HUNTINGTON -- Campers, boats and cars, oh my.

In a state that prides itself on its wild and wonderful outdoor image, there's not much else you could ask for.

Patrons at the Huntington Mall in Barboursville got a look at some of the newest in campers, RVs, boats and other recreational vehicles Saturday at the mall's annual Sports and Leisure Show.

The familiar landscape was dotted with parked vehicles, their fresh paint jobs sparkling under the indoor lighting.

"It's kind of a nice change of pace for the mall," said Chris Blake of Huntington, who looked on as his 18-month-old daughter clambered in and out of the vehicles, along with his in-laws.

"The in-laws wanted to come back and take a look at all of this," Blake said.

The event is mostly a show-piece for local recreational retailers, rather than a big business day, said Bryan Bellville of Setzer's World of Camping in Huntington.

"Most sales come from the bigger RV shows," he said. "This is more of an advertisement for us."

But the odd sale does occur.

"We will actually sell some boats today," said Phil Daniel of The Great Outdoors in Lavalette.

He said his company has been coming to the show at the Huntington Mall for the past 18 years.

"This is a good time to buy because there are a lot of dealer incentives," Daniel said. "But, yeah, this is kind of a time to advertise to people.

"It gets them thinking about the spring, and it won't be too long before it's here."

Chris Harris/The Herald-Dispatch

David Rasnick of Pikeville, Ky., checks out some components on a Skeeter fishing boat during the Sports and Leisure Show at the Huntington Mall on Saturday.

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