ACTIVE WATER SPORTS

Come check us out at the Portland Boat Show Jan. 11-15th! The Active Water Sports booth is stocked with all of the best 2012 gear from your favorite brand like Ronix, Liquid Force, Slingshot, Hyperlite, HO, Radar and more. 2011 gear is also available in limited quantities.

For more than 50 years the Portland Boat Show has been one of the biggest – all indoor – boat shows in the region. Each year the show looks for the most attractive features, seeks the newest boat designs and provides an abundance of boating choices for all boating aficionados. The Portland Boat Show is set to launch on Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at the Portland Expo Center.

Of course, the big draw for Northwest boaters is seeing what’s new in boat lines, technology and accessories. Every year, manufacturers and dealers bring in their latest designs for introduction. Expect plenty of new boat lines this year, and see what’s new from a wide range of manufacturers and dealers. Plus, some dealers will bring in last year’s models with their new inventory for the ultimate in price selection and negotiation!

As half of the AWS crew is setting up in Seattle, the rest of us are left with a bit of a Portland boat show hangover.  After a week of trucking in 22 boats, recreating our retail shop in the middle of the Expo Center, and talking non-stop for 4 days to some of our favorite customers, industry reps, and pros, it’s no wonder we’re left feeling a little down and missing the high of the action packed boat show.

Some people cure their hangovers with Xanax, greasy food, and coffee, but a boat show hangover requires a little more emotional therapy than that.  What better way to brighten our post boat show mood than by re-living some of our favorite boat show memories?  Here’s a quick recap and a few photos that made the Portland Boat Show one of the best for Active Water Sports.

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Shrouded in a cloud of cold wet dampness, the Boat Show acts like a ray of sunshine bursting through the rain.  We know that the Northwest Boat Shows are your oasis from the dreary days of winter and that’s why Active never holds back with our Boat Show Presence.

I sat down with Gerry Oppliger and Greg Waters (Active’s lead boat salesmen) to find out why Active makes the Boat Show so special.

Greg: We are the boat show.  We put on a huge, full-on display. We’ve got boats on the floor, boats on trailers, boats on lifts and a full retail display.  It is the only time that factories give out discounts (almost as good as Evening with the Stars). Plus we essentially bring the entire retail shop to the Expo Center where customers can look at all the new wake and ski gear as well as our discounted gear from last season.  It’s a great way to get away from the rain and see the boats in a clean dry location.

Gerry: If the boat show was a circus, we’d be the ringmasters.  Active takes up center stage at the boat show with the most boats, the most wake and ski gear, the best display, and staffed with the best crew to help with all your questions.

We’re all getting stoked for the 2011 Boat Show Season and hope to see you in Portland or Seattle for some of the best deals of the year!

• Portland Boat Show | January 12th-16th | Portland Expo Center
• Seattle Boat Show | January 21st-30th | Seattle Qwest Field

About the Portland Boat Show:
For more than 50 years the Portland Boat Show has been one of the biggest – all indoor – boat shows in the region. Each year the show looks for the most attractive features, seeks the newest boat designs and provides an abundance of boating choices for all boating aficionados. The Portland Boat Show is set to launch on Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at the Portland Expo Center.

Of course, the big draw for Northwest boaters is seeing what’s new in boat lines, technology and accessories. Every year, manufacturers and dealers bring in their latest designs for introduction. Expect plenty of new boat lines this year, and see what’s new from a wide range of manufacturers and dealers. Plus, some dealers will bring in last year’s models with their new inventory for the ultimate in price selection and negotiation!

About the Seattle Boat Show:
The Seattle Boat Show, Indoors + Afloat, is the West Coast’s Largest Boat Show featuring more than 1,000 recreational watercraft, seminars and the latest accessories indoors at Qwest Field Event Center, plus afloat on South Lake Union.  A free shuttle runs every day between Qwest Field Event Center and South Lake Union every 30 minutes.