’s excitement and influence.â€
Teague, out of Valencia, Calif., said his impression as the premiere sponsor of the Desert Storm races convinced him he wanted to do more in Havasu.
“Jim contacted us six months ago and said he wanted to move this thing to the next level,†Teague said. “So he asked me, with my marine industry influence, to get it going. I’ve seen the pretty large impact boating has on the economy out here first hand so I wanted to do more for it.â€
Salscheider and Teague agreed that Lake Havasu City has what manufacturers and buyers need.
“First of all we have the lake. There are not many places in the country you can go for a lake and the weather we have like this,†Salcheider said. “We’ve always had a number of manufacturers out here and things like Desert Storm have really helped bring more people here for these high performance machines. You put all of that together and that is part of our mystique and attraction. Hopefully we can keep growing this thing and that will help our economy.â€
Teague said the show could become “the premiere performance boat show in the West,†but he wants it to be even bigger.
“We’re really trying to make this the high performance boat show on the planet,†he said. “But this year is the first step.â€
"Damn you sure know how to fock things up."-GFR
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5-06-2024 Three Word Post.....The Next Generation.... (Rep.#18,913) from: BigDog
