Boat show starts imaginations bobbing

With the weather outside turning frightful, several people seemed to find delight in a look toward sunnier times as crowds made their way among the boats parked in a concrete sea Friday.

And while boats could be found to fit any desired size, price or style, some people were just enjoying climbing into the cruisers.

“We’re just having a bit of father and daughter entertainment,” said Darren Solt, who bought a boat last year and was pushing his 3-year-old daughter, Ashley, around in a stroller.

The pair, particularly young Ashley, was spending the afternoon climbing into various boats and sitting behind the wheel, pretending to drive them. Last week the duo visited the RV show – just to get some exploring in.

The most entertainment Friday came from boats that had stereo systems, Darren Solt said, and “anything that has steps or a ladder.”

The boat show accounts for 20 percent to 25 percent of the year’s business for Bill Trudeau Jr., of Trudeau’s SeaRay in Spokane, but he also knows that most of the people who go to the boat show won’t be leaving with a vessel.

“There’s a lot of people that come here to think warm thoughts,” Trudeau said. “Less than 5 percent are probably actively looking for boats.”

But for those that are, deals can still be found, especially with current interest rates being low, he said.

Of course, the event is not without its showpieces.

While most people’s minds were turned toward water, many people were interested in a bizarre-looking inflatable wing that is towed behind a boat and floats in the air.

In another of the show’s 10 massive display rooms, a modular decking display featured a room-size lagoon with a waterfall. A large Hummer SUV was parked on top of plastic blocks, floating in the middle of the pond.

“If you haven’t seen the floating Hummer, you haven’t seen the whole show,” said boat show manager Scott Thompson.

The show, which runs through Feb. 5, has a little bit of everything, Thompson said.

Waterboard towers, wakeboards, jet skis, lifejackets and even resort slips can be found, he said.

“And we have every conceivable item for fishing boats,” he said.

Though boats in the 20-foot-long range dominated the floor, the show was not without its hulking beasts.

A 40-foot yacht with three levels, two bedrooms, a kitchen and a top navigation deck was asking a cool $432,932.