Posted on 08/14/2015 9:29:27 AM PDT by TurboZamboni
Minnesotans are putting a tidal wave of imagination into their pontoons — from luxe water slides to pirate planks.
“Pontoons Gone Wild.” “Pontoon Hunters.” “Pimp My Pontoon.” If a TV producer stumbled on the gems floating on our lakes, there’d be a reality show waiting.
These aren’t the kitschy putt-putters with plastic chairs and artificial turf, either. Pontoons, while still floating platforms, are larger, more powerful, more luxurious and sometimes even outrageous.
“The pontoon used to be grandpa and grandma’s boat,” said Brent Wiczek, manager of Nisswa Marine. “We’re selling pontoons to a much younger generation than we ever have. It’s the fastest growing part of our business.”
Pontoon sales nationally shot up 58 percent from 2010 to 2014, according to industry reports. Pontoon people are treating them like mini-yachts: demanding full bars, luxe furniture and state-of-the-art sound systems. Premier Pontoons, based in Wyoming, Minn., makes a two-story pontoon that comes with a water slide.
Speed is important, too. Some of Nisswa Marine’s high-end pontoons can reach 60 miles per hour.
“That’s as fast as any speedboat on the lake,” Wiczek said. “We’re selling pontoons in excess of $100,000 to $130,000, which is crazy, but it’s happening.”
[More at link, including video]
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Checkout the link at #19
That’s the truth!
In our region a party boat is a pay-your-fare-and-go fishing boat, called a head boat in other areas. I guess this version of a party boat is a floating tavern? Music, beer and bikinis?
I am posting this on a pontoon boat in norris lake right now
When I was a kid my grandfather had a home-made yellow pontoon boat made out of oil drums and plywood with a small outboard motor on a lake in Minnesota. It was slow but fun.
I recall bartending on a pontoon at a resort in Minnesota once for a group of Ministers, all dressed in black robes...
Yes, bartending.
The marina forgot to put the drain plugs back in...
It took a while but eventually became a memorable scene to be sure!
Ahhhh......
I saw some guys raft three canoes together. They built a nice deck on it with rails and some lawn furniture. Small outboard and there you go...A pontoon.
We love pontoons! We rent one when we do the big family vacation on the lake. All of us can fit on it. You can pull the kids in a tube, go fishing & swimming off of them. Eat lunch and be comfortable in the shade of the canopy.
We have never tried water skiing with them so I don’t know anything about doing that but unless I was a serious skier a pontoon is the ultimate family boat and is very versatile.
My grandkids would have the time of their little lives on that pirate pontoon!
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