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Colorful speedboat on water near cottages and treeline
It can be hard to resist the urge to show off when you’re in control of a vehicle that’s capable of traveling at some impressively high speeds. That’s what some boaters in New York did over the weekend, but they were hit with a ticket and banned from the charity event they were participating in after absolutely obliterating the speed limit on a popular waterway.
Last week, the St. Lawrence River was the site of the 10th annual 1000 Islands Charity Poker Run, an event where thousands of spectators gather to watch the more than 100 boats that take part in a fundraiser that primarily benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
The multi-day affair featured a couple of days of festivities largely situated on dry land before the attention turned to the main event on Saturday, July 18th (if you’re not familiar with the concept of a “poker run,” it involves traveling to either five—or, in some cases, seven— designated checkpoints where you receive a card in the hopes of assembling the best possible hand).
Boaters who took part in the 1000 Islands event straddled the Canadian border while traversing a route that stretched from Cape Vincent to Ogdensburg, and people who gathered to watch the participants do their thing got to witness a number of souped-up boats making their way across the water.
The people piloting them were expected to abide by a number of rules put in place in the name of safety, but one team ran afoul of officials and the authorities with an impressively egregious violation.
A boat that took part in the 1000 Islands Charity Poker Run was nabbed going 127 MPH over the speed limit
Part of the appeal of poker runs is the fact that they take speed out of the equation, as winners are determined by the literal luck of the draw as opposed to a race where the spoils go to a victor who travels from Point A to Point B as quickly as possible.
The 1000 Islands event tends to attract more than a few competitive boaters who regularly compete in races where they attempt to do exactly that on a regular basis, but captains and navigators are required to attend a meeting before it gets underway where organizers hammer home the restrictions and speed limits that have been instituted in the name of safety.
That includes the standing 30 MPH cap on a narrow part of the St. Lawrence that passes underneath the American side of the Thousand Islands Bridge, but according to WWNY, it was ignored and obliterated by a team that was cited for six violations after New York State Park Police clocked them passing through the area at 157 MPH.
The boat, a 50-foot catamaran with turbine engines, was manned by JJ Turk and Nick Buis, who are members of a racing team sponsored by XInsurance. The latter took full responsibility for the mistake, saying:
“We messed up. This is 100-percent on us. We appreciate the venue and the great cause. We’re sorry we disrupted the run due to our lack of knowledge, and we hope the venue will allow us back.
The teams, locals, organizers and the Make-A-Wish Foundation all did an incredible job. We made a mistake and will do our best to turn a negative into a positive.”
Police issued a release where they asserted a member of the team was arrested for reckless operation, but Buis denied anyone actually ended up being detained. The president of the organization that oversees the run said they are banned from participating in the future, but I guess there’s always a chance they have a change of heart.