berns29scarab

The article basically accuses poker runs of being "offshore races in disguise."

So what is the disappointment and outrage that is currently building in regard to Ron Polli’s story “Is SAFETY a Four Letter Word?” based on? The disappointment and outrage is based on subjective opinions and not the FACTS and the generalities applied to the Poker Run world.

Most poker run organizers that I know welcome suggestions and ideas to enhance safety put forward in a positive and progressive manner. This story I believe is an un justified attack on us as organizers as well as an attack on our sport.


If you would like to share your comments with Ron Polli or Extreme Boat Magazine, their email addresses are:



Ron Polli - [email protected]
Extreme Boat Magazine [email protected]

Best Regards,

Dave Patnaude

President

NJ Performance Powerboat Club

www.njppc.com



Is SAFETY a Four Letter Word? No but the word FACT is!

It is important to point out that most poker run organizers welcome suggestions and ideas to enhance safety put forward in a positive and progressive manner, not a subjective opinion that is not based upon experience and collective wisdom. This story reads more like a story from the National Enquirer instead from a performance boating magazine.

The Smoke On The Water tragedy was an event that hit home for all performance power boaters and poker run producers around the country. An example of true journalistic class and integrity was Greg Mansfield’s piece that was featured in Powerboat magazine the month that followed the tragedy.



The following are quotes from the story that appears in EBM:

Quote From The Story:

“everyone knows that the first boat to the predetermined destination gets the recognition for being the “fastest boat on the water.” If it is truly not a race then what is it? A high speed scenic tour? Ok, that sounds believable but only if there’s a boat that everyone follows and is not allowed to pass. If that were the case, most would agree, a Poker Run is not a race…but that is not the case is it?”

The Truth:

The truth is that it IS the case. The truth is that it does not take a rocket scientist to determine which boat could be the fastest at a poker run. When everyone is standing on the docks the morning of an event it is pretty clear who the fastest boats are. There are a few poker runs around the country that give awards for being the first boat to the card stop. The majority of poker runs conducted in North America do not promote this. Also the majority of Poker Runs conducted in North America do have pace boats either for the entire run or a good portion of the run.


Quote From The Story:

“No wonder Poker Runs are so popular with the high performance crowd. It’s all fun with no restrictions.”



The Truth:

The truth is that the majority of poker runs conducted in North America have written restrictions and guidelines that are given out with the Captain’s Kits at the events.

Quote From The Story:

“…it most certainly is a RACE. You can call it whatever you want, but when the green flag flies, the hammers drop to the stops and the race begins, at least to the first card stop.”



The Truth:

The truth is that all poker runs have a “speed” component. That is part of the excitement and thrill of the event. Do some boats want to “race” with some friends or other comparable size and powered boats? Absolutely, just like they do on a spontaneous basis on any given weekend day in most major power boating communities. Does this make it a RACE? Absolutely not.



Does someone in a Corvette on the highway who wants to “race” a Mustang for a mile or two on the highway make him / her a racer? The answer is no. Does this mean that there is as much inherent danger as if they were on a NASCAR track? The answer again is no.



Although we have the utmost respect for our friends involved in the racing circuit, the conduct of performance boaters in a poker run does not even come close to the same level of competitiveness on the racecourse. On the racecourse, racers are pushing their equipment to their limits to win. Examples of pushing the equipment to the limits is the number of spinouts, ejections and rollovers that occur regularly during offshore races. Do spinouts, ejections and rollovers that occur regularly during Poker Runs? Absolutely not!


Quote From The Story:

“who do we think we are kidding anyhow? Even insurance underwriters say “Poker Runs aren’t race – yeah right- wink – wink.“



The Truth:

The truth is that a Poker Run is an organized event where boat owners travel over a prescribed course and at designated stopping points, select a card. At the end of the run, the person with the best poker hand wins a prize. The major component of any Poker Run is the camaraderie and socializing that takes place before, during and after the event. Have you ever seen a race boat stop to help another team’s boat that has mechanical failure? Well, it happens all the time during Poker Runs because they are not RACES!


Quote From The Story:

“So if Poker Runs are actually races in disguise, what’s the difference? The only real difference I can see between a race and a poker run is that races go in circles in a confined area and poker runs from point A to B.”



The Truth:

The truth is that a person can invite his entire family on the boat for a poker run and a race boat cannot. We have seen entire families and children participate in poker runs together. Poker Runs are social events that are focused on safety and fun. If Poker Runs were so dangerous and just a race in disguise do you think a family would participate or even bring children under 18 onboard their boats? Absolutely not!



The tragedy at Smoke on the Water produced the first known fatalities in a sport that has been in existence for the last 15 – 20 years.



We pledge to our members and other concerned friends that we will continue to examine safety factors and enhancements and consult with experienced support groups that we can count on to make objective but practical observations and suggestions. All fatalities are an absolutely terrible thing. We hope and pray everyday that they do not happen in any sport. It is proven, however; that offshore racing is a much deadlier sport than performance powerboat poker runs are so we may not want to emulate the racing environment.


The bottom line is that the author did not do his research for this story and allowed a totally inaccurate and scandalously miss informative story to appear in print for the public to read. All journalists have a duty to live up to a code of conduct that includes truthfulness, accuracy, objectivity, impartiality, fairness and public accountability. The journalistic code of conduct was not followed in regard to this story.



We agree that poker run safety deserves media attention. Poker Runs have become extremely popular over the last five years. Over that period of time, Poker Run organizers have become more diligent and focused on safety and will continue to do so.



The Poker Run 10 Commandments, which were created by NJPPC member Chuck Sprague, have been a key tool in helping poker run producers have safer events. The Poker Run 10 Commandments were formed with the consent of Poker Runs America which was the first organization to institute strict safety guidelines at poker run events.





The Poker Run 10 Commandments are:



(1) Absolutely no alcoholic beverages until the Poker Run is OVER.

(2) All participating poker run boat occupants must wear PFD's

(3) Driver must wear ignition safety switch lanyard(s) while the boat is underway

(4) No sitting on top of the seats or on sunpads when the boat is on plane

(5) Break starts up into groups based on speed

(6) Medical/rescue personnel onboard at least one boat in every group

(7) No passing the paceboat

(8) Minimum separation of 100' fore-and-aft and 50' side-to-side between boats when on plane

(9) Written instructions/charts handed out by organizer with appropriate speed limit and safety notations.

(10)Strict speed limits in congested areas.



The Poker Run 10 Commandments are not the property of NJPPC. They were created for everyone in the sport and all are encouraged to follow and promote these guidelines. The Poker Run 10 Commandments have been adopted by many organizations including: Western New York Fun Run, Velocity Boat Owners Organization, Chesapeake Bay Power Boat Association and the Mid American Boating Association.



It is an absolute tragedy that John Desousa and Mike Scaffidi perished this summer in a tragic accident. Any loss of life is a tragedy and we in the Poker Run community should learn from this and do everything possible to make poker run events safer.



Both offshore racing and performance powerboat poker runs are extreme sports. Both are exhilarating and both can be very dangerous. There is always room for improvement in regard to safety. There can never be enough safety.



Now, EBM and Ron Polli want to hold a “Poker Run Safety Summit” at the Miami boat show. Instead, I propose that Poker Run Producers form their own alliance to meet and discuss safety enhancements. We would invite outside experienced and objective experts such as insurance groups, law enforcement, boat safety experts, manufacturers, and other knowledgeable friends of the boating industry. Let’s stay focused on the objectives of boating and poker runs: Safety and fun!



Signed,



NJ Performance Powerboat Club

Brad Zastrow

I personally enjoy Poker Runs for what they are, a group of fast boat out for a pleasure run. I have been asked no less than a dozen time to race one of the circuits. Not going to happen. I do not want to push it to the limits to win a race. The corners are where a lot of trouble occurs in a race. I have one of those really fast boats. Often times lifting the hatches is enough for "show and tell". We all know who is fast. Many boats can cruise nicely at 100+ in complete control. Maybe the author has a slower boat or has been in 70 mph boats that are a handful. Those boat owners comment to me all the time how can anyone go faster then them if they are having a hard time in their boat at 70 mph. They assume faster must be reckless. If Poker Runs are going to hold the speeds down with no passing the pace boat, I stop going. I want to cruise a 100 at half throttle providing condtions warrant the speed. I have been as slow as 40 mph at Poker Runs. I do not care to get tossed around as it is not a race. I have nothing to prove, I know and they know how fast my boat is.

berns29scarab

Ron happens to be a friend of mine and is an x-racer and avid power boater. He has been on numerous boats in XS of 150mph. I just hope that this doesnt cause anymore damage to a sport/hobby then there already is. I hope it has a positive outcome. Guess time will tell.

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.

LIOPA

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron P
Two final thoughts.

1. The article never offers any new rules or guidlines. We want the industry to come up with these at the meeting in Miami... not us.

2. You'll never find the words - SLOW DOWN - in the article. We are not trying to say that in any way. Just wear the proper safety equipment for the speeds you plan to travel. Just common sense stuff.



E X A C T L Y

LIOPA

The Truth:

The truth is that the majority of poker runs conducted in North America have written restrictions and guidelines that are given out with the Captain’s Kits at the events.



and are NOT STRICTLY ENFORCED. DQ's are rarely handed out to a paying participant,

Sean H

i don't see how anything bad can happen by the promoters showing interest in keeping the participants safe and having an open discussion...

the biggest promoters agreed with this article and are participating in the meeting in miami... that should say something.

i for one hope the poker runs stay the way they are for the most part and the participants and the promoters take the reins in making sure everybody is safe and not some outside source...

LIOPA

........and they will for the most part stay the same....just maybe SAFER ....... The idea is for US to show interest and concern so the OUTSIDE SOURCES will not get involved in a negative way. Everyone participating in the meetings MIAMI is positive about the outcome they will produce for the long term enjoyment of the sport..... and yes this article was shown to many key players of the POKER RUN COMMUNITY.......Everyone gave it a thumbs up across the board. I EBM was very brave and assertive to get the ball rolling on this before it is too late. Once the sport is shut down.......it will be next to impossible to get back up and running again.

Ron P

Some people get it. Some don't. Thanks for your thoughts and support of our efforts.

ratman

then ron should know that a poker run is not a race a state that in his rag...because a few big dogs want to run hard out front its a race? bullchit, everyone runs as hard as they see fit, there may be one or two events that give credit for first to the bridge, ( but they are an exception to the rule)...so that makes this a race? are the boats going 10/10ths around the corners? hell no! the fact that ha called them a race will hurt us all and the sport we love! good job ron, you are a writer and should choose your words a little more wisely. using a little forethought when you chose your words for this article would have gotten your point accross without hurting this sport! if the guy had used more forethought at the poker run he may not have rolled his brand spankin new o/l