Page 32 - ARUBA TODAY

A32 FEATURE
Wednesday 26 september 2018
Waterbed promoters trying to revive industry with new focus

By JENNIFER KAY said. Koenig is quick to clar-
TAMARAC, Fla. (AP) — Wa- ify that while one of Hall's
terbeds still elicit a wink, waterbeds was covered in
wink, nudge, nudge when- velvet and featured in Play-
ever they come up in con- boy magazine, the inventor
versation — but two pio- was no Hugh Hefner.
neers of the industry in the "Charlie was a smart, con-
United States are hoping to servative, laid-back, Cali-
generate a new wave of fornia design guy, and this
popularity for the old fur- industry that he grew, that
niture concept by using a he started, became pret-
wholesome new pitch. ty wild," Koenig said. "The
Talking about temperature- parties at the trade shows
control innovations and in the '70s and '80s, well,
health-conscious consum- I couldn't stay long, and
ers, inventor Charles Hall Charlie was not that kind of
and City Furniture CEO guy either."
Keith Koenig don't sound Koenig pulled the plug on
like wild and crazy guys. waterbed sales at City Fur-
They aren't the ones who niture stores about 20 years
joke that millennials claim- ago because he was un-
ing to have never seen a In this June 26, 2018, photo City Furniture CEO Keith Koenig, jumps onto a waterbed as he speaks happy with the available
waterbed likely were con- during an interview with the Associated Press, in Tamarac, Fla. supply. But he's decided it's
ceived in one. Associated Press time to reintroduce them.
They just sound enviably The first shipment of roughly
well-rested. store chain started as Wa- make the design better." "I bought it because it was 40 beds sold out within a
In the City Furniture show- terbed City in 1971, has It's been 50 years since Hall different, it was controver- month, Koenig said. City
room in Tamarac, a sign joined with Hall and former initially designed a water- sial , it was almost a conver- Furniture is extending its
promises Afloat mattresses waterbed manufacturer bed for a thesis project at sation piece," said Lollis, a Afloat test market to nine
are "not your parents' wa- Michael Geraghty to form San Francisco State Uni- retired corrections deputy. of its 17 Florida stores, and
terbed." Koenig flops onto Tamarac-based Hall Flota- versity. By the mid-1980s, Two years ago, for her 80th Geraghty said Hall Floata-
one, describing how it con- tion, which produces the the Waterbed Manufac- birthday, Lollis bought a tion website sales will soon
tours to his physique while Afloat waterbeds. They turers Association reported new waterbed, and she still be available.
also fitting into standard range from about $2,000 to roughly $2 billion in annual gets a kick out of the looks Hall is curious to see who
bedding and stylish bed $3,300 — adjusting for infla- sales. she gets about her bed- buys more, baby boom-
frames. tion, about the same cost "People who might have room setup. After hearing ers or younger custom-
He's not selling nostalgia, as a waterbed in 1975. bought it for Saturday about the Afloat venture, ers. So is Lynn Hardman of
and he doesn't bring up They've traded product nights, then started using it she said she'd love to take Southern Waterbeds and
waterbeds' notorious repu- names Hall used in the every night," Hall said. Hall out to dinner to com- Futons in Athens, Georgia.
tation until he's asked point- 1970s such as The Pleasure Michael Dart was one of pare their adventures as He sold Lollis both her wa-
blank about it. Pit and Pleasure Island for those 1980s customers in waterbed owners. terbeds, and he's eager to
"We're not selling better sex. the sober-sounding Firm Rochester, New York. His "I hope they think I'm a see something revitalize his
We're selling better sleep, and Pure models. waterbed didn't move femme fatale, you know? industry.
more comfortable sleep, "Seeing a thing undulate with him to Florida several If there is any sexual innu- "The millennials buying the
temperature control," Koe- like they did in the early years later, and Dart said endo, good! I'm kind of a futons, we can't get them
nig said. 1970s, people looked at he missed its comforting weird, different person. I interested in the water-
Hall fully agrees that health it and said, 'Well, this is an warmth. When he went think anything's OK," Lollis beds," said Hardman.q
benefits are an Afloat's interesting ride,'" Hall said. mattress shopping in June,
main selling points. "Now it's comfort first." he was thrilled to see the
But he says he also told With materials unavailable Afloat beds at City Furniture
Koenig, "Come on, we in waterbeds' heyday, Hall and bought the first one.
can't be boring!" said, "it's been kind of fun to "It's like floating, it's so
Koenig, whose furniture reimagine all the things to nice," Dart said at his Coral
Springs home. "Everybody
is like, 'Really, you got a
waterbed?' And I'm like,
'Yeah, they're really good,
they're better than they
ever were.' I'm like a pop-
culture hero now with the
guys at work."
If those guys think Dart is
swell, they should meet Jeri
Lollis, who really seems to
be living her best life with
a waterbed. She bought
her first one 40 years ago,
about the same time she
installed a mirror on her
In this June 26, 2018, photo an Afloat water bed is shown on dis- bedroom ceiling in her red- In this July 5, 2018, photo workers assemble the Afloat water bed
play in a wear house at City Furniture in Tamarac, Fla. roofed mobile home in Hull, at the factory in Corona, Calif.
Associated Press Georgia. Associated Press