Boat show powered up and running

Pick up the February 2010 issue of Powerboat magazine and check out the front cover highlighting “The World’s Fastest Boats.”

Then head down to the Lake Havasu Marine Association’s 19th Annual Boat Show at Lake Havasu State Park — and see that boat in person.

Although no one may be whipping out their checkbook this weekend to out right purchase the Douglas Marine Skater Super Sport 44-foot long, 12-foot wide, two-1,250 horsepower engine-machine valued at slightly more than $1 million.

But before the first hour even ended after the event kicked off at noon Friday, someone had already whipped out a checkbook.

“We always sell more boats,” said Mark Matt, president of locally based USA RV Marine, who sold a Voyager pontoon boat before 1 p.m. Friday. He said the company sold eight boats last year at the event, and 11 the year before.

Matt said that although his sales have been down about 50 percent, he used his sales pitch to remind people that now is a good time to strike a deal.

“(We’re) surviving,” he said.

Bob Sepulveda, director of sales and marketing, for Lake Havasu City-based Advantage Boats, said his industry is in the “same state as the country.”

“We’re going to hang in there,” he said, adding that they sell more boats during the local event than when they go to boat shows in the Los Angeles area.

Sepulveda predicts in two years, he’ll start seeing his sales up where they should be.

“We’ll get the tail of that wave,” he said. “It’s going to take a while.”

Steve Lau, a salesman at Walt’s Motor Sports here in town, said the weekend is a major event for them.

“It usually brings in sales,” he said.

By 2 p.m. Friday, already 1,000 people had walked through the gates to attend the free event.

“This is the biggest show they’ve ever put on,” said Wayne West, events coordinator for the Lake Havasu City Marine Association. “This show is actually bigger than the LA show, and the scenery is better.”

For Ron Sheridan, who is visiting Lake Havasu City for a month — the event brought some wide eyes.

“We’re from Duluth, Minn., and we’ve never seen boats like this,” he said.

The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Lake Havasu State Park Windsor 4.

You may contact the reporter at jleatherman@havasunews.com