I first got to know Roger Zuidema back a few years ago, and I will tell you this. Tenacious is putting it lightly when it comes to wanting to promote everything Muskegon and you can put an exclamation point after that if you're talking about the water in and around Muskegon. He loves the town and he loves our greatest asset, our incredible shoreline, lakes, inlets, rivers, ponds...fountains....swimming pools...you're getting the idea, he loves the water!
Back when we first met, if was just over an idea. He saw what other festivals were doing specific to interests, like say Muskegon Biketime and had the idea of trying to duplicate that on the water...and as it's grown, it's even extended to more than just a week. Roger has managed to stretch the events out across pretty much the entire season beginning with a "Blessing of the Boats" in the Spring and carrying on all the way through Fall. We might as well make the most out of our warm months...use every last minute of them.
This years Blessing of the Boats has come and gone, but the next big event kicks off with a street party accompanying Friday night at Taste of Muskegon at Hackley Park. June 16th-18th is the Muskegon Powerboat Weekend. They have a welcoming meet and greet on the streets surrounding Hackley park where they will line up million dollar plus power boats for you to stroll past and take a look. You can meet the drivers and crews and get ready for the weekend of event surrounding the "big boys" being in town.
I met up with Roger at Great Lakes Marina to talk about this years Muskegon Powerboat Weekend and the rest of the events lined up for the Summer into fall, all of which are immersed in water! Take a listen.
It's always awesome to watch an idea grow. To have met Roger way back when I did and to have watched him keep digging, growing, finding partners, helping promote events and Muskegon itself for that matter, well, it tells me that there is more than one person who's not giving up and who sees the fact that Muskegon really is an awesome place for just about anything... and is the perfect place for anything to do with water!! For more information on Lake Effect Boating .
