// MARKET TRENDS
In October 2024 , BRP announced its intent to sell its Manitou pontoon brand .
Harris now offers a factory-ready electric platform using Mercury ' s Avator .
“ Fishing continues to be one of the world ’ s most popular recreational activities and we see more and more of our customers utilizing our brands to get out on the water and enjoy fishing with family and friends . With that said , it only made sense to continue to capitalize on the innovation we are known for to create an even more immersive fishing experience for our customers ,” said James Heintz , Director of Global Product Strategy , Sea-Doo & Marine Group at BRP .
On a different front , April 2024 saw the entrance of a new pontoon brand from Crest , a subsidiary of MasterCraft Boat Holdings , in the form of Balise Pontoon Boats .
“ The launch of the Balise brand is the culmination of nearly three years of careful consumer research , design , and engineering to redefine the way consumers experience on-water luxury and sophisticated entertainment ,” said George Steinbarger , president of Crest Marine . “ Jointly developed by a dedicated team of Crest Marine and MasterCraft professionals , we leveraged more than 120 years of combined premium boat building experience , design , and innovation to develop a brand whose single goal is to deliver a standard of elegance , performance , and quality not previously experienced in the pontoon segment .”
Brian Athmer
The year ahead
Despite some market and economic uncertainty ahead , one common theme rings true for many pontoon manufacturers : charging forward into the new year with new innovations and new products and the common goal to get people making memories on the water .
“ We ’ re looking at next year and readying to react in either way the market goes ,” Polaris ’ Duke said . “ Our focus is maintaining transparency with our dealers and giving them everything that we know and ensuring they know we ’ re here to support them through anything and everything .”
“ Our goal is and has always been to get as many Harris boats out there as possible , so that people can see the usage balance that our boats provide ,” Athmer said . “ We believe that pontoons are the platform that truly offers something for everyone in a multitude of ways and we look forward to continuing to play a role in getting as many people on the water as possible .”
24 december 2024 / january 2025 www . boatingindustry . com