As life goes on and many things change, lots of our favorite endeavors slide into the past.
Not boating.
The recently held 72nd annual Mid-Atlantic Sports and Boat Show – owned by the Norfolk Chapter of the Isaak Walton League – typified in a region awash in the fact that boating isn’t going anywhere.
In the show’s three days, boaters and soon-to-be ones marveled at the offerings that are available.
They loved what they saw.
“Sales were good and people were able to see a lot of different makes and models,” said Chuck Guthrie, the admiral here at Lynnhaven. “There were plenty of chances to talk about boats.
“Some folks knew what they were looking for and others were able to figure it out.”
Lynnhaven brought more than 20 vessels made by four different companies and set up shop amidst a sea of watercraft.
Numerous vendors representing boating related products also were on hand to talk about where to go and what to do after you’ve made a serious purchase.
It was, Guthrie said, a boater’s paradise.
So will the boat show ever return to its heyday, when hundreds of boats filled the old Virginia Beach Pavilion for an entire week and thousands of water enthusiasts filled the place? It was so popular that on Friday and Saturday nights the rest of Hampton Roads all but shut down so folks could take in the sights.
Now held at the Virginia Beach Convention Center on the pavilion’s old site, the show is three days of boating intensity.
But – surprisingly and despite crazy economics – owning a boat and being around the water still sits high on the charts.
And the mid-Atlantic show proved it once again.To see more of my work, go to: leetolliveroutdoors.com
