Time for a Shout Out

By Brady L. Kay

time for a
shout out

A big thanks to those who help make our test possible

aerial view of docks with boats and roof covers

We’d like to recognize those who helped with our Shootout this year. A lot goes on behind the scenes of our annual boat test and there are plenty who helped make our event a success and deserve a little recognition.

road sign with all four corners club logos

Thanks—Four Corners

For starters, a big thanks to Four Corners Marina on Percy Priest Lake near Nashville, Tenn. This full-service marina offers a variety of pontoon rentals, a new ship store and we’re excited for the new restaurant that is coming in 2024. The staff treated us like family and they couldn’t have been better hosts. Those in the area probably already know about this marina, but for those looking for their next pontoon vacation this Tennessee marina is calling.

Thanks—Banners

Next, I want to put a spotlight on our three event sponsors: Boatmate Trailers, Teak Isle Mfg, and LilliPad Marine.

Thanks—Godfrey

Taking photos and videoing during our test is a lot easier when you have a designated photo boat to shoot from and thanks to Godfrey we did. The Godfrey Monaco 255 Rear Lounger, powered by a Yamaha 250hp outboard, was perfect for our needs. Our professional video crew from Nicolini Media had plenty of room to spread out while chasing down boats to capture the fun of each model on the water.

Thanks—Boatmate

Boatmate has sponsored our event for the past six years and we truly appreciate their support. The trailer manufacturer specializes in high-quality marine trailers that are ideal for these luxury pontoon boats we test. The quality and attention to detail that go into each and every trailer are truly impressive.

Teak Isle CNC fabrication of plastic cabinets on boat

Thanks—Teak Isle

Boat Outfitters, a division of Teak Isle, was a first-time sponsor and they specialize in design and CNC fabrication of plastics, wood, metal and solid surface products. Simply put, they create unique storage options to make the most out of the space on board boats. Often places such as the back of chaise lounges on a pontoon are considered wasted space, but this is where Teak Isle shines. We saw plenty of examples of their handiwork at our test this year as they continue to dominate the marine industry.

Thanks—Engines

We’d also like to thank the engine manufacturers BRP, Honda, Mercury, PCM, Suzuki and Yamaha for offering technical support, as well as the boat dealers and manufacturers who provided the boats for us to test. Without your support, our test wouldn’t be possible.

Thanks—LilliPad

Our third sponsor was LilliPad Marine who got their start in the industry when its innovative Diving Board took off. Three NMMA Innovation Awards later, its lineup included its industry-changing boarding ladder, flagpole, ghost mounts and other products that showed up on a lot of the boats we tested this year.

staff crew on boat smiling wearing matching gray shirts

Thanks—Staff

Finally a quick shout-out to my hard-working crew. Despite what you might think, there really is a lot of hard work that goes into test week. Each member of our testing crew worked hard to contribute to this issue and again, I can’t thank them enough.

The 2024 Shootout Boat Test crew on board the Godfrey Monaco photo boat included (from L to R): Michael Frisk, Kevin Malcom, Jason Huff, Terry Sohm, Keith Nicolini, Randy “Cotton” O’Malia, Malcolm “Goofy” Sohm, Corey Schaub, Clayton Ward and Brady Kay.