I'm not interested in indighting a club with regard to the scenario I'm about to describe so please don't ask. Attended my first poker run last year. It was based at a local watering hole on the lake. Basically people hung out, socialized, and drank for about two to three hours prior to the start. There was no discussion of drivers not drinking and it was pretty much a wide open start. It felt wrong. I didn't drink because my first priority is my crew and my crafts safey.

I recently read an article in one of the boating mags that emphasized the importance of no drinking until post the run and speed group starts. We were on an active lake with folks out there with their families and kids on tubes that were completely uninvolved in the run. I was scared for them. Some of the faster boats were easily runing 80+.

All that said we had a great time overall. Is this scenario commonplace on smaller lesser organized runs? I'm not sure if we'll go again. I we do we'll stay towards the back out of the fray. Appreciate your thoughts.

Any "well organized" event - regardless of size - will require some level of social responsibility. Whomever put on the event you attended obviously didn't know what liability they were opening themselves up for. The reality is quite sobering.

You don't have to attend a "big" event in order for it to be "well orgainzed" though. The club I belong to (the Rochester Offshore Powerboat Association) isn't big, but this year we'll have our 21st consecutive run here. From the very first event, we emphasized "safe high performance boating" and have a great reputation on the lake we run on because of it. For example, when we used to have a "radar run" after the events, local law enforcement actually ran the radar gun. Our safety record is perfect - and we aim to keep it that way. If you want to drink, have at it - but after the run. Oh, and folks still have a great time for some reason.

There are two common runs in our area. Jammin on the James and the American Cancer Society Run.

There are no questions asked - you have a drink and you're gone. The Captains always have different colored wrist bands so they are easily distinguished. I have never seen any violations - most people in this sport are smart enough to know that they can wait 2 hours before they have a drink.

You're reinforcing my instinct here. I think part of the problem is that what I attended wasn't really a poker run per se. We met between ten and twelve to register, started the run around one, went to the first check point, docked and drank, then went to the next point, hung out, you get the idea. All total the "run" lasted about six hours and ended at another bar/restaruant.

So a poker run usually is mostly "boat" time? And then afterwards folks hang out?

My instinct is to not go on any more runs like the last one I attended.

Not allowed at Boyne Thunder!!! But after the run is over!!!!!! Good X's!!!!

Do it at a NJPPC run and you are gone.

[QUOTE=XX14;3385519]So a poker run usually is mostly "boat" time? And then afterwards folks hang out?
QUOTE]

A good Poker Run is mostly "fun" time. Yes, that does mean a good deal of it is in the boats running around, but there are other ways to have fun. Eating, swimming and talking with other great boaters is a big part of a good run. Sounds like the one you went to revolved around drinking. While that may be fun for some folks, somebody's going to eventually get hurt and it's going to get real ugly for the organizers.

I have never been to a event where people drank before the run.

Yeah, everyone is still bent from the night before

Go to the NJPPC website and read our 10 commandments this sums it up!
www.njppc.com