After a quick, but excellent, dinner at The View restaurant at the Delta, we made the short walk over to the Roberta Bondar Pavilion for the opening ceremonies. It didn’t take long to realize many of the residents of Sault Ste Marie were just as excited about this event as the participants. There were several boats on display outside of the pavilion and visitors were lining up to take photographs and admire these high-tech, high-powered machines.

Inside the pavilion, several vendors were set up, showcasing their company’s products to the crowd. The highlight was definitely Polaris. They had a selection of their new Slingshot ‘vehicles’ on display. I say vehicles, because I can’t decide if these futuristic-looking devices are a car, or a motorcycle, or something else entirely.

Photo courtesy of Zombieite

It Begins...

At 7 pm sharp, Mr. McMillian took the stage to officially kick off the weekend's events. He spoke of the February visit that put the whole plan in motion. He introduced the CEO of Poker Runs America who spoke about the participant's excitement for the upcoming event.

There was one overwhelming sentiment expressed by all the speakers. This event was the ‘First Annual President’s Cup’. It was quite clear this event would run again on an annual basis. The plan is to grow the event over the coming years to 100 boats, a considerable increase from the 25 on the water this year.

With the ceremonies complete, it was time for the band to take the stage. After a couple of songs, we headed over to the marina to have a look at the boats.

What is a Power Boat Poker Run?

The brilliance of a poker run is that anyone can participate. Despite the fact that the majority of boats running these events are offshore racing boats, with thousands of horsepower and triple-digit top speeds, it’s not a race. Speed is actually irrelevant. As long as your boat can complete the course in the allotted time, it's the poker hand you assemble that dictates the winner.

Which explains the wide array of boats moored in the marina. The smallest was a 26-foot Baja Outlaw and the largest was a 52-foot Nor-Tech 5200 Roadster custom-painted in a ‘Need for Speed’ livery. Between, there were models from Fountain, Outerlimits, Sunsation, Cigarette and more. Every one of them with an equal chance to take home the $10,000 top prize.

On Saturday morning, we joined thousands of spectators on the boardwalk for the start of the poker run. At 10:00 am, all the boats paraded at slow speeds up the river, giving the assembled crowd a great view before turning around and roaring off to the first checkpoint.

There were four stops on this run, each one in a different town. The boats picked up their first envelope at Richard’s Landing on St. Joseph’s Island. Then they headed to Hilton Beach for their second card and a short break for lunch.

Back in their boats, the participants made their way to Drummond Island in Michigan for their third card. The fourth card stop was back in Ontario, in the town of Thessalon on the North Shore. With four of the five cards needed in hand, the boats raced back to Sault Ste Marie to pick up their fifth and final card. The envelopes had to remain sealed until the evening reception where the poker hands would be revealed and the winner declared.

The Ride of a Lifetime

Perhaps the most interesting part of the event was on Sunday. Charity rides. Anyone could buy a ticket for $100 and get a chance to go for a 92mph ride in the Fountain boat owned and operated by the CEO of Poker Runs America. The proceeds from the rides went to the local Sault Ste Marie Boys and Girls Club.

For a first event, this poker run was a huge success. Participants said this was one of the absolute best events they had ever attended.

Residents were excited to see their beautiful waterfront finally getting the use and attention it deserves. Organizers are already looking forward to next year’s event which is promising to be an even bigger hit with more boats and larger crowds.

Speaking for myself, the President’s Cup will be a permanent fixture on my summer travel calendar for years to come.