KICKER Went Overboard in Arizona at Lake Havasu Events

LAKE HAVASU, AZ (04.30.2021) – KICKER stretched West from Stillwater, OK to join dealers and fans with festivities at Desert Storm, running April 21-25, on Lake Havasu and Lake Havasu City.

The KICKER XRV rolled out of Stillwater, OK early Tuesday morning for the 1,100 mile trip west to Lake Havasu, AR.

The KICKER XRV rolled out of KICKER HQ on Tuesday morning, April 20th, for the 1100 mile trip to Lake Havasu. Jeremy Wynn, Events and Promotions Manager, was behind the wheel as the XRV hit the road for the first time in a year due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Tracy Focht, Western Regional Sales Manager, and David Glasgow were also in the big rig. Glasgow is involved in International Sales and has had his travels overseas restricted as well for nearly a year.

This is the 5th year with KICKER participating in Desert Storm. KICKER first started at Desert Storm with a 10×20 booth with River Dave and Wired 4 Sound. The last 3 years KICKER has been onsite as the Title Sponsor with a much, much larger presence at the downtown Street Festival and on the lake with the Poker Run and boat parades through the days and evening Friday and Saturday.

The vendor party Thursday evening got the activities in gear.

“We feel this grass roots event is the perfect event to work directly with both boat manufacturers, dealers and end consumers. This allows us and our dealers to learn more about what customers are actually looking for and where the the target market is headed. In the years since it evolved the KICKER Sales Team, along with Events and Promotions Manager Jeremy Wynn, continue to see growth at the Desert Storm event. Each year we work diligently to better our approach and showcase KICKER at the event” Focht stated.

KICKER staff worked with their Southern Nevada/Arizona and SoCal Rep Firm Murfco at the event. Dealers Wired 4 Sound, Ron’s In Your Ear Audio and Premium Golf Carts showcased many of their jobs at the event.

Murfco’s Riley Murphy stated “Desert Storm was such a great event and we were all excited to get back outside and work with dealers and talk with consumers.” Devin Daniel, also with Murfco said “There was so much excitement during the Poker Run. Boats would pull up beside the Boom Toon to make sure they got their packet with cards. Everything on the water was exciting in spite of the wind.”

Wired 4 Sounds’ Jeff Cuvelier offered “We were right across the street from BJ’s Bar downtown.The number of people on the street was just amazing.To put the Wired 4 Sounds brand in front of people is an investment that will drive store traffic and business.”

The KICKER UTV brought the PowerSports category to Desert Storm.

Ron Burnett, Ron’s In Your Ear Audio, related “Being involved with KICKER and Desert Storm brings so much visibility to consumers for the products we sell. We always see a spike in business from Desert Storm.

KICKER’s Glasgow added “Participating in an event like Desert Storm is certainly something that will interest all of the international customers that I work with…they all like to know about Livin’Loud activities in the US.”

The strong partnership with Rod Voegele of Gatorwraps adds to the overall success of KICKER’s presence at Desert Storm.

The KICKER XRV was a magnet for members of the crowd at Desert Storm.

On the Poker Run, boats competed for the hefty purse. Some prominent boats, including a customized Trifecta Pontoon boat outfitted with top-of-the-line KICKER Marine Audio gear and an 11” Tower System were Livin’Loud on the water. This boat owned and equipped by Dan Murphy of MurfCo. Inc., KICKER Marine Audio’s Manufacturers Rep Group, emphasized the company’s tag line of “Livin’ Loud!”

The Trifecta is one of many boats the 38-year veteran KICKER representative has outfitted for this and many other events. Murphy, who has partnered with KICKER for so long because they are “the best” also partnered with Frank Zepeda on the “Boom Toon”. The “Boom Toon” is a “vintage” 30-foot Starlight 1986 riverboat that was along for the ride and the fun. The boat was transformed into a runabout double decker party barge, and is now a fan favorite, complete with a slide, party poles and a KICKING, KICKER Marine Audio system. The Desert Storm event was “sold out” with 237 boats participating in its 24th year.

This image from above shows the scope of KICKER’s presence at the event.

Also along for the ride at Desert Storm was another KICKER Marine Audio fan and partner, Rod Voegele of California-based, Gatorwraps. The company displayed its specialty large-scale vehicle and vessel wraps on its Kenworth W9 Show rig, and International CXT show truck, both heavily decked with KICKER audio components and broadcasting live and loud from the Street Party and throughout the event.

Also at the event Gatorwraps featured a 30’ Formula 302 SR-1, fully customized with 11 amps powering its over 25 speakers and subs. In addition, a Rinker Flotilla F-24 that has too many KICKER Marine Audio components to list. But ten 8” Horn Coaxial speakers with LED Speaker Rings (plus 2, 6.5” Horns) and 6 11’ Horn pods, plus the appropriate number and size of amps and support gear, gave some idea of the SOUND of this boat that is KICKER Marine Audio ‘Going Overboard’.

The KICKER Boom Toon was a star on the water at Desert Storm.

Said Voegele, “The clarity of KICKER Marine Audio is what sets it apart from other brands. I have a friend with a Rinker installed by Wired 4 Sound in Lake Havasu and when he pulls into a cove, everyone else shuts off their stereos because his sounds like a live concert! We get those comments all the time when we play our KICKER sound systems—the sound is that clear!”

Both MurfCo and Gatorwraps have had long-time KICKER audio affiliations including friendships with KICKER founder Steve Irby, who is known as a pioneer in the 12volt mobile audio world.

The downtown area was packed as enthusiast checked out boats parked along the way.

“KICKER Marine Audio finds kindred spirits in the performance boating community,” stated Jeremy Bale, brand manager, “This group of boaters enjoys being seen and heard and KICKER certainly has all the right top-grade marine equipment to help them achieve those goals! Lake Havasu has been a good location for us with long-time dealers, distributors and installers and we enjoy getting together with Rod (Voegele) and Dan (Murphy) at these events to engage with our customers. We’re happy to lend our support!”

Concluding, Focht offered, “From the first night kicking off the vendor party Wednesday night, to the hustle of the street party Thursday, to the Poker Run on Friday and the family atmosphere throughout the event Desert Storm at Lake Havasu is amazing. We have built friendships and created extended families with the people of Desert Storm. We look forward to learning more that we can do right for 2022 and remain the audio company of Desert Storm.”