'The Great One' recently took ownership of his Coeur Custom Steinway 34 HT, and it's as unmistakable on the lake as The Gretz was on the ice.
You know who 'The Great One' is, so we won't bother with tales of his verglas accolades.
Ok, fine, how about a quick recap: Gretz holds 61 records in 'The Show,' including most goals in a season, most points in a season, all-time leader in points, all-time leader in goals, and so on, ad infinitum.
Fun Fact- even if Gretzky had never scored a single goal in the NHL, he'd still be the all-time leader in points, having racked up 1,963 assists alone. (Jaromir Jagr is second all-time with 1921 points, including goals and assists).
So, yeah. He's pretty good. He also has pretty good taste in boats.
Wayne and wife Janet recently took ownership of their new Steinway 340 HT, and it just popped up on their home lake - Coeur d'Alene in Idaho - where the Gretzky's have a large cottage outside Harrison, Idaho. The 340 HT is built by Coeur Custom Boats, and it's a 34-foot custom wooden cruiser that embodies the 'fun' in 'function.' That is to say, the Steinway 340 HT is a custom-built work of art that, while having a hefty pricetag north of $900k, is far more modern than the classic wood boats of yonder.
Gretzky recently told Robb Report, “We literally had a couple of days enjoying the boat before we left town. But we’re heading back next week, the boat goes back in the water, and then we’ll have the entire summer on the lake to have fun,”
The 340 HT is made using traditional double-planked construction from sapele mahogony, with stainless steel exterior accents, a white vinyl interior, and a modern hull shape reminiscent of contemporary bowriders. The interior is massive for a 34-footer and features seating for 12, a cockpit sofa, bow loungers, and a sunpad at the stern. For a little decadence there's also two fridges with icemakers, marble countertops, a cedar-lined hanging locker, and an electric stern bimini that can be deployed as needed.
One of her custom Gretz-isms includes cushions with the legendary '99' stamp.
Janet was responsible for the finer details, while Gretz was all about the patriotism. “She’s the creative one in the family; the only thing I asked for was to have a Canadian flag at the back,” he said.
Other standard features that help make the 340 HT a lake shaker include a curved windshield with a stainless steel frame, a side access door for easy access, a hydraulic teak swim platform, a foldable and removable table, and a first-rate audio system. There's also a complete head and sink. The '99' isn't a slouch either, with twin Mercury inboards packing 430 horsepower with Bravo III outdrives, joystick control, and dual oversized digital touchscreen displays. That gives her a top speed over 50 mph.
“The boatyard told me it would go fast, but to tell you the truth, I’m not too bothered about that,” Gretzky told Robb Report. “I was relatively fast when I skated, but these days I drive my car slow. I’m happy to drive my boat slow. I’ll take comfort over speed any day.”
The Gretz-mobile will be on display at the Coeur d'Alene Antique and Classic Boat Festival in August, in case you're looking for an autograph and a joyride.
“It’s a huge show attracting up to 40,000 people,” says Coeur Custom master craftsman Jim Brown. “It’s so gracious for the Gretzkys to let people get the chance to see it.”
“We’re really looking forward to seeing the Gretzky family out on the lake this summer,” says Brown. “The boat will definitely be hard to miss—just look for that Canadian flag.”
There's still no word what Gretzky has named his new ride, but if it isn't called Great 1 there should be a donnybrook at the dock.
