Go-Float and D.H. Docks at the 2012 Lake Home & Cabin Show

Minneapolis Convention Center | Booth 725

Weekends at the cabin are hard to describe. Ditching the concrete and glass on Friday to head North for a little slice of paradise is one of the favorite summer pastimes for folks in our part of the country. The cabin is a favorite spot for a ton of reasons, but it’s hard to top the relaxation & opportunity to go off-grid, even if it is just for a few days. Whether you have a place up north, or a lake in your back yard, the Lake Home & Cabin Show is this weekend, and you wont want to miss it.

Go-Float drew quite the crowd at last month's Minneapolis Boat Show. The FUSION was an instant favorite - a lot of folks remembered us from last year and asked for it!

 

Full  details about the Lake Home & Cabin Show are available on their website, but here are some of the things you will find:

Go-Float teams up with D.H. Docks of Nisswa for the 2012 Lake Home & Cabin Show at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Find us in booth #725 to enter the give-away.

• Rustic and Specialty Furniture & Furnishings
• Architects, Builders & Remodelers
• Real Estate & Finance
• Sporting Gear, Outdoor Equipment & Marine
• Landscaping & Lakeshore Maintenance
• Custom Products, Accessories & Publications
• How-To Seminars & Demonstrations

SHOW HOURS
Friday – 2 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Saturday – 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Sunday – 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

ADMISSION
Adults: $10     Youth 5-15: $4     Under 5: free

D.H. Dock & Tracks, Nisswa MN

Brainerd Lakes Area Dealer & All-Around Good Guys

Regular readers of the blog will note that recently D.H. Dock & Tracks was added to the LINKS section of our page. Minnesota’s waterfront experts for over 35 years, these guys really know how to take the headache out of buying goodies for the cabin. Since we are the headache-free lounger, the joint venture was a no brainer. We have teamed up to bring the fun & ease of Go-Float boats to Minnesota’s Northland, and anyone interested in our boats can stop in to their showroom in Nisswa & get a first hand look – ask for Mark or Chris and they will help you get it all figured out.

D.H. also publishes a one-of-a-kind catalog for shopping online called Lakeside Living which you can peruse by clicking here.

Look familiar? It should if you drive 371. Look for Go-Floats hanging out in the pool as soon as the ice starts to melt.

Go-Float at the 2012 Minneapolis Boat Show

Those of you who are boaters already – and many of you who aren’t – know that the boat show is the perfect way to preview what you will be seeing on the lake next season. For those of us in chillier climates, the boat show also provides the much needed opportunity to forget about the ice and snow for a few hours and get pumped for the open water in a few months. Even though it has been far from a normal winter around here, we’re still itching to get out on the water and make some waves. 

The Vector is our biggest & fastest boat yet. See the official unveiling at the Minneapolis Boat Show Jan 19-22 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Come see us at booth 119.

Why not come see us at the Minneapolis Boat Show next Thursday through Sunday [more info here at their website] at the Minneapolis Convention Center? We’ve been working like crazy lately and can’t wait to unveil our 2-seat Impulse and the all new 10′ go fast model, the Vector. You may have seen a few spy photos via Facebook but be sure to come find us at the show to get an up-close view of the entire 2012 lineup.

Go-Float will be in booth #119 and if you’re in the market for a new toy at the lake this year we’ll have a special offer for boat show visitors. Even if you aren’t, stop by and let us know what you think we’d love to meet you and find out what floats your boat. You can get updates (show-related & other) from us by following on twitter & facebook and be sure to drop by and say Hi if you make it out to the show.

"Where is the 2-seater?" was the most popular question of last year - so for 2012 we have the answer: the All New Fusion. Everything you love about the Go-Floats already with room for that special someone.

Go-Float hear yourself smile | facebook page remodel

If any of you guys have not ‘liked’ our Facebook page then stop – click this link – and do the right thing.

Now that we have that out of the way I’d like to officially unveil our new tagline which you will start seeing along with our branding stuff. Some of the particularly observant readers may have guessed from the title of this post, that statement is

hear yourself smile.

I wont explain it too much, since the idea is that each person who sees it can have their own reaction to it & hopefully it connects with people who don’t know much about us. If you have tried out a Go-Float then you know how quiet they are and how much fun you can have in one.

Now, since you have all ‘liked’ our facebook page by this point… what did you think of the look? We’re designing all kinds of new things here at Go-Float, and thought the page should reflect the innovation kick we’ve been on.  Our page  is a great way to get a glimpse into the minds of our team and will be the place where new products & special offers will be found.

Our Twitter page also got a little face lift – so if your into that sort of thing give us a follow.

Go-Float Boats in the News | ballofspray.com

So a few weeks back we did a little demo on Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. A ‘Green Lake’ in the sense that no gas motors are allowed – it had been a while since they had seen anything like a waterskier. So we decided it would be a good place to showcase the power of the RX1 & hopefully dispel some myths about electric boating [mainly that the boats are slow, boring, and weak compared to traditional powerboats]. Not surprisingly there was some mixed reactions from the locals and we even got some TV coverage! [see links below]

Bart & Griffin bring skiing full-circle. Electric boats have a big torque advantage over traditional outboards.

Below is a link to a post by watersport blogger BallOfSpray.com about our little event and the significance of the lake in question. Skiers & fans of watersports will like this blog so check it out and find them on twitter @BallOfSpray to keep updated on ski world stuff. Big ups to these guys for the mention.

link: http://ballofspray.com/general-ski-news/1126–electric-boat-pulls-skier-on-minneapolis-lake-a-first-since-the-60s-

Here is the link to the original story courtesy of WCCO-4 the local CBS affiliate for the Twin Cities:

link: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/09/19/electric-boats-bring-water-skiing-back-to-lake-harriet/

dockti.me | New cottage life blog added to our ‘Links’

This weekend Go-Float saw a huge increase in our ‘Likes’ on Facebook and traffic to our website. We figured at first it must be due to the State Fair Exhibit we had the last couple weeks but the visits were coming from all corners of the country and we just too numerous for us to figure out. After some digging and exchanging of emails with interested parties we found out that the Discover Boating Campaign (the surprisingly successful move by the NMMA to help start to revitalize the boating industry) put up an album of photos from their fans over the past year and our picture made a big splash.

This pic from July 4th spurred a huge increase in traffic to Go-Float.com - Our Facebook page likes more than doubled in one week. Go-Float 'Likes' this.

Comments & Likes were in the triple-digits and aside from the humorous ones about the boaters (“do the girls come with it?” or some variant was a popular one) most of them asked one of two things: 1) What are those things?!?! 2) Who makes them and where can I get one?!?! After we saw our fanbase (in FB terms) grow and our website traffic skyrocket, we received a bunch of emails to our info account.

One of the emails was from a guy that runs a blog similar to this one, albeit more widely followed and professional looking. He goes by OJ and his blog is dockti.me - a Cottage lifestyle blog from Canada. Things from tech to tales of great times on the water this blog really captures what lake life is all about. Aside from his insanely cool domain name (probably rather spendy) the page & posts are really very cool. We have included Dock Time in our blogroll LINKS and we suggest you check it out and give him a follow on Twitter and Facebook for more goodies related to the lifestyle we all love so much. Anyhow, below is a link to the fantastic post he wrote about Go-Float, which he stumbled on as a result of the FB activity. The “Go-Float Yourself” is also a nice touch – seems like a T-Shirt waiting to happen & OJ will the first to get one. Thanks dude!

Link: http://dockti.me/journal/2011/9/8/docktech-go-float-yourself.html#entry12775530

Go-Float @ the Eco Experience – Brought to you by the MN Renewable Energy Society and the MPCA

We partnered with the MRES to be a part of the Eco Experience at the Minnesota State Fair. Go-Float is proud to be involved with these guys & we have really enjoyed our time there so far. The Eco Experience is the brain child of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and this is not the first time they have put it on. They do a great job of promoting the exhibit and are obviously all about renewable energy sources & cutting down on our fossil fuel dependency. Most Go-Float owners are charging off the grid, but there are other options to generate electricity. We are under a solar charging station for electric vehicles along with the Chevy Volt and a Zero Bike.

The solar electric charging station is courtesy of Innovative Power Systems, a St. Paul company that is a NABCEP certified solar installer. The solar experts in Minnesota, IPS handles residential & commercial, solar & wind solutions and they have over 500 installations to their credit. If you are considering going solar these are the guys to call. They will help from start to finish to find the best solution for your home or business. Everything from design & consultation to installation & service, to finding the maximum rebates and incentives for your project. They will even help you finance the project. Their website contains a portfolio of projects they have done, and some of the clients are big-time business. If you’re thinking about an alternative energy project, talk to Sales Manager Jamie Borell at IPS (reach him through their website under ‘Contact Us’).

A huge Thanks goes out to MPCA, MRES, IPS, and the State Fair for putting on this fantastic event.

Go-Float on youtube | Promo Vid

[update]: this and other sweet Go-Float vids can be located on our youtube channel 

We have this movie looping as part of our display at the Fair. Shows most of the features offered for SL1 and a really cool demonstration of RX1 hole shots. Filmed in Shakopee, MN and edited by Griffin Overbye.  Soon to be uploaded to www.go-float.com on the Media page.

Go float over to the MN State Fair posts

Minnesotans love the state fair. The food seems to be most people’s favorite part and I can’t really say it isn’t mine. I mean, there is just something special about being able to eat something that would deny you life insurance 50 weeks out of the year. It is a weird obsession (yeah I am going with that) that these folks fully embrace. Some people are not bigger fans of anything else inherently Minnesotan.

This year, the fair is coming at the perfect time for me. If you know me or read the blog you know I care about MN sports teams, a lot. I am not ashamed to say that my obsession (went there again) with the hometown teams borders on unhealthy and say what you will – but I am having trouble thinking of anything else that can have me acting like an adolescent at the drop of a hat (or td pass, etc.). I need a place to shift my focus & spend my money that isn’t going to spit in my face on most nights. I need to be able to go out and enjoy/loathe the company of my fellow Sotans when our gathering is not revolving around an awful team that doesn’t care about us.

The great thing about the fair, is that it is totally for the patrons. Everything there is geared to make people enjoy themselves. There are no contingencies – just show up and have as much fun as you like because it is all up to you. You have a million choices for food, entertainment, shopping and whatever your style there is something for you to get into. Usually, the population density of a place the like Fair is enough to get me into business mode. But I can’t help but have fun and relax at the Fair.

Go-Float is sponsoring the Eco Experience at Green Crossing. It is put on by the Minnesota Renewable Energy Society – who does what you might think they do – and there is some really cool stuff in the exhibit. We are located by Gander Mountain’s spot and are actually outside the Eco Experience under and Electric Vehicle solar charging station. The fair has come a long way since its inception and it’s cool to see the passion that these guys have for doing things differently. It is about saving the environment but it isn’t a project for these people. They realize there has to be a technological shift and an attitude shift if we want future generations to take the torch. We are still a long way from being free of fossil fuels but think of the technological progress we have made since this:

Come one Come All - Pasteurization has arrived!

Beats to Go-Float to – Brought to you by: Modest Mouse

Here at the Go-Float Music Department we have are thrilled to bring you a blast from the rather recent past. This song is not new – but it does come from one of my favorite bands. I have been lucky enough to see these guys in concert twice. If you like live music, seeing Modest Mouse should be on your bucket list. Insanely talented musicians, the band is from WA state and they have remained surprisingly ‘Indie’ as their popularity exploded a few years ago with the release of this song.

Listen to Top 40 radio today & you will find the airwaves saturated with ‘Club-Bangers’ (read: Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ke$ha & Pitbull) as the jam band genre has been pushed to the outer edges of relevance in Pop-Music. I mean, don’t get me wrong, if you like the aforementioned ‘artists’ and their style of tunes its not like we can’t hang out. I am not one of those who say that all music now sucks and they don’t make it like they used to (although I do believe this to be true, to some degree) but lately it seems as though I can’t turn on the radio without hearing a song I would be embarrassed to say I like. A rule-of-thumb I have begun to adhere to is this: If your songs are on MTV, they are probably offensive to me. This of course is my opinion, but I have to feel like I am not alone in thinking that, somewhere along the line, Pop-Music went on to bigger & better things – as ‘good’ music & its predictable chord progression gets ignored and even stifled by mainstream media.

I first heard of these guys back in 2002 and I have since become a huge fan. Give it a listen and check out the entire album ‘We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank’ – it is not as depressing as the title would imply. The album gives the feel of a band lost at sea and I imagine these guys like the band that went down with the Titanic without missing a note. The song seems like a good one to have as the ‘unofficial theme song’ for Go-Float and the vibe it gives off is one I would be glad to have associated with our company.  What other songs/bands/albums use boating as a theme?

Buying a boat and QR codes

Starting to see these all over - but do people really use them?

I have been seeing more & more of these codes around as the smartphone manages to find its way into the pockets of nearly every consumer. A while back I found myself perusing the Blackberry App World (Lame I know.) for some popular free apps and I came across a scanner that had decent reviews so I grabbed it and tested it out.

QR (Quick Response) codes are basically a 2D barcode that uses the camera function on your mobile device to deliver various forms of content. Could be a link, some text, or dial a phone number, but the codes can be generated for free online.

This is the one I created instantly for Go-Float‘s homepage. We are considering adding this code to some promo materials and possibly even putting it on the boats themselves to allow people to connect with us easier. There is virtually no cost to using the codes, but I still don’t have much historical data to go on as far as how willing people are to use them. Our website is optimized for smartphone and it would be nice if people who see the boat out of the water, can see it in action finding media from the site.

I am curious to see what your thoughts are. Does this tech have a place in a business like boating & recreation? Which link would be most helpful to you if you were scanning the code & where would you want to be taken? Since the app and codes can be obtained very cheaply (free-ish) there is no big risk by using it, but we are wondering if anybody would use it. Sound off in the comments and give our code a try – the website is

UPDATE: We’ve been able to use Google Analytics to track traffic to our site, & Fairgoers have been using the code. With how cheap & easy the codes are to use I think they will become a regular part of our promos. I saw one on the back of a ketchup bottle yesterday, and I have to wonder why anyone would feel compelled to learn more about ketchup, but I digress.