Active Water Sports I The Documentary from Active Water Sports on Vimeo.
With 37 years of water sports industry experience, Active Water Sports prides itself in being knowledgeable on all products from boats to wakeboards in order to assist our customers in making the best buying decisions. Owner Warren Freece started the small business out of his passion for waterskiing and turned it into the largest boat dealership in the Pacific Northwest.
In 1968, the Freece family purchased property at Lake Mayfield, where Warren first learned to waterski. At 16, Warren had his high school diploma in hand and began his career in construction making just $1.35 an hour. With many economic ups and downs and jobs coming and going, Warren started skiing competitively and even teaching his friends to waterski. So he began investing in the sport, buying new skis and even creating a homebuilt slalom course and ski ramp. Warren’s dad, Harold, suggested he make a business out of his hobby in order to invest in the sport wisely. Soon after, Warren and his dad attended the boat show in San Fransisco with intentions of looking at a used Ski Supreme that they were interested in buying. Instead, Warren left with an agreement from Centurion to be the first tournament ski boat sales representative in the Pacific Northwest. Just two weeks later Warren was showing a Centurion boat and a few waterskis from Jobe and Kidder at the Portland Boat Show under the name Active Water Sports.
With business booming in boat sales, retail sales and ski lessons throughout the next few summers, Warren went on to open the first official Active Water Sports shop out of a gas shack on Lake Mayfield in 1982. Later on in the mid-80s, Warren and Harold purchased a building in Beaverton, what is now the Active Water Sports Beaverton store. At the time, 90 percent was dedicated to auto parts and just 10 percent to ski gear, with Warren slowly taking up more room as the demand for more inventory increased.
Fast forward 30 years and Active Water Sports continues to thrive with three locations, five boat dealers, a large selection of retail and a ski school at Koppert Lake. And in the words of Warren, “We’re just getting started…”
For more information on Active Water Sports' five boat dealers and assortment of retail, visit our website or stop in one of our locations:
In 1968, the Freece family purchased property at Lake Mayfield, where Warren first learned to waterski. At 16, Warren had his high school diploma in hand and began his career in construction making just $1.35 an hour. With many economic ups and downs and jobs coming and going, Warren started skiing competitively and even teaching his friends to waterski. So he began investing in the sport, buying new skis and even creating a homebuilt slalom course and ski ramp. Warren’s dad, Harold, suggested he make a business out of his hobby in order to invest in the sport wisely. Soon after, Warren and his dad attended the boat show in San Fransisco with intentions of looking at a used Ski Supreme that they were interested in buying. Instead, Warren left with an agreement from Centurion to be the first tournament ski boat sales representative in the Pacific Northwest. Just two weeks later Warren was showing a Centurion boat and a few waterskis from Jobe and Kidder at the Portland Boat Show under the name Active Water Sports.
With business booming in boat sales, retail sales and ski lessons throughout the next few summers, Warren went on to open the first official Active Water Sports shop out of a gas shack on Lake Mayfield in 1982. Later on in the mid-80s, Warren and Harold purchased a building in Beaverton, what is now the Active Water Sports Beaverton store. At the time, 90 percent was dedicated to auto parts and just 10 percent to ski gear, with Warren slowly taking up more room as the demand for more inventory increased.
Fast forward 30 years and Active Water Sports continues to thrive with three locations, five boat dealers, a large selection of retail and a ski school at Koppert Lake. And in the words of Warren, “We’re just getting started…”
For more information on Active Water Sports' five boat dealers and assortment of retail, visit our website or stop in one of our locations:
1224 McLoughlin Blvd Oregon City, OR 97045 503-650-5991
12050 SW Canyon Rd Beaverton, OR 97005 503-643-5991
6719 SW Macadam Ave. Portland, OR 97219
503-305-3328
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scYlKUpela0&t=8s
