At some point in our lives we all come to the realization that we’re never going to be rock stars—although it does take some people longer than others. Yep, the highly-caffeinated drink is the closest I’ll ever come and that’s okay with me. The definition of a rock star is a member of a successful rock band, but the term usually implies celebrity status which is really what I was hoping for.
True I’ll never be a rock star, but I do get a small taste of that celebrity/rock star status when I trailer my pontoon in our town. While cities in the Midwest are overflowing with pontoon boats, in our region that’s not the case. When people in our town spot a pontoon boat they stop and stare, which of course gives me that rock star recognition.
Last weekend I was trailering our 27-foot, three-logged pontoon to the lake when a local police officer pulled me over. Seeing those flashes of red and blue lights in my mirror is something that always gets my heart racing—uh, not that it happens a lot of course. Turns out the officer pulled me over because he “thought one of my trailer lights might be out.” But once I started talking to him he admitted he just wanted a closer look at the pontoon. Relieved, I was happy to give him a quick tour of the high-end pontoon so we could both be on our way. In all honesty, it made my day to think I was trailering something worthy of being pulled over for and I couldn’t wait to tell the guys at work.
I actually get that same type of attention at the gas station as well. I take up a lot of room at the pump so it’s hard not to get noticed. I’ve stopped counting this summer how many people have approached me at the gas station who just wanted a closer look. What can I say? I know it’s the boat, not me, but on these occasions I have the life of a rock star and I’m always willing to talk ‘toon with people.
I’m starting to see more pontoon boats on our lakes and reservoirs than I did a dozen or so years ago, but I still tend to wave when I pass another one. But our community is just one example of how fast pontoons are spreading and the evidence of the popularity is clearly all around us.
Pontoon buyers want more power. And the fact that a growing number of boaters are buying pontoons has not been lost on at least one engine manufacturer. This summer BRP announced its Evinrude E-TEC Pontoon Series outboards. Who could have guessed that one day they’d be releasing engines specifically for pontoon boats? If I would have tried to predict this 10 years ago I would have been laughed at, but it’s the growing demand that led BRP to this release and I’m sure other engine manufacturers will follow.
Here is another tidbit of pontoon popularity: a few years back at a time when some boat manufacturers were going out of business, pontoon builders were able to weather the storm and survive the economic downturn. In fact, instead of losing some pontoon manufacturers, we actually added new ones!
Larson Boats is just one example of a successful Minnesota-based manufacturer who has been building boats since 1913, yet felt it was important at this time to release a brand-new pontoon line. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate 100 years of being in the boating business, but that’s just me. I was so excited to hear the news that I hopped a plane to Minnesota just so I could be one of the first to test it. (Full review coming in the next issue.)
Pontoon boats are the talk of the industry these days and depending on where you live, you might be experiencing this rock star status as well.
