Thunder In The City Poker Run Lives Up to its Name

Though the solid fleet of 40 high-performance catamarans, V-bottoms, center consoles and cruisers in the 10th annual Thunder In The City Chesapeake Bay Poker Run in Maryland enjoyed fine, albeit brutally hot, conditions last Saturday, Mother Nature put on a show not long after the run concluded. Back at the docks, participants were treated to a raw thunder and lightning show, as well as an extended downpour, that knocked out power—during dinner of course—at the Chesapeake Bay Inn, the event’s host venue.

The poker run itself turned out—sort of anyway—to be the calm before the storm. Photos courtesy Tim Sharkey/Sharkey Images.

Tim Sharkey joined official event photographer Randy Nuzzo to handle the video for the event, and Sharkey also managed to capture a number of still images. The late-afternoon storm, he said, was almost as impressive as the poker run.

“Fortunately, I believe all made it back to the Chesapeake Inn just in time before the storm hit,” Sharkey said. “The rain was coming down so hard I could not see the boats at the end of the docks. It was a sight to see.

For more images from Saturday’s poker run, check out the slideshow above.

“Sadly, we lost power but that did not stop the restaurant from getting everyone fed—under candlelight,” he added.

Nuzzo has chronicled the event for the past five years.

“We had a rain delay last year, but we’ve never had anything like that,” said Nuzzo. “That was incredible. I’ve shot about 30 or so poker runs in the Chesapeake area, and this one is a higher-end poker run—it’s really high end. You pay $700 (entry fee) for it, but the food is better, the venue is better, everything is better. It’s just not your average event. It’s exceptional.”

Related stories
NJPPC Continuing With 35- And 60-MPH Groups For ‘Rock The River’ Event
Gallery of the Week: Shore Dreams For Kids by Tim Sharkey