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Reprinted
from
the
Brainerd
Daily
Dispatch.
Meet
Bob
Wallin
of
Nisswa
Marine
NISSWA
-
Job
security
isn't
an
issue
for
Bob
Wallin.
For
the
last
50
years
Wallin
has
been
honing
his
handyman
skills
by
tinkering
with
small
engines.
His
career
started
in
1957
when
he
was
a
sophomore
at
Pequot
Lakes
High
School.
He
worked
part
time
repairing
small
engines
at
Martin's
Master
Station,
then
a
Nisswa
gas
station.
"Mechanical
skills
always
came
natural
to
him,"
said
Jim
Dullum,
whose
father
started
Martin's
in
1927.
Martin's
eventually
bought
Nisswa
Marine
in
the
1970s,
and
Wallin
stuck
with
the
growing
company.
"I've
stayed
with
the
business
through
buyouts
and
owner
changes,"
Wallin
said.
"Each
time
(the
company)
made
a
move,
business
increased."
Brent
Wiczek,
general
manager
of
Nisswa
Marine,
says
Wallin
is
like
a
light
fixture.
"He's
always
here,"
Wiczek
joked.
Although
now
at
age
65
Wallin
considers
himself
semi-retired,
he
stays
busy
working
eight-hour
shifts
on
weekdays
throughout
the
summer
and
fall
months.
While
many
semi-retired
people
prefer
to
work
through
the
winter
and
have
summers
off,
Wallin
said,
"That's
hard
to
do
in
the
marine
business."
When
he's
not
working
Wallin
spends
most
of
his
time
cutting
wood
on
his
60
acres
east
of
Nisswa.
The
land
used
to
be
his
family's
farm
when
Wallin
was
growing
up.
His
dad
was
a
carpenter
while
his
mom
tended
to
Wallin
and
his
three
siblings.
"My
mother
could
make
a
meal
out
of
nothing,"
Wallin
reminisced.
When
he
started
working
at
Martin's
for
some
extra
money,
he'd
fix
anything
that
had
a
gasoline
engine,
usually
lawn
mowers
and
chain
saws.
Now
his
specialty
is
outboard
boat
motor
repair.
"Back
when
I
started
the
largest
(boat)
motor
was
50
horsepower,"
Wallin
said,
compared
to
today's
100-
to
200-horsepower
motors
that
often
make
their
way
into
the
shop
at
Nisswa
Marine.
But
his
specialty
is
still
the
old-school
boat
motors.
"I
prefer
the
older
models
because
that's
what
I
grew
up
working
on,"
he
said,
adding
he
sometimes
struggles
with
some
of
the
newer
motors
and
the
computer
work
that
accompanies
the
projects.
This
time
of
year
technicians
at
Nisswa
Marine
are
busy
winterizing
boat
motors.
Wallin
said
some
days
as
many
as
60
boats
go
through
the
shop.
Although
he
knows
outboard
motors
inside
and
out,
boating
or
fishing
isn't,
and
will
probably
never
be,
on
Wallin's
to-do
list.
"The
last
thing
I
want
to
do
on
my
days
off
is
run
an
outboard
motor,"
he
said.
"I'd
rather
go
out
and
split
wood."
Wallin
saws
lumber
for
fun
and
even
built
a
garage
and
pole
barn
out
of
wood
he
cut
himself.
He
also
tries
to
attend
all
of
the
Pequot
Lakes
home
basketball
games.
As
an
alumnus
of
the
Pequot
basketball
program,
Wallin,
a
former
all-conference
point
guard,
enjoys
watching
the
young
talented
players.
"It's
not
always
about
the
outcome
or
score,
it's
the
standout
players,"
he
said.
HEIDI
LAKE
may
be
reached
at
heidi.lake@brainerddispatch.com
or
855-5879.
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Traveling
Wakeboard
Clinic
presented
by
Briscoe
Summer
Sessions!
Thursday,
July
10
&
Friday,
July
11
Features
24’
Supra
Gravity
Games
boat.
Limited
to
the
first
20
individuals.
Includes
one-on-one
instruction
with
technical
coaching
by
Dave
Briscoe,
instructor
for
professional
Wakeboarders.
Water,
Gatorade
and
snacks
available
in
boat.
All
participating
individuals
receive
a
Free
T-Shirt.
Cost
is
just
$150
for
˝
day
session
(9am-1pm
OR
2pm-6pm) |
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When
you’re
on
the
Gull
Chain
of
Lakes
remember
that
gasoline
is
available
at
Gull
&
Love
Lake
Marina
and
RV
Park.
Love
Lake
is
located
on
the
east
side
of
Gull
Lake. |
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Take
your
pontoon
to
the
next
level
Premier’s
patent
pending
PTX™
triple
tube
technology
is
unlike
anything
you’ve
ever
experienced
in
a
pontoon.
Available
in
sterndrive
(I/O)
and
outboard
(O/B)
configurations,
the
PTX™
triple
tube
gives
each
pontoon
unprecedented
performance
and
handling.
With
our
unique
PTX™
(available
in
30”
and
36”)
shaped
hull,
featuring
a
flat
surface
and
lifting
strakes
on
the
inside
of
the
two
outer
tubes,
you’ll
experience
instantaneous
planing
and
unmatched
power
and
stability.
The
PTX™
ride
is
as
comfortable
as
you
will
find
on
any
boat
in
the
industry,
even
in
choppy
water.
Whether
it’s
the
wake
of
another
craft
or
white
caps
on
a
windy
day,
the
PTX™
cuts
through
the
waves
to
keep
you
comfortable
and
dry.
Call
Nisswa
Marine
at
1-800-346-2292
to
scheudle
your
free,
no
obligation,
test
ride
on
the
water! |
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2nd
Annual
Freedom
Day
Parade
When:
Friday,
July
4th
Zarting
Time:
1:00
PM
Zarting
Point:
Booming
Out
Bay
Route:
Booming
Out
Bay
to
Nisswa
Lake
and
back
-
ending
at
Zorbaz
Ezt
Time:
2.5
-
3
hrz.
Theme:
Patriotic
Cozt
$20.00:
(registration
fee
-
you
will
receive
a
number
for
judging
and
all
the
money
will
be
donated
to
Gull
Area
Lakes
Association)
Judging:
Zorbaz
Decorate
your
Boat,
Pontoon
and
the
people
on
it
in
the
mozt
Patriotic
way
and
join
the
parade
through
the
Gull
Lake
Narrowz.
If
you
don't
want
to
be
in
the
parade,
join
friendz
at
a
house
along
the
rout
to
cheer
on
the
boatz!!
Any
queztionz
contact
Lee
J.
or
Jenn
@
Zorbaz
on
Gull
Lake
963-4790 |
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Nisswa
Marine
24238
Smiley
Road
Nisswa,
MN
56468
www.nisswamarine.com
Click
here
for
store
hours
and
map.
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to
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newsletter,
click
here.
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