At 22 years of age, Ryan Gros has a job many of his peers would envy. Over the course of the past two summers he has visited a new city nearly every weekend to play his role on Sea-Doo’s nationwide demo tour. A dream job … or the boating version of a carnie? We caught up with him to find out.
So, someone actually pays you to fly into new cities every week and let people experience the Sea-Doo product line. How do you get that job?
You have to be extremely knowledgeable, personable and willing to work hard to spread the good word. And it also doesn’t hurt to know some people who know some people. [Editor’s note: Gros is author Jeff Hemmel’s nephew.]
What kind of turnout do you get?
We have an East Coast and a West Coast team that visit 12 to 13 different cities apiece. It’s not uncommon to demo 70-plus rides in a day.
What piques people’s interest the most?
The real kicker is the Intelligent Brake and Reverse system, which provides far more control around the dock and true stopping power out on the water.
I’m guessing that for a college guy, a summer on the Sea-Doo demo tour is filled with babes in bikinis?
The demographic probably leans a little more toward middle-age professionals. But I will say that every woman looks better in neoprene shorts and a Coast Guard-approved PFD.
Tell me at least something depressing.
The best part of the job is getting to travel to a lot of new places and hang out on the water all day. The worst part is getting there. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to sit next to the big, sweaty guy on the plane — instead of the hot blonde two rows up.
