Promo Boats

[Klundell]

What does it take to get a promo deal on a new boat? Just a guarantee that the boat pulls x amount of tournaments per year? I'm completely ignorant to the process.

[Not_The_Pug]

It depends on each manufactures requirement. Most are looking for people involved in the tournaments and someone that takes good care of the boats so they show up in good condition to a tournament to promote that brand. At Nautique we sit down at the begining of the season and divide up the tournaments based on location and who might be going. Some like to pull more and others a little less, but it all seems to work out in the end.

[SDNAH2OSKIER]

Hey Kevin, I have a question, we were just talking about tow boat wakes and we wonder if any manufacturer has ever developed a spreadsheet from 28-36 mph that showed the actual size of the wake???? Height/width distance from transom??? Some kind of quantitative specs on the boats' wake attributes?

 

[gregy]

Depend on manufacturer and area your in also. Some areas might already have all the promo members they need. Having the boats at the tournaments is the fundamental purpose of the promo boats. However I had to take mine to a few shows and dealer demos. They're looking ideally for people that will commit to staying in the program. You are a representative for the boat manufacture and supporting the dealers, helping sell more boats. When I was in a promo program you were required to take the boat to x # of events every year. Anything above that x number of events you received additional discounts on your next boat and each year in the program you received and additional % off your next boat (I think regionals and nationals were extra points also).

 

So if you took the boats to some extra events and stayed in for a while you could get some pretty good deals on your boats.

 

If you go to tournaments regularly its not to big of a deal other than you might have to be there early and stay late. For the most part the boats were taken pretty good care of but there were a couple of drivers that just really abused them.

 

My biggest problem became selling the boats as they got more and more expensive, plus the local dealer I worked with was no help. He hated the promo program and saw it as taking sells away from him. Not sure how it is now but the boats were only good for two seasons, after that you had to have the next year model.

 

[webbdawg99]

The biggest issue with the promo programs is the selling of the boat. Unfortunately, most dealers are of little help. I know a promo guy that still has his 2011, 2012, and is about to order his 2013. Not many people can swing 2 or 3 boats!

[Nick Sullivan]

Yeah, the selling and waiting for the next boat sucks.

[RichardDoane]

towboats can be used for 3 seasons without an exemption, and in theory you could use an older boat with permission from your EVP

[thager]

@richarddoane More than theory! My 02 SN 196 with ZO was used in a tournament this summer (Marine Max Summer Solstice) with the exemption. The promised promo had to pull out when as it was sold. Drivers and skiers all seemed to like the pull!

[skierjp]

2 years for Record tournaments unless a hull change or other major modification then the Record has to have the latest and greatest.

[jdarwin]

@skierjp - my 2007 SN (w/ZO) was given an exception to pull my records back in June. We didn't need to use it but we could have.

[Razorskier1]

I agree that the issue is price. Tough to cough up the dough even for what a promo sells for these days. My 2005 197TT cost me $31k. Equivalent boat today is at least $10k more and my 2005 is worth a lot less. When I bought the 2005 my old boat covered 2/3rds of the price. Not any more.

[swc5150]

Are exceptions easier to get, now that newer tow boats are becoming price-prohibitive for some? As long as it's a recent hull, with ZO, my naive opinion would say what's the difference? Is it that the boat companies don't want to see a record pulled behind an older hull? I could see that side of it I guess? I don't know how happy CC's marketing department would be if someone set a new world record behind a 196.

[jdarwin]

@swc5150 - it's all about the manufacturers and their desire to maintain the status quo. The sale of promo boats in the fall (off season) is a large segment of their sales during this period. If AWSA adopted IWWF's philosophy, we would no longer need current year towboats to host events. This rule is not only antiquated but also economically unfeasible in today's environment. When AWSA was considering the “3-year approval rule” a few years ago, the Big 3 made a bee-line to Polk City to express their displeasure. Fortunately, level heads prevailed and the rule was extended for Class “C” tournaments. Once that occurred, it allowed for further exceptions to be made. If the Big 3 desires a 2-year approval rule again and a strictly enforced 2-year rule for ELR events, they need to step up and provide factory boats to tournaments and not rely solely on the over-worked, under-appreciated and financially strapped promo team that has dwindled significantly over the past 10 years. And, don’t give me the “AWSA represents only a small fraction of sales so we shouldn’t expect much”. BS. If the promo business was even a break-even proposition, they would bail in a heartbeat. It’s a money maker for them during a time of year when sales are depressed. Don't fall into the false perception that the boat mfg's are doing us a favor.

[swc5150]

@jdarwin

That's about what I assumed. When I sold MC's in college, we sold one promo per year to a local fellow, and it was only $250 below our cost, and we couldn't charge prep. Definitely a winner for the manufacturer, but not the dealer.

[webbdawg99]

I had a conversation over the weekend with a frustrated promo owner. Initially, the promo boats were supposedly sold at a "discount" to the market price of the same boat. But let me ask you this....if it weren't for the promo boats being purchased out there every year, how many SN 200's, MC 197's, or Response LXi's would be out on the market every year. Not very many! So in essence, this so called "discounted price" becomes the true market price. So when it comes time to sell....you are at no advantage bc you have less in the boat than your competition....your competition is everyone else that bought at a "discount" too!

[SDNAH2OSKIER]

Who pays for gas to get to and from tourneys and who fuels the boat? This sounds like a gauranteed loss, but I assume the promo guys enjoy the hell out of having a spanking new tow boat every year or two. If they didn't they'd stop doing it.

[RichardDoane]

@sdnah2oskier - the tournament hosts (LOC) pay for fuel burned at the event, but rarely cover any of the travel expenses, in our area the lake owners give a free entry to the promo boat owner, which is very much appreciated

[Razorskier1]

Most promo guys I know do it for the boat and because they go to a lot of tournaments anyway. If you could manage the "loss" so that it wasn't much more than what it would have cost you to own a boat and watch it depreciate, it probably still works out reasonably well. That being said, I just don't have the appetite for competition boats at today's prices.

[swc5150]

Anyone know the 2012 MCTT197 on SIA priced at $36k? Seems like a good deal, but seems like the owner is taking a big hit?

[skihart]

@swc5150 .......didn't see that one......is the price listed?

[swc5150]

Whoa, it's off SIA this morning now. I saw it last night before going to bed, and showed the wife, who simply shot me daggers. Ironically, I sarcastically told her it'll by gone by tomorrow if we don't call.

[swc5150]

BTW, it had 550 hours (5.7 IL) and the only flaw listed was a small nick in the motorbox vinyl.

[ForrestGump]

There are some long time promo guys out there who have special deals or grandfathered deals with the mfr's. I know Charles bought one back from the Mfr for $6k under his cost last year because of a special deal they had set up. So there are some promos that come up as better deals than others at times.

[RichardDoane]

I'm not really trying to sell my '12 promo, it's in perfect shape, 125 hours, and all dialed in, ready to run 2 more seasons, so why sell for a loss ? However, if someone wants to pay the "break-even price" then that's different....

[RichardDoane]

having an issue with embedding a youtube clip, oops.

[RichardDoane]

NOTICE - THE MATCHING BIKINI IS NOT INCLUDED WITH THE SALE PRICE

 

[RichardDoane]

@horton - I tried embedding a youtube clip and no-go, what's changed ?

[Horton]

Don't think anything has changed. Try again.if not send me email.i will look tonight.

[skier2788]

@richarddoane I had trouble the other day and found if I clicked the options for embedding codes under the youtube video and then clicked old embed code it would work.

[RichardDoane]

[skier2788]

[RichardDoane]

@horton @skier2788, I figured it out, under options you have to select "use long code" that gives the selection of "use old embedded code" I guess I'm not as dumb as I look sometimes....

[RichardDoane]

@skier2788 - Nice thread Hi-Jack !!!

[Klundell]

@richarddonane How much are you asking?

[swc5150]

I got clicked on the wrong video, as I was thinking how cool the 197 lines looked coming down the lake. Turns out it was a 200. No I wonder I loved it! That 197 does look sweet too.

[DooSPX]

another thread-jack, but @swc5150, its a 190. lol

[RichardDoane]

@Klundell - after this season's credits, I think a little more than $48K is the break even, plus $1000. if they want the additional bimini for the cold weather

[skier2788]

@richardoane sorry wasnt sure what video you wanted to post saw your name and red bow. Thought it was your mc only watched until your pull out.

[454SS]

190's are awesome much rather have closed than open bow good to see a newer one don't them to often.

[RichardDoane]

I was told mine was one of 5 out of 125 made for 2012

[swc5150]

I agree with you guys... the 190 is cool. I'm excited for the revamp in 2014 (fingers crossed)

[ForrestGump]

For what it's worth, Scot Crutchfield at MC told us they made significant headway on the new hull in the last month or so.

[jipster43]

I set two PB's in one tournament behind @richarddoane 's 190 - running my first tournament 22. It skis very nice! And you have to love how low that Bimini sits.