Boyne Thunder Booming

When the annual Boyne Thunder Poker Run kicks off this year between July 11-12, in all likelihood there will be 100 assorted go-fast boats and center consoles in the fleet. To put that number in perspective, it wasn’t all that long ago that 100 boats was considered “benchmark registration” for the Florida Powerboat Club and Poker Runs America, the two biggest players in the for-profit poker run business. To add additional perspective, Boyne City, Mich., which is located on the shores of Lake Charlevoix and is ground zero for the event, is hardly a big-name venue. And, truth be told, it’s not the easiest place to get to—you have to want to be there.

And on the opening day of registration last Saturday, 67 boat owners demonstrated their desire to be there by signing up for the event online. At present, registration stands at 73 boats. To put that number in perspective, the event, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, pulled in 85 boats last year—and there would have been more had the organizers not capped the run at 85 entries.

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(Photo courtesy/copyright Jay Nichols/Naples Image.)