The Desert Storm Poker Run: Boat Tour Stop 1
The Bio-Kleen Boat Tour kicked off with a 2100 mile drive across country to the Desert Storm Poker Run. We met a lot of great people on the trip who were very interested in the boat. There were many questions about the products and how they perform on different cleaning issues. When everyone asked where the team was headed, the response was: to a fundraiser for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in Lake Havasu City. Consequently, we talked to many people who had family members in the military. In Clinton, OK we met Sandra whose husband, Dustin Burdo, is stationed with unit 24 in Baghdad as a part of the 410 10th Mountain Infantry: she thanked the Bio-Kleen team for their support. In Albuquerque, NM, we talked to a convoy of Army personnel heading from Colorado to a base in Texas. One soldier, Sean Oncza, was from Ann Arbor, MI. It truly is a privilege to attend an event that honors and benefits our troops; who allow us to maintain our American way of life.
The Bio-Kleen Team got to Lake Havasu in four days, trailering the boat about 500 miles a day. The event, sponsored by Lake Racer and Teague Custom Marine, began Thursday, April 24, 2008. The opening day started with a street party, showcasing millions of dollars of high performance hardware up and down McCulloch Boulevard. The Bio-Kleen Boat was on the street to show off the impressive detailing power of our biodegradable, non-toxic marine and motorcycle products. The SAFA 1 boat, a 40 foot Skater owned by James Elzein, was shining from aft to stern with the Bio-Kleen Polish & Sealant. Wayne Aquino brought his 1984 ten foot Cougar Cat which he had easily removed the hard water deposits on the hull and outboard motor with the Bio-Kleen Hull & Fiberglass Cleaner. The sea of people on the street included not only boaters and RV owners but bikers from the Laughlin River Run, the largest motorcycle rally in the nation. The products and expert technical advice were gratefully received by the outdoor enthusiasts, who shared a passion for keeping their toys in pristine condition in the harsh desert environment. They will be happy to know Bio-Kleen Marine & RV products are available to customers in Arizona, Nevada, and California through a new distributor, Kleen Solutions, and multiple new dealers in the area.
The beach at the Nautical Inn, the host hotel, was stocked with hot creations from boat manufactures like: Cigarette, Skater, Outerlimits, MTI, Lavey Craft, Fountain, Dave’s Custom Boats, Evoboats, Magic, Nordic and Kachina. The cove encompassed a huge showing of West Coast custom boat builders and a lot of open bow boats for family fun. The drawing power of the run is a mix of ideal weather and a great location: with 150 miles of shoreline surrounded by steep volcanic cliffs and a 45 mile long lake. The area includes Topcock Gorge, a 13 mile sanctuary brimming with wildlife including: big horn sheep, wild burrows, coyotes, and falcons. The rest of the wildlife congregates on their boats at the Sandbar, about 12 miles north of the London Bridge, a popular spot to park in the shallow water and enjoy the sights.
On Friday April 25 two hundred boats gathered in Thompson Bay for the Desert Storm Poker Run. The Bio-Kleen Boat participated in the run, which was a fundraiser for “Troops Now and Forever,” a Lake Havasu City organization that sends care packages to active duty military serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The well organized run stressed safety at the drivers meeting with a 110 mph speed limit, mandatory life jackets, and kill switch lanyards. The pack of high performance boats paraded out from Thompson Bay up the Bridgewater Channel and under the famous London Bridge. Once outside the channel, the boats in groups A-H according to speed, followed behind the pace boats before they were allowed to roar off to the card stops at Havasu Springs, Copper Canyon, Steamboat Cove, and Black Meadow Landing. The run included a unique helicopter photo station that released boats one at a time, ensuring everyone got shots of their boat in the poker run video. The lunch stop was hosted by Vic and Linda Peloquin, owners of Vista Del Lago, a beautiful new resort community on the California side of the lake. Friday night the festivities continued as the participants came to turn in their poker hands. While waiting in line we were served appetizers, Budweiser beer, and listened to the rocking band 4th Ryte. The winning hand was four deuces, a $10,000 dollar prize collected by Allen Dugan from Pinesdale, WY. Second place for $8,000 went to Greg Timmons from Long Beach, CA, and the third place of $5,000 was awarded to Cookie Smith from Tuscon, AZ. The second, third and fourth place winners all donated their winnings back to the benefit. Mike Stevenson, from the Outerlimits Mamba boat, also donated $1,000 to the cause. Bio-Kleen Products, Inc. donated 100 Amazing Cleaner and Qwik Shine Kits to be given away as part of the raffle.
On Saturday, thanks to Chief Jeff Dorhauer from the Osage Beach Fire Department, a Lake of the Ozarks style Shootout was conducted. The two mile course ran from Thompson Bay to Copper Canyon. Thousands of spectators watched from Rotary Beach and on an array of watercraft as the boats roared by, competing for the fastest speeds. From 12:30 – 2:00 pm the Pacific Offshore Racing Association staged the inaugural Lake Havasu Offshore Grand Prix. Bob Teague took the P1 class in the Amsoil boat, at a time of 43.79 for the ten lap race. In P3 class Worthy Risk finished first in 32.43 minutes and in Px racing it was Team CRC with a time of 24.58 minutes. The dinner and awards banquet for the poker run took place Saturday night at the Lake Havasu Aquatic Center. Thousands of dollars in donated prizes were raffled off as part of the charity event. There were separate raffle tickets for the children that participated in the event and prizes included games and toys. Five active duty Marines home on leave, including Cpl. Kyle Villegas stationed at Camp Pendleton, attended the event and received a standing ovation from the crowd.
The thunder on the lake continued Sunday with the Offshore Super Series race. The Under Destruction team was just behind the Imco Quality Marine boat after the first lap, but cruised to victory in the V-Lite class with a time of 34.59. The Bud Light racing team averaged a speed of 146.16 mph on the eight mile oval course. The boat was only able to complete five laps, leaving CRC to take the win in the Cat Extreme Class with an average speed of 134.95 mph in 25.34 minutes. In OSS Cat Lite the Amsoil boat again took the win with a time of 38.33 and an average speed of 120.61 mph. In the closest race of the day, Shocker, owned by Richie Prince and throttled by Reggie Fountain III, beat out WHM with Billy Mauf and Jay Mueller by just 17 seconds. This race may have turned out differently if it had not been for a collision in the third turn between WHM and the Celerity Investments boat. The Celerity boat spun out and had enough damage to the fiberglass on the front sponson to put them out of the race. The four day event was an unparalleled success according to Lake Racer’s Jim Nichols. “The comment cards from the participants were fabulous, people were very happy with the location and the city was extremely hospitable,” he noted. The event raised $11,950 for “Troops Now & Forever,” $5,000 for the “Havasu for Youth” program and $2,000 for the “Patrick Tinnell Memorial Sports Park.” The Desert Storm Poker Run will definitely be a permanent stop for the Bio-Kleen Boat. The people were so nice at the event and we made some great new friends. The team will continue their on their aquatic tour; heading to Grand Lake in Oklahoma and Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri over the next few weeks. (DK)
To pay them a visit, view the Bio-Kleen Boat Tour 2008 schedule.
View all the photos from the Desert Storm Poker Run HERE.
Bridgewater Channel
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
Didn’t they come out with another line?