Super Cat Fest Boasts Ninth Consecutive Sell Out

For the ninth year in a row, Super Cat Fest, an annual celebration of the world’s finest high-performance catamarans and more, is sold out. According to Alvin Heathman, the organizer of the Aug. 23-25 event that runs concurrently with the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout and is based at the Camden On The Lake Resort in Lake Ozark, Mo., all slips and rooms at the resort are booked. However, Heathman said he is still able to secure slips at nearby Shady Gators waterfront restaurant and bar, which shares Seven Mile Cove with Camden On The Lake.

DCB Performance Boats M35 owner Carlton Bass will be among those returning to Super Cat Fest this year. Photo courtesy/copyright Brad Glidewell/Brad Glidewell Photography.

“It’s been this way since our first Super Cat Fest back in 2010,” he said. “I can’t build more rooms and I can’t build more slips, but I have pushed into the docks at Shady Gators and—as we did last year—we’ll have a shuttle boat that goes back and forth between there and Camden. I already have 10 slips over there and I can book more.”

Returning sponsors include DCB Performance Boats, MTI, Mystic Powerboats and Skater Powerboats, and all of those brands will have heavy representation at the Camden On The Lake docks thanks to customers bringing their boats. Sponsorship opportunities are still available, according to Heathman.

Among the longtime Super Cat Fest participants returning is Oklahoman Carlton Bass, who owns a head-turning DCB M35 catamaran powered by Mercury Racing 1350 engines. In addition to enjoying the relaxed atmosphere and fellow catamaran owner-supplied showcase at the resort, Bass competes in the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout and took first place in his class last year. He plans to return to that competition this year.

“Heck yeah, I’m going to do the shootout again,” he said. “I want to drive fast where it’s safe, and the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout has a really good group of safety people and volunteers.

“Super Cat Fest is the only event I go to every year that has the hotel and docks right there on the water,” he continued. “The event is just fun, and we’re always there to promote DCB. The big boats on the lake can create some rough water, but that’s just the way it is. You don’t have to run hard or fast.”

For the second year in a row, Tennessee-based Old Hickory Fun Run, Raft-Up and Pub Crawl organizer Chad Collier and his wife, Heather, will bring their 44-foot Mystic catamaran called Habitual to the event. The camaraderie among exotic high-performance catamaran owners, he said, is the main attraction.

“Most of my best friend who do poker runs are cat guys,” he said. “If you have a cat and it’s bad-ass, you better be at Super Cat Fest.”

For a look back at some of the highlights from last year’s Super Cat Fest, check out the slideshow above. Photos courtesy/copyright Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Equally enthusiastic are the boat builders that sponsor the event, which has of late included a few V-bottom thanks to cat owners such as MTI client Jake Nossaman who also own performance-oriented center consoles. Nossaman’s color-matched MTI 48 cat and V-42 performance center console will be on the display at the Camden on the Lake Docks.

“Super Cat Fest is a big deal for us, so we support it big time,” said Randy Scism, the founder and owner of MTI, which is based in Wentzville, Mo. “It’s a thing good for the lake and a good deal for the entire performance boating community, so we get involved.”

Tony Cutsuries, the national sales manager for Skater Powerboats in Douglas, Mich., agreed.

“I love Super Cat Fest,” he said. “I think that and the Florida Powerboat Club docks and poker run village in Key West are two of the best showcase venues. You see all of your clients and the setup is perfect, especially at Camden where everyone is one place. We’ll probably have 50 clients in town.”

Returning Super Cat Fest happenings include the Friday night bikini contest, Saturday nights Lake of the Ozarks Shootout auction and all of the nightly parties. A possible fun run on Thursday is in the early discussion stages, but that would be the event’s only “scheduled” on-water activity.

Heathman said that despite the current sell-out for Super Cat Fest and its long waiting list, potential attendees should check back with him as the event gets closer.

“You never know,” he said. “If someone pops an engine the week before, well, that doesn’t fix quickly. And people’s plans can change at the last minute.”

Editor’s Note: For the second year in a row, Speedonthewater.com is the official media partner of Super Cat Fest.

Super Cat Fest Boasts Ninth Consecutive Sell Out

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