Smack dab in the middle of a busy poker run tour, Tony Canale looked and sounded exhausted as he sat down for an interview following Saturday’s Pirates of Lanier Poker Run in his hometown of Buford, Ga. Not only were he and everyone at Canale Marine, the full-service marine center he started more than a decade ago, helping prep three Sonic Powerboats models for display at the event, they were also working around the clock to get customers’ boats ready and assist out-of-town participants at the same time.
The Pirates of Lanier Poker Run was a must-attend event on Sonic’s list when planning where to take its 32-foot cat this summer.
It appeared as if the multi-time world champion offshore racer has never been so busy—of course, my visit was timed with what is normally one of his busiest weeks of the year thanks to the poker run. But what’s compounded the responsibilities on his plate lately is his recent affiliation with Sonic, the venerable boat builder located in Fort Pierce, Fla.
His travels to events such as Smokin’ the Sound in Biloxi, Miss., the Erie Poker Run in Erie, Pa., and the Lake Cumberland Thunder Run in Kentucky the last two months have kept him coming and going from the family-run shop. The same goes for his visits to Fort Pierce to sea trial a boat or check in on the production of another. Fortunately he gets in a lot of work when he’s in town, and when he’s not, the fantastic team at Canale Marine, including his wife, Ginger, and his son, Nicholas, step up in his absence.
and then