Models &
Products From
he Minneapolis Innovation Awards honor manufacturers and suppliers who bring new, innovative products in the boating industry to market. The prestigious National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Innovation Awards are judged by a panel of journalists from Boating Writers International (BWI), and as luck would have it, I happen to be one of those judges. Okay, so it was a little more than just luck and probably has more to do with my 20 plus years in the industry… as well as the fact that I’m currently the president of BWI.
The NMMA added the Innovation Awards to the Minneapolis Boat Show in 2018 and I’ve been fortunate enough to be one of the judges on the panel each of those years. Other judges at the 2022 show included Adam Quandt, editor of Boating Industry magazine and Eric Colby, editor at BOATTest.com.
At the Progressive Insurance Minneapolis Boat Show there were four categories including pontoons, fiberglass and aluminum boats, plus a new category for furnishings or specific boat features. This year’s program evaluated 14 products with the pontoon category once again attracting the most entrants.
For our roundup this month we’re highlighting the pontoon models and products that entered the Innovation Awards competition that best fit our specific niche in the boating industry.
In an extremely tough competition, the all-new Sea-Doo Switch from BRP came out on top in the pontoon category. The Sea-Doo Switch pontoon is accessible, adaptable, and fun while also being extremely affordable. Starting at $17,999 with engine and trailer, the Switch opens boating to new entrants and makes it easy. The innovative triple pontoon hull includes a center that is modeled after a Sea-Doo watercraft.
The Switch controls focus on ease of operation and utilizes a standard Sea-Doo handlebar system with all the controls located on the handlebars, including the throttle/neutral/reverse controls and the intelligent brake and reverse system. I had a chance to run the Sea-Doo pontoon last summer and was very impressed with how she handled.
The Switch gains its name from the adaptability of the deck that can be configured to perfectly fit any moment. The deck is made entirely of LinQ tiles, providing a blank building-block canvas where various seating and accessories can be locked in place through a quick-attach system.
Those with larger pontoon boats are going to want to pay attention to the Mercury Joystick Piloting for Outboards (JPO) for single-engine pontoons. With this system, boaters driving pontoons powered by a single 175-600hp Mercury outboard with Digital Throttle & Shift (DTS) controls can enjoy the confidence of having precise 360-degree control, even in wind and current. The impressive unit earned an honorable mention in the pontoon category.
Integrated bow and stern thrusters positioned under the deck deploy and stow as needed. Once deployed, they work in coordination with a single outboard to provide unprecedented control. The boater simply points the joystick in the desired direction, and the system takes the boat there, positioning it perfectly for docking or other low-speed maneuvers. Joystick inputs move the boat in any direction — sideways, diagonally, forward, backward or rotating in place. Plus, the system enables combined commands, such as simultaneously rotating and moving sideways.
This product comes in two configurations and the premium version uses an electronic steering helm and can be rigged with 250-600hp Verado outboards. The basic version can be rigged with any 175-450hp outboard with DTS, and it uses hydraulic steering, making it available to a much wider range of boats.
The patent-pending Premier Revolution seating configuration offers 360 degrees of choice and it earned an NMMA award in the furnishing/features category. The rotating Revolution design locks in at 90-degree intervals so you can enjoy the view from any angle. Enjoy forward-facing cruising, direct to the water side access, or comfortable rearward views for watersports. Transform your layout with the simple push of the floor lever.
The Revolution features a large U-shaped booth with table that lowers to convert couch seating to a full lounge bed in seconds. The platform includes a built-in ladder to drop into the water when the booth is open to the port side so you can easily and safely enter the water away from the engine. To enhance your time on the water, the Revolution from Premier comes complete with lighted cupholders, speakers, ample wireless chargers (including its exclusive phone pockets for secure storage), and its patent-pending magnetic table so your insulated can holders and tumblers are always within reach.
Avalon’s Catalina Platinum Electric Versatile Rear Bench Windshield (EVRBW) model was entered in the pontoon category and it is truly unique. The EVRBW features the large rear bench/bed with an electric sliding seatback. Unlike similar bed type layouts that use a reversible swingback arm, The EVRBW seatback from Avalon will slide fore or aft at the touch of a button, to any desired spot to allow front- or rear-facing lounging or in the middle for both.
I got a chance to see this model last fall on the water and it was equally impressive at the Minneapolis Show. The speed at which the seatback moves is surprisingly quick and attendees were constantly being drawn into this model on display each time the seatback moved.
Bennington entered its Elliptical Sport Package Plus (ESP+), which now brings its legendary twin-engine performance to its standard 8-foot, 6-inch wide models. I’ve been fortunate to be behind the wheel of several twin-engine Bennington beauties over the years and the way the boat dives into sharp corners with the Elliptical hull always puts a smile on my face. So releasing the new Elliptical Sport Package Plus that is now included with several all-new standard-beam models across Bennington’s R, RX Sport, Q, & QX lines is nothing short of impressive. The expanded lineup means more people have the opportunity to enjoy the thrill ride. The ESP+ platform may be configured with twin engines pumping out up to 600hp.
The all-new Harris Grand Mariner’s distinctive and innovative design truly exudes modern luxury. It was entered in the pontoon category for its innovations, but what really stood out was the overall high-end vibe and that especially includes the helm console.
The Crowne series is the high-end model from Harris, but its new Grand Mariner that blends the DNA of a luxury cruiser with the thrilling dynamics of a high-performance boat would compete nicely against any other manufacturer’s highest lines.
The new user interface allows boaters to interact visually with their lighting and safety features from the Simrad screen, and as judges we enjoyed switching through all the screens. Other innovative features include a Distance Keyless Remote Key (Fob) to control tower position, lighting power and colors and stereo controls, along with an SOS lighting feature that uses SOS Morse code that boaters can use to attract attention if they are in distress.
In the new Furnishing category there was a product that all boaters can appreciate, not just pontoon owners. It’s called the Better Boat Bumper and it was developed by a retired school teacher who saw a need that couldn’t be solved by an existing product. His unique system allows dock bumpers to easily be adjusted up or down 20 inches with just one bolt to accommodate different size boats as well as changing water levels.
Unfortunately because of COVID, Wave Armor pulled out of the Innovation Awards competition as well as the show at the last minute so we never got a chance to see it in person. But since it was originally entered, we’re including the Pontoon Port in our roundup.
After several years of designing and tweaking, Wave Armor’s Pontoon Port is a simple drive on/drive off floating pontoon dock that eliminates the need for electricity, batteries or cables and it doesn’t require manual adjustments when water levels change.
The alternative to metal pontoon lifts can be used in shallow or deep water and the self-leveling floating drive on/drive off design allows for use in areas where a lift that must touch bottom cannot be used.
The self-centering 22 guiding bowtie rollers allow for the pontoon to easily load and it adjusts for different length and beam pontoons. Getting on or off the Wave Armor Pontoon Port is simple and takes just seconds. Drive up to the entrance, line up the pontoon with self-adjusting V guides and apply enough throttle to drive up to the bow stop. Then raise the motor and you are all set. Simply put the outboard motor down and reverse off when you’re ready to go back out.
www.wavearmor.com
Other Winners
To complete our roundup and to give some recognition to the non-pontoon entrants who earned an NMMA Innovation Award, we’re including them as well. The Puma STS from Bass Cat Boats (www.basscat.com) won the award in the fiberglass boat category and the Renegade from Lund Boats (www.lundboats.com) took home top honors in the aluminum boat category.