LIOPA

The article is on the money...THE POINT was to have some standard in place that every organizer will follow for certification. If it continues to go un policed and more people get hurt and or die the POKER RUNS we all love to participate in will GO AWAY. If we show concern and self policing both the local authorities ( who let them happen ) as well as the insurance providers ( who will not insure anyone who runs in them ) will have a greater comfort level. I as well as many other people involved in this industry will be participating in the review of these standards at the Miami Show 2006. Manufacturers, organizers, promoters, dealers, boat clubs and yes the insurance industry have already signed up for the meeting in 2006. I think this will help us not hurt us as a performance boating group. It will also give us credibility to the powers that be that safety is the number one concern. That will in turn let these runs go on in the future. We are at a point as of this year that many of these poker runs will be shut down if something is not done soon.

berns29scarab

i agree to a point...BUT...i believe the majority do it for the pleasure not the bragging rights or atleast i do. i've been in quite a few poker runs and safety is always of the utmost importance atleast with the NJPPC. yes there are those that treat it like a drag race but you will always have those who do that

ratman

you dont think ron was calling for the end of poker runs? he wont have to when insurers start calling them races they will end in the blink of an eye. they are not races. if the big boys want to see who has the bigger balls whose gonna stop em? everone runs at thier own pace. its the drivers call on how far forward to push the sticks.

berns29scarab

very well said and i again agree. it can and very often is a family event...i know what my boat is capable of and so do others who know about boats.i've had my parents who are in there early 70's in 2 specific events...one in my 29 scarab and one in my 30 spectre cat. did i run balls out NO. theres a time and a place and in my opinion a poker run isnt it. all were wearing USCGA life jackets and had a blast. when i feel the need to push the envelope i do it on my time, not with a boat full of people.

berns29scarab

bottom line is its not a race. a race is where the first one to finish wins. i've witnessed multiple times where those at the back of the pack have won.

Ms PatriYacht

You know I think those skimpy tube type life jackets they were wearing on SMOKE are USCGA, but I believe I read somewhere that the life lines were not..............go figure (I could be wrong but I think I heard that)

Bern, the funny thing is I think both you and Rat missed a message in the article. I think Ron is very much in favor of Poker runs, but more on the line you are talking about. I think you guys (and me included) are more on the same page than you might realize

Sean H

i know a lot of people who could care less about who wins the "poker" part but the bragging rights to the stops... that is what i think he is calling a race, the race to the stops.. not everybody does it, but depending on where the poker run is being held, it doesn't take too many 140+ MPH boats heading in one direction to start causing problems (especially on lakes where there is other boat traffic mixed in)

Sean H

life lines are not uscg approved...

BLee

I just wish people would quit crying about it. If you don't like poker runs then don't do them. Period. It makes absolutely no difference to me or most anyone else that do enjoy them.

Keep trying to ban poker runs or boating events. It's a stupid thing to invest time into, unless you're into making enemies. We will just find other places to race our boats against friends just like we did for years before poker runs.

tomtbone1993

iTrader: (3)

Bern, I understand your frustration with the article, being a President of a powerboat club myself. But I also have to agree with the article. Tom