Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/288267
PWC Sea-Doo Spark seaside concert a hit Sea-Doo teamed up with deadmau5 for a live concert event at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach to launch the 2014 Spark to throngs of twenty-something fans among the crowd of 500. Using the hashtag #SparkSomeFun on Facebook and Twitter, the event had a celeb- rity element with Anne Hathaway in atten- dance. Fans could win tickets to the concert with posts that included the hashtag. Performance artist David Garibaldi, last seen at the global debut of the Spark in Orlando, also did crazy work with his paintbrushes. Former rapper and PWC racer Vanilla Ice, now a handyman with his own reality TV show on the DIY Network, also provided a star factor. PWC SALES UP SLIGHTLY IN FEBRUARY There's no question: the marine industry is currently riding a wave of sales growth that continues to repair damage suffered through recent, leaner years. According to the latest figures released from Info-Link Technologies, personal watercraft showed weaker sales growth, just short of 5 percent year-over-year growth, which is stable with the fall and winter months following a difficult early 2013 selling season. The category has been in positive ter- ritory since July 2013. Powerboat sales have once again contin- ued year-over-year sales gains that have been in place since the summer of 2011. For the month of February, 15-foot-plus powerboats exceeded the previous February's sales by just more than 5 percent. Ski boat sales have fared well in recent months, which have consistently been at or above the 10-percent mark for much of the last two years. February's data showed the category posting year-over-year sales growth slightly better than 10 percent. Outboard boats also continued their recent growth trends with another month of 10-per- cent sales growth. This category has been in positive territory since early 2011, and has exceeded 10 percent since early 2013. The data is based on new U.S. boat registrations. PWC REGISTRATIONS ON THE RISE In a research note provided to Powersports Business, Wells Fargo Securities analyst Tim Conder reports that based on data from Statistical Surveys, Inc., PWC sales rose 8.1 percent in February to 805 units, com- pared to February 2013. In the note, Conder writes that "BRP… is positioned to gain share in the PWC market with its entry-level Spark product." The data from Statistical Surveys repre- sents February 2014 U.S. retail unit sales from 29 states representing approximately 70 per- cent of the U.S. market. PSB DIGEST 30 • April 8, 2014 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com Sea-Doo launched the Spark to consumers in March during a free concert event that featured musical guest deadmau5. With deadmau5 performing, Sparks adorned the stage outside the oceanfront Fontainebleau Miami Beach. P30-PSB5-PWC.indd 30 3/27/14 11:28 AM