Good Times Roll At Desert Storm Despite Boat-Count Decline

The co-owner of the Desert Storm Poker Run, Jim Russell can’t account for this year’s decline in participation for yesterday’s main event. The longtime Lake Havasu City, Ariz., local estimates 120 to 130 boats took to the water, a significant drop the previous year’s 200-plus vessel fleet.

Owned by Craig and Kim Hargreaves, the Spooled Up DCB M44 catamaran is a Desert Storm staple. Photos by Jeff Helmkamp copyright Jeff Helmkamp Photos.

Asked about the lower turnout, despite what he described as a “record-setting” street party, he paused for a moment.

“I honestly don’t know,” he said. “Everything else was way up this year, sponsorship, vendors and participation at the street was excellent.”

As it has for years, Wozencraft Insurance/Finance agency sponsored a lively card stop.

That Super Cat Fest West, which attracted 120 boats, happened in Lake Havasu City just a week earlier may have had something to do with it. The back-to-back events compete for the same clientele. Participating in both is out of the question for most go-fast boat owners.

“It would better if they could combine into one event,” said one longtime Desert Storm supporter who preferred not to be named.”

But for the boat owners and high-performance marine industry types in town for the event, that didn’t matter. Nor did the gray clouds that blew through in the morning and early afternoon. Because from the Thursday’s street celebration and exhibit to today’s top-speed shootout, the Desert Storm Poker Run has become bigger than the poker run itself.

Enjoy more images from the 2024 Desert Storm Poker Run in the slideshow above.

“It has been an absolutely amazing event,” said Michael Hall of Missouri-headquartered Performance Boat Center, which had Sunsation 32 CCX center console and a Performance Powerboats P-360 catamaran in the street display and on the water. “The structure is very well maintained. The street party is probably one of the top in the country. We are already excited for next year

“And the river is gorgeous,” he added.

Regardless of boat-count, the Desert Storm Poker Run boasts a spectacular setting.

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Source: https://www.speedonthewater.com/good-times-roll-at-desert-storm-despite-boat-count-decline/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=good-times-roll-at-desert-storm-despite-boat-count-decline

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