JUNE 2008 - Association of Marina Industries

9Legislation &By Wendy LarimerpartnershipsStanding Up to the Couch PotatoI recently reviewed a copy of the Outdoor Recreation ParticipationReport 2008 conducted by the Outdoor Foundation.The report gauges how many people from ages 6 to65+ enjoy, explore, or even tackle the great outdoors, andparticipate in activities from biking, hunting, skiing, andmountaineering to fishing and canoeing. Boating was notincluded as a general category but was measured throughsailing, canoeing, kayaking, and perhaps indirectly throughSCUBA diving and wake boarding. (We have been assuredboating will be a category in the next survey.)The results are dismal. Of the nearly 41,000 people surveyednationwide, who statistically represented America asa whole, just half participated in outdoor activities at alllast year. And, of those who ventured out of their homesonly 20% did so two or more times per week. The majorityof respondents indicated they enjoyed an outdoor activityfewer than 30 times in the entire year, or less than onceevery two weeks.With BoatU.S. Insurance,You’re Not Just A Number...BoatU.S. Member Bruce Fournier aboard“G’Day” on the Braden River in Florida.“So often in this day and age,customer service representativesare indifferent in their dealingswith clients over the phone. I wasextremely satisfied with the helpfuland courteous way my insuranceinquiry was handled and want tothank you for having people ofthis caliber available for yourinsurance customers.”—Bruce Fournier,Bradenton, FLYou’re Number One!At BoatU.S., you’ll find boating experts with the answers youneed when you call. Our knowledgeable Underwriters not onlyfind the perfect coverage for your boat and boating lifestyle,we’ll work with you to help find ways to save on your premium.And, as a Berkshire Hathaway company, you can be sureBoatU.S. will be here each and every time you need us.For a fast, free quote call 1-800-283-2883or apply online at BoatUS.comPolicies Subject to Limits and ExclusionsAs might be expected, the rate of outdoor activity decreasessteadily with age, such that a six-year-old is much morelikely to be out and about than a sixty-five-year-old. But,the survey results also indicate that 90% of the adult respondentswere introduced to outdoor recreation betweenthe ages of five and eighteen, most often by a parent. So,if the older generations are not getting outside, it is likelytheir kids are not out there either.In fact, the report shows that the rate of decline in youthactivity is the most dramatic of any age group. The rate ofparticipation from kids six to seventeen dropped 11% injust one year. The report stated, “…adult participants mustshare their passion for the outdoors. Connecting youthwith the outdoors ensures future generations of conservationists,healthier individuals, healthier communities, andhealthier businesses.”Why does this matter to you? Boating is an activity thatmust be done outside! If the number of Americans gettingoutdoors is dropping, it stands to reason that the number ofthose out boating is also decreasing. And, if the number ofkids enjoying outdoor activities is dropping even faster, weare losing the next generation of boaters. In other words,we’re losing our industry’s future.Why go through the embarrassment of docking your boatin front of a crowd of onlookers, when you can do it virtuallyon your TV in front of no one? Why come home froma fishing trip hot, tired, and with no fish, when you can sitin the AC and catch giant swordfish all day long? This is themindset our industry has to cope with and change.Marina owners need to come together and take a standagainst couch potatoes by celebrating their clientele whohave chosen the outdoor lifestyle. On a busy summer daywhen you and your staff feel ready to run away from yourcustomers, instead go up and thank them for being boatersand encourage them to bring their friends out for a boatride. These rarities that are outdoor enthusiasts need to behonored and celebrated and you have the luck of seeingthem in front of you every day. The better you make theirboating experience the more likely they are to continuegetting out and introducing new boaters to the wonderfuloutdoors.