Jun 26

Jun 26 Allison Boats Anniversary: Watts Bar Rally Marks 70 Years of Innovation

Although I had heard there was the annual Allison rally at Watts Bar lake approaching in mid June, I didn’t initially plan on attending, but a message from Allison enthusiast David Parks and the fact that my Allison was at the factory in Tennessee made it the perfect time to go. Just an hour outside Knoxville is Watts Bar lake, and with some incredible hosting by Ray and Skewby, along with Ray’s wife Laura and their daughters, Allison boat owners gathered to celebrate. David and another longtime Allison owner, JJ, help as well and there is a whole bunch of people that make the rally work and make it really fun. There was a large Allison gang throughout the week and it was great meeting people in real life that I’d met online. On Friday, Darris and Nancy Allison joined for the banquet where the 70th anniversary was celebrated. It’s an astonishing achievement for any boat company, but Allison Boats isn’t just any boat company.

David Park’s new Allison XB 21 2+2, with a 300R. Tim Powell from Fast Bass Marine delivered it before the run and it was a show stopper.

The accomplishments of Allison Boas in the innovation department are so long it’s hard to list them all. In the outboard go fast world and beyond, Allison has been building, designing and racing some of the fastest boats on the water for 70 years. I always marvel at how well designed my Grand Sport is, not just the performance but just how practical it is for a small boat. It seats 5, has tons of storage and rips with almost any amount of power. The bass boats have really become the bread and butter of the business, and they are every bit an Allison that happens to be a fishing machine as well.

Geoff Ericson’s really custom Pro Sport had a really trick console and a camera mounted on the skid planer to see the gearcase in action. Geoff has made Allison’s really fly, we featured his yellow Pro Sport that did 108 MPH with a 300R.

Setting up at Arrowhead Resort, the group was testing some props and doing some runs. I got the chance to go up Tuesday, head to the beach and do some runs in the morning before heading back Wednesday. Next time I will stay longer. The weather was great overall with a few rain storms mixed in. I did hit a small soft piece of wood that clogged my water intake. David pulled me to the beach and we cleared it out with no issues. David also let me run his new 21 XB with a 300R, a really nice blue and grey color scheme, an absolutely beautiful boat. Mark Tsakis from North Carolina, who brought his XB21 300R grey and green monster, mentioned how great the group was and I couldn’t have agreed more.

Zach Stanley’s beautiful XTB. A really renowned hull, the XTB was made throughout the 80s and early 90s. Nice XR6 too.

All the Allison boats are really cool and there was a really nice classic XTB with a 150 XR6 that I loved and the XB 21s are really nice, they come in 2 seat fishing style, 2+2, and the ProSport center console design which is part bass boat part sport boat. Later in the week more Grand Sports and SSs showed up, which is nice to see. I believe Thursday and Friday the group headed far up the lake and used the damns to log lots of miles up the lake. This part of Tennessee is incredibly scenic.

Watts Bar lake is incredibly scenic. About 50 miles west of Knoxville.

At the banquet there were lots of door prizes and raffles for parts and merchandise. The food was great and people came from far and wide. Geoff Ericson came all the way from Minneapolis in his highly custom ProSport, which featured a custom console and tons really trick things Geoff did. Geoff was also helping others log some data testing props which was fun to see.

allison grand sport magnum — A really nice Grand Sport with a Mariner 200 Super Magnum.

To go back to the 70 year anniversary, I think it’s worth mentioning that Allison Boats is a remarkable story. Allison is certainly the longest running high performance boat company in the country. It’s almost a cult, but when you talk to Darris, the details he pours over and the passion he has for the design, you can’t help but realize how special the brand is. My favorite thing is the construction, utilizing a framework throughout that creates an incredibly strong boat, with aluminum and kevlar to create a formidable transom. The boats are bonded as one piece. Darris has been using advanced materials longer than most, and really pushed the envelope in the 1980s with materials and techniques that were way ahead of their time. Besides the boat design innovation, Darris has been involved in gearcase designs, hydraulic steering, prop design and early innovations in the jack plate; among many more.

Of course the speed records and boat sales speak for themselves. The customer loyalty is also impressive and speaks to the brand. Darris never stops innovating and working so I’m sure he has another thing up his sleeve. I always marvel at the hull of an Allison and you notice the design details in the shape, the lip, the strakes, the radius in the pad, and integrated setback. Everything is so detailed and purposeful.

JJ brought his unbelievable Pro Sport from Mississippi, this is a really practical boat that can do anything.

I really can’t wait to come next year and will carve out more time. It was great meeting the Allison gang at Watts Bar. Special thanks to David and his wife, Ray and his family, Skewby, JJ and all the others for making it a great time. And congratulations to Nancy and Darris for 70 years in business, that is an amazing accomplishment. Darris started building boats as a child, the company started in 1955. The Allison story is special and probably doesn’t get enough recognition.