JB4Boyne

I will be doing another Poker Run next summer, this time I will be working with the city of East Jordan, Mi. It will be held on Lake Charlevoix, with card stops in Ironton, Boyne City, Oyster Bay, Charlevoix and then back to a Estate on the lake that was left to the city for public use. It will be about a 50 mile run. Were thinking about having the boats raft at Oyster Bay for 1-2 hours to swim and have some fun. The run will end at the Estate named Elm Point. We are thinking of having a Caribbean Style beach party, Big tent set up, pig roast and chicken with all the fix'ns, beer and wine coolers, great band, dancing, limbo, swimming, beach volley ball, horse shoes, then at dusk have a big campfire on the beach. If we have it July 1st we will be able to watch the citys fireworks. This will be a different style Poker Run, it will be open to all boats (except blow boats) little bowriders to big cruisers, with a 55 mph speed limit on Lake Charlevoix. We want to keep the price very low, we think we can do it for around $75 per boat with 2 people and $15 for each additional person, but with the low entry fee there won't be a big purse. Also there are no docks at Elm Point but there is a great place to beach them (all soft sand), or raft up and we will have dingy service. You will be able to spend the night on your boat or there are many marina's on the lake but that will be up to you. If there is any money left over? instead of it going to charity I think it will go to the Elm Point Fund to make it more boater friendly, Elm Point is a great place to beach and swim but most boaters don't know it is open to them. I would like your comments, to make this a great event for all boaters, not just performance boats. ANY IDEA'S???????

boatme

First Idea that comes to mind is to Call in the midgit racer and let him help you

LOL

sorry inside joke

JB4Boyne

LOL, When he heard it was going to be a SHORT run he was interested, he even offered to be our treasurer.

stecz20

when i put the plunger on glh's face... cant wait for next year.....

yzbert

I think it is the performance boats that make it fun. the smell of fuel, the insane noise, the speed, it is a common bond with everyone in the event. there is a poor mans poker run on lake charlevoix in aug? that are all bowriders etc that i think had 50? boats this year. they just throw money into a pot i believe, no dinner ect.
fourth of july weekend i think is going to be a tough weekend to have it as well there are alot of people up here but there are alot of family functions going on as well. that should also be the start of the cherry festival and the blue angels will be up this year as well.
good luck with it, but it is not the purse for me it is the people and the boats gives you a chance to dream a little.
two hours in oster bay, these people are going to be lit by the time they leave there and assumeing most of the boats are not big enough to sleep on????? by the time they leave the party???? keep me informed so i can stay off the lake. not to be a downer but next year will the 7th year we have had the n. michigan fun run and these are always my concerns.

hey i have got a great idea, how would you like run the fun run this year? i am serious, it is always fun time, we have route, date, t-shirt design ect. we just lack organization big time. i did it the first 4 years, a little the 5th and had others do the whole thing last year. trust me we need organization help, the info needs to be out in a much more timely manner.

good luck
scott

Perfectmix

JB, For me its: Fast Boats, Big Towing Rigs, Noise, Speed, Open Water, The Spectacle, Fans, Roaming the Docks, Drooling over boats. Meeting new people,
Yzbert has a good point, timing is key, Organize the Fun Run this year. And post some dates ASAP.
We are holding a P.R. out of Elk Rapids on the 3rd Weekend in July. Runs Both East & West Bays. Last year I we passed the Fun Run Bunch in Traverse City. I would love to do both this year.
Good Luck
Josh

otis311

What I enjoy the most is meeting up with the different friends we have met thru the years and socializing with them. The boating and all is good, but the partys and the people make a Poker run

stecz20

i like screamimg bobs name in a bar full of people that he knows all night long.... thats what i like...

Shah Mat

Lunch stop during the RPBA poker run. Didn't take long at all to pack all these boats in this marina, just like clockwork. Everyone is in the smae mood.... Just wanting to have a good time.

Of course pic #3 is one of the top reasons I like boating anyway. Poker runs seem to have more of them.

JB4Boyne

Hi Scott, (1) The reason were having it July 1st is that is East Jordan's FREEDOM FESTIVAL weekend and the city ask me to put it together so they would have more activities.

(2) I'm with you on the fast boats, the noise, the awsome paint jobs, ect... That is why we have BOYNE THUNDER. Were not going to target just the Offshore style boats on this run, although they are very welcome. There are alot of other boaters out there that watch BOYNE THUNDER and feel left out.

(3) The poor man's Poker Run was 3 friends of mine out play'n golf and have'n a few drinks and said let's have poker run for little boats. So in just two weeks and by just word of mouth they had 26 boats. They did have a dinner, they went back to my neighbors house and rafted up and had hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill. There was a local DJ that doesn't have a boat but wanted to go along so he traded his DJ service for a ride, they had a great party.


(4) We won't be able to allow alcohol while they are rafted up at Oyster Bay, we want to make this a very safe event, they can drink all they want once there back at Elm Point and the boats are parked for the night.

(5) I would love to HELP YOU with the N. MI. Fun Run. But it's yours and your participants run, maybe we could form a committee and see what direction you would like the run to go in, give everyone on the committee a job they would be comfortable with and make it happen. You already have a great run, it shouldn't be to hard to do. Thanks, JB