Woody Boaters Break 10 Year Record For Lake Minnetonka Event!

Yellowwww from Minnitonka! Mark and his Riva – Photo Dane Anderson

Fellow Woody Boaters Dave Bortner from Freedom Boat Service, Bruce Bildsten “Rabbit”  and Woody Boater reporter Dane Anderson also known as the “Woods and Water Crew” went all out to promote the local Lake Minnetonka show this year with TV news coverage and a whole lotta facebook stuff and as we always say, no cost to get in.

Get that crazy drone footage going – I think, or its just a guy looking in a box. No Captions today. – Photo Dane Anderson

The results? Close to 60 boats, and a HUGE spectator turn out. And best of all a bazillion smiles. Once again, the Woods and Water Crew does the trick. Now many of you local clubs who think about pinching each cent and charging at the gate, have forgotten why you are there? To promote the culture of classic boating and grow the passion. Time and time again, the forward marketing of the event, and free entry are a formula for success.  Here once again is a small event that is breaking records. Is this the future? No, its now and about 5 years old, and if you are not thinking like this, you are in a slow spiral towards death. Sorry to be so harsh, but how many times do we need to beat this drum and prove it. Thanks the Woods and Water Crew for showing us all AGAIN, how it’s done right.

Woody Boating Century Style – Photo Dane Anderson

Chris Craft 1961 Continental. – Photo Dane Anderson

I wonder what city this boat is from? mmmm – Photo Dane Anderson

VERY cool bucket list boat! – Photo Dane Anderson

Bruce and mark in Marks Riva

Are darling, you look marvelous driving, oh yes you too shades, of yes, thank you dear, shall we enchant the lake with our presence? Why of course! – Photo Dane Anderson

Miles of smiles – The hospitality state! – Photo Dane Anderson

Yeah that guy in the blue is walking on water! – Photo Dane Anderson

Oh wait, no he is flying on the water

Everyone is flying – Photo Dane Anderson

While others just are basking in the… wait, watch out that little blue thing is catching you – Photo Dane Anderson

Okay this one is a tad confusing. Is that a swivel seat in that boat, or is it Cousin It? Did The Woods and Water Crew get a celeb?

Yup, its cousin It!

Okay, him again. WOW! WOW! WOW!

Sweet Hacker – Photo Dane Anderson

Thats alotta boat! – Photo Dane Anderson

They know how to make a splash up there – Photo Dane Anderson

So, don’t have a Woods and Water Crew to make a splash? Stay tuned with some big changes on Woody Boater to help promote your event. All part of the new 3rd generation Woody Boater. We may be frustrated but we are not sitting around complaining, oh wait, yes we are doing that as well. Let’s all make next year a record year for the culture.

 

8 replies
  1. ScottK
    ScottK says:

    Congrats to the Minnesota crew for a great event!!!!
    The Port Huron Michigan crew also had a great event yesterday free for spectators and also free boat rides. 400 free rides were given!!!
    It’s a great weekend for Woodyboating, Fiberglassboating, and Aluminumboating!

  2. Dave Bortner
    Dave Bortner says:

    The REAL work in putting the show together was done by stalwarts Steve Shoop (shown aloft above in the blue Biesemeyer), Al Lindquist, Ian Sandercock, Dean Wilson, Jerry Low, and many others I’m forgetting….. we just applied some of the smart marketing insights we learned from W&W, with the help of our fellow BSLOL’ers Bruce Bildsten and John Karlson. We are forever grateful for their continuing counsel and efforts, but all I did was a little payin’.

  3. Rabbit
    Rabbit says:

    Dave is right, the real heroes were event chairman Steve Shoop and his crew Al, Ian, Dean, Jerry, et al. And John Karlson jumped in on the social media side to to help the club’s web team led by Joe Kaul. Heck, It ended up with a story in the Minneapolis Star Tribune leading up to the event, and extended features on two of the local TV stations in a major media market, plus a feature on one of the the country’s largest radio stations. But that media coverage is not that hard if you put in a little legwork: The media loves these kind of stories, especially in boating-crazed hot beds like the Twin Cities. Here are links to a couple of the stories:

    http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/video/3731614-a-preview-of-the-classic-boat-rendezvous/

  4. Mark S.
    Mark S. says:

    I agree with Rabbit. Dane Anderson continually knocks it out of the park with his great photography. Thank you so much for sharing your talent with our “sport”. 🙂
    And thanks to Bruce Bildsten, John Karlson, Steve Shoop & Dave Bortner for your skillz in getting a great turnout for our show. So many people walking the docks with big smiles on their faces, cameras clicking, asking questions about the boats. What a mah-velous day!

    • Dave Nau
      Dave Nau says:

      Had a wonderful time at the Port Huron MI Show this past weekend, and so looking forward to the International ACBS show there same time in 2018. Terrific venue!

      Great folks and very organized. I heard a total of 414 rides given, and they had to add more boats and extend the ride time window to accommodate everyone. I heard some people say the free rides were the main reason for their family to attend.

      The show were loaded with Chris Craft boats, plus quite a number of various cruisers. They gave tours of some of those big boats, too.

      Not a lot of fiberglass or aluminum, but I showed up with my fiberglass 1966 MFG Niagara, “Little Blue”. I figure to just keep showing up with it at a couple of shows a year.

      I know this is WoodyBoater, but classic boating is classic boating, no matter what the hull is made of.

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