Entertainment

<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge) More than 60 brands of boats will be displayed at the Everett Boat Show this weekend. The show features family entertainment, boats that can be trailered and accessories at the Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center.   ADVERTISEMENT   Everett Boat Show Noon to 8 p.m. today, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center, 2000 Hewitt Ave., Everett. $7, $3.50 ages 11 to 17; free for ages 10 and under, 425-322-2600, 866-332-8499; www.comcastarena.com, www.everettboatshow.com.   Related Stories • Find a spot to keep your boat 3/6/08 • All you need to go boating -- safely 3/6/08 • Courses help boaters meet state's rule 3/6/08 • Four new toys for fun on the water 3/6/08   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Friday, March 7, 2008 Arena becomes a boating wonderland for Everett Boat Show By Andrea McInnis Herald Writer Though spring is a couple weeks away, anyone who wants to begin thinking about a certain type of outdoor activity can begin now. Boating enthusiasts are invited to the Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center through Sunday to stoke their maritime daydreams at the fifth annual Everett Boat Show. Visitors will find two types of attractions at the show. One, of course, is the arena floor set up with watercraft from more than 50 manufacturers. The other is a gallery of nautically themed art. Guests looking for excitement can watch the Racing Ducks, brought all the way from New Mexico, in their finest competitive forms. A few young race spectators may even be chosen to help with the animals before and after races, show organizers say. Additionally, youngsters who don't want to waste a day of play should be pleased to know that a bouncy house will have its own space in the venue. The new Washington State Boater Education Card requirements are a focus of the event. Exhibitors in the boater education center area, including the Coast Guard, the Snohomish County Sheriff's office, the Everett police department and Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission, will be on hand to talk about boating as a recreational activity and to share information on the requirements for Boater Education cards, said Northwest Marine Trade Association communications director John Thorburn. In January, it became state law that those ages 20 and under pass Boater Safety Education classes and carry Boater Education cards. In 2009, Thorburn said, the requirement will extend to ages 25 and under, and in 2010, to ages 30 and under. Aside from all of this, the boats are the main attraction. "The show really prides itself on offering all kinds of trailerable boats fit for young families and anglers," Thorburn said. Just don't expect big yachts or sailboats. "The main difference with the Everett show, compared to Seattle show, is that the Seattle show takes place at Qwest Field and on Lake Union, so they can bring 60-foot yachts," Thorburn said. "For Everett, most have to be in the 20- to 30-foot range, and they're all trailerable." On display at the Everett show, he said, are wakeboard and water-ski boats, fishing boats, personal watercraft, kayaks, dinghies and inflatable boats, among others. Thorburn's group also organizes the Seattle boat show. "The trade association is a kind of chamber of commerce for recreational boating," Thorburn said, "in that it brings together dealers, manufacturers, marinas, boat yards and others, and represents all those members, with the mission of promoting recreational boating."

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