Heyday Inb rds
The Idea
Ben started wakeboarding at
age 6, hanging with pro athletes
sponsored by MasterCraft,
then competing with the UT
wakeboarding squad. Once done
with school, and in the work
world and married, Ben entered
a stage of life that did not include
unlimited access to a tow boat.
And, like his boarding buddies,
Ben knew that a premium tow
boat was way beyond his budget.“This started with casual
conversations with my friends,”
says Ben, president of Heyday.
“Most of us never owned the
tow boat. It was purchased by
our family or the university, or
provided by a sponsor. But there’s
a strong desire among us to stay
on the water.”
The premise behind Heyday’s
WT-1 was to design a boat that
fits the budget, parking space
and tow vehicle of a young-adult
wake-sports enthusiast. And
John believes that customer has
been priced out of the inboard
tow-boat market.
“The alternative is maybe a jet
boat or a used tow boat, like an
old Pro Star 190, which he might
fit with a tower and ballast, or no
boat at all,” says John, who has
the CEO title at Heyday. “Or he
or she could spend money on
an off-road side-by-side and
get an action fix that way.”
Heyday will provide its own
financing option, and John
expects a typical monthly tab
for a new WT-1 to be $299,
depending on credit ratingand down payment. To make
the purchase process less
intimidating, Ben hopes to make
it possible to finance and order
a new WT-1 online by 2017. The
boat will be delivered through a
Heyday dealer.
“Young consumers have a hard
time crossing the threshold of a
traditional marine dealership and
communicating with someone
they consider an old-man dealer,”
Ben says. “They are used to doing
business online, and they also
value personalization. So instead
of options, we’ll offer accessories
they can order and install. Hull
graphics are applied with a vinyl
wrap that can be replaced to
change the look of the boat. The
idea is to let the boat evolve with
the owner’s vision and to keep
up with a very dynamic lifestyle.and the WT-1 are the father-and-son brainstorm of John Dorton (far right), the 54-year-old president
of Bryant Boats, and Ben Dorton (right), a 26-year-old former competitive wakeboarder. After 13 years
at the helm of MasterCraft, John acquired a controlling interest in Bryant in 2012. Ben, a recent
University of Tennessee grad (biology major) became a partner and Bryant brand manager. The pair
stayed busy, revitalizing Bryant and biding their time until John’s two-year noncompete contract for
inboards expired. Waiting, it turns out, to start a new brand called Heyday Inboards.
“YOUNG BOATERS HAVE A HARD
TIME CROSSING THE THRESHOLD OF A
TRADITIONAL MARINE DEALERSHIP AND
COMMUNICATING WITH SOMEONE THEY
CONSIDER AN ‘OLD-MAN’ DEALER.”
74 BOATINGMAG.COM JUNE 2016