Island Fever

A crowd gathers along the Gananoque waterfront as it has every August now for the past eight summers. Each year, spectators young and old are united by a craving to see the biggest and the best specimens of the offshore performance world strut their stuff.

The raw horsepower that propels this armada of fiberglass and steel is the same source that ignites the imaginations of the thousands gathered to witness this spectacle. It is with a deep admiration that you will see spectators pointing and staring in disbelief as a parade of power travels through the streets to the launch ramps - 30, 40, 50 and 60-foot boats with thousands of horsepower each ready to wage war on the St. Lawrence.

All day Friday boats rolled in from every corner of the continent: Courtney Smith and Robert Grantham came all the way from the Baja factory in Bucyrus, Ohio, with a 33 Outlaw with twin 500 Mercs; Formula's Scott and Shelley Porter brought a 38 FasTech from the company's headquarters in Decatur, Indiana; and Bob and Sonya Russell made the long trip from Duvall, Washington, with their 47 Outerlimits 4 Of A Kind to take part in this high performance game of chance.

The 1000 Islands poker run is recognized the world over as THE poker run. This comes as no surprise to the initiated who know that builders such as Formula, Hustler, Donzi, Scarab, Skater, Baja, Velocity, Comanche/McManus and Fountain, don't just come out for a day cruise. These are the heavyweights of the offshore boat building industry ready to prove their mettle.

Of course it's not a race, but each participant and manufacturer knows that they have to perform. Hundreds of thousands of spectators will be watching and it's important to put on a show so that your boat's name is on the tip of everyone's tongue. The trick is not only making sure that these race-ready thoroughbreds of the water are able to come out of the starting gates, but also that they can finish the course. And what a course - 131 statute miles of some of world's most breathtaking waterways.

The run would take these high-octane performers from the heart of the 1000 Islands in Gananoque to Kingston, the gateway to the St. Lawrence on Lake Ontario, and back down the river to card three at Alexandria Bay, New York, and then further east to Brockville and Prescott, culminating in a final 46-mile dash back to Gananoque.

It's a route that leads the armada through a maze of over 1,900 islands of lush green pines and stark, weathered rocks, past the famous Boldt Castle and a multitude of palatial waterfront homes as well as past quaint summer cottages. Little wonder then that the poker runners were eager to get going.

Saturday morning began wet and dreary as drivers and crew met under the registration tent to fuel themselves with Tim Horton's coffee and learn about the day's route. Despite the weather, an excited chatter filled the tent and the meeting was finally called to order through the bluesy sounds of Merrill Coates' trumpet (Merl and his trumpet have become a welcome part of many of our poker runs). The rain did indeed delay the start and after an hour and a half, the decision was made to eliminate the Kingston card stop.

By 11:00 a.m. the first pack had roared past the power-hungry spectators whipping the water white and leaving the air behind them charged with excitement. Three more waves of hardcore offshore performers crushed the water ahead of them to the thrill of the crowd. The thunder of horsepower triumphed once again over the weather and the 1998 1000 Islands Poker Run was off to a glorious start.

Some new boats this year included Graham Neale's Skater All Risks powered by twin 900 Mercs capable of 143mph. No surprise this boat was the first one back at day's end. Brian Ross's new AC Delco/Snap-On Tools 38 Hustler was showing the crowd a thing or two about speed. The 47-foot Outerlimits 4 Of A Kind, also new to the game, drew as much attention out of the water as in it. Its four 1000 hp engines were set up in pairs and equipped with vent tubes which ventilate the prop to give the engine assistance getting on plane. Team Donzi brought two factory boats from their Sarasota, Florida, headquarters. Steve Simon, Tom Russell and Kevin Baldwin rode in 33' Donzi Daytonas.

Despite the number of US entries, there were also plenty of Canadian players. After a couple of years as spectators, Peter and Danielle Smith of Tri Mate Marine in Arnprior, Ontario, joined the fun with their 34' Powerquest.

Local boater Bryan Bolger from Howe Island was also running for the first time. Bolger and his team rode in a 28-foot Scarab called Full House. Another Gananoque local, Jeff Brown ran his new boat a 31-foot Sonic with a pair of 468 CIDs.

Taking Kingston out of the route hastened things for the flotilla of performance. A stop in Alexandria Bay allowed for the refueling of the octane-thirsty engines while the Alexandria Bay Chamber of Commerce served hungry crews a welcome lunch.

Veterans and first-timers all had a chance to trade war stories once the armada of speed collected its last card and all the teams converged on the poker run tent to play out their hands. Besides the usual generous assortment of prizes, this poker run held a special round of awards to be played out by the teams that attended the most poker runs this year.

The first round of poker yielded three ecstatic winners. First place was taken by Price Turner of Hutchinson's Marina in Alexandria Bay in his 26' Velocity. He walked away with $2,500 in cash from Power Boating Canada, $500 from Graham Neale Insurance and a patio set from Beka Castings.

Second place went to Team Donzi whose winning philosophy was: "share the wealth". They gave their $1,000 cash prize from Power Boating Canada to the CFRB Children's Fund and then auctioned off the patio furniture they won to the tune of $1,700 , which was also donated to the Children's Fund for a total contribution of $2,700. Also part of the team's second place winnings was a Snap-on tool kit (valued at $600), a voucher for Hot Knots (also valued at $600), a Pentax 35 mm camera and a pair of Pentax binoculars.

Third place went to the Gananoque team of Dan and Sue Keyes and Walter Penock and Brenda Davidson. The 32-foot Skater was sponsored by Roger Dailey Real Estate. These winners picked up $500 cash from Power Boating Canada and an assortment of Black and Decker products.

With the day's winners declared, it was time to move on to the grand prizes. A separate round of cards was played by the eleven participants, all of whom qualified for the round by having attended the most runs this season. Up for grabs were 4 first prize packages, each included a Harley Davidson leather jacket, a Snap-on tool kit and a spot at the Richard Petty driving school in Las Vegas. John Landry, Michel Miller, Barry Humphrey and John Burton all claimed first prizes and it was on to round two. John Flood claimed this hand for a cruise vacation and then also went on to win the last grand prize, a patio furniture set from Beka Casting.

The festivities continued the following day as some twenty poker runners volunteered their time and their boats to the first-ever charity rides to raise $3000 for the Gananoque Rotary Club's Zaire Children's Relief Fund. For $20 a person, spectators were given a chance to feel the thrill of poker run first-hand. One of the river's more popular rides belonged to local boater Bill Tomlinson whose 46 Skater My Way is capable of speeds in excess of 125 miles per hour.

The event proved once again to be resounding success. A total of $16,000 was raised for the Rotary Club's Zaire Children's Relief Fund over the event's three days and crowds were wowed throughout the weekend by the sound, smell and sights of offshore competition. All are sure to remember the inspiring spectacle of thunder and spray they witnessed as the world's largest poker run got under way.