ANTELOPE ISLAND — Rather than just float in the Great Salt Lake, Woods Cross entrepreneur Dave Ghizzone wants people riding on top of it, whether they paddle, pedal or cut through the salty serene water in a power boat.
Gonzo Boat Rental & Tours is now open at the Antelope Island Marina, offering island visitors an opportunity to go out on the lake in a water recreational vessel of their choice.
For some time Ghizzone, a native of Morgan County, has enjoyed taking his friends out on the lake, and now is excited to give others that same opportunity.
“I have been coming out here for years,” said Ghizzone, a longtime island visitor.
The boat rental business rents single or tandem kayaks, a four-seat paddle boat, and a variety of jet boats, ranging anywhere from 13-feet to 20-feet in length.
The business will later add to its rental fleet a 27-foot pontoon boat, he said.
In addition to the water vessels, the business rents California cruiser-style bicycles, allowing visitors to travel across the island via its bike paths.
The island business is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends.
Having a boat-rental business on the island has the support of Antelope Island Park Manager Jeremy Shaw and the Davis Area Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, which markets the island as a Davis County tourist destination.
Shaw said the new business provides “a valuable opportunity” for island visitors, and state park staff are excited to do what they can to support it.
“It brings another opportunity for adventure,” Davis Area Convention & Visitor’s Bureau President and CEO Barbara Riddle said.
Having power boats and mountain bikes for rent allows for a wider variety of activities on the island, Riddle said. “It brings another asset. We’re excited to have (Ghizzone) on board.”
For those who have not been out on the water of the Great Salt Lake, Riddle highly recommends it because the lake provides such a spectacular setting.
“It provides a serenity you can’t get from anywhere else,” she said.
And the business owner seems to understand the mystique of the island.
“(Ghizzone) seems to have the passion, the energy and the excitement,” Riddle said, adding that Ghizzone also has the necessary rental equipment, sparing no expense to offer a high quality of rentals.
For more island and area information visit www.davis.travel.
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