Moro Equals Fun—Highlights From Thursday’s 2019 Key West Poker Run

How do you say fun in Norwegian? Nor-Tech. OK that’s not correct—the truth is, it’s moro—but after spending most of Thursday with my new friends from Norway, including Rune Hogevoll, president of the Arendal Poker Run, I’m pretty certain the North Fort Myers, Fla., builder’s boats are associated with the word “moro” to anyone from the Scandinavian country.

The crew in this Nor-Tech 340 Sport center console had a great time in Thursday’s Key West Poker Run organized by the Florida Powerboat Club. Photo by Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

Based on my experience alongside Geoff Tomlinson, dealer manager for Nor-Tech Hi-Performance Boats, in a 390 Sport luxury performance center console powered by triple Mercury Racing 450R engines, I’d have to agree. Not like I haven’t had fun in the Florida Powerboat Club Key West Poker Run from Miami to Key West in the past; it’s just that when you’re doing the 170-mile poker run with two dozen or more Nor-Tech owners and their friends it’s almost impossible not to have a good time.

Check out some of Pete Boden’s finest work from the boats coming into Key West Harbor at the of Thursday’s Key West Poker Run organized by the Florida Powerboat Club.

So fun we had—especially at the event’s designated lunch stop for Nor-Tech customers at Sundowners in Key Largo. It was fun to see old-school Nor-Tech Roadster catamarans tied up alongside classic Super Vee models and brand new center consoles ranging from 34 to 45 feet with two, three, four and even five Mercury Racing engines bolted to the back. It was fun to see customers I’ve met at other events around the country and run into Nor-Tech dealers from around the world, including my friends Randy Kent of Midwest Boating Center, who happened to be running around in his gorgeous new Pilini Marine 37 SCX (the first 37-footer from the company), Tommy Mason of South Florida Performance Boats and Peter and Raymond Roberts, the Canadian brothers behind Double R Performance.

And it was also fun to learn some Norwegian curse words—I can’t be the only one who wants to learn those words first in a new language, right?

While Nor-Tech is sure to be in the running for the Manufacturer’s Award given by the Florida Powerboat Club to the company with the most registered boats, the builder’s boats were far from the only ones in the event, which boasted an all-time high in registrations with more than 260 performance boats on hand.

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Check out the slideshow above for Jason Johnson’s images during the Key West Poker Run on Thursday.

At the southern start point of the event from Grove Harbour Marina—the north start spot for the Wednesday and Thursday runs down was at Haulover Marine Center—I bumped into Cigarette Racing Team ‘s Skip Braver, Chad Braver, Erik Christiansen, Bud Lorow and Phil Lipschutz at the nice breakfast FPC set up at the first-rate facility. They were cruising down in the company’s 41 AMG Carbon Edition center console powered by quad Mercury Racing 450R engines with a stopover at Playa Largo for the Cigarette lunchs stop.

Joining several other Cigarette center consoles and so many classic V-bottoms from the iconic Miami-based company celebrating its 50th year in business, were several models from the likes of Donzi Marine, Fountain Powerboats, Mystic Powerboats, MTI, Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats, Skater Powerboats, Midnight Express, Statement Marine and more.

You can check out some of Pete Boden’s best shots of the day as the poker run boats made their way into the Key West Harbor as well as some of my own amateur images in the slideshows above. Like my new Nor-Tech friends, who fully enjoyed the poker run, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

Moro Equals Fun—Highlights From Thursday’s 2019 Key West Poker Run

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