From Rock The River To Boil The Lake

By
Matt Trulio
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Scheduled for back-to-back weekends in July, the Boyne Thunder Poker Run in Northern Michigan and Upstate New York’s 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run are the blockbuster event duo of any given go-fast boating season. If those were the only two events you did this summer, you’d make more than enough memories for one season. They are the strongest one-two punch in the performance-boating-event universe.

But what about August? What back-to-back event duo is sensational and, at least from a logistical perspective, makes the most sense?

Consider the Rock The River Cincy Fun Run August 21-22 in Ohio and the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout August 20-26 in Central Missouri. Just 500 miles of road separate the two venues, and both offer sharply different yet compelling experiences.

The Shootout On The Strip Street Party is just one remarkable element of the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. Photo by Jeff Helmkamp/Helmkamp Photos.

Held on the Ohio River, Rock The River Cincy is undeniably welcoming and inclusive, despite that the event, which opened sponsor registration yesterday and will open general registration May 1, routinely attracts more than 100 boats. Highlights of the affair include a healthy street Friday night street party and exhibition in downtown Cincinnati. From start to finish, Rock The River Cincy feels like one intimate and cohesive event. It’s just—easy.

The Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, on the other hand, is massive. From the Wednesday night Shootout On The Strip Street Party and Exhibit sponsored by Waves And Wheels, to the massive Thursday night welcome celebration hosted by Performance Boat Center, to the Friday poker run and the separate though concurrently running Super Cat Fest happening at the Camden On The Lake Resorts, Shootout week offers something for everyone.

The Rock The River Cincinnati Fun Run is an easy-to-manage event with warm and inclusive vibe. Photo by Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

And all those events happen before the first boat runs down the three-quarter-mile course on Saturday morning.

On scale and frenetic energy alone, there is nothing like the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. It’s enough to leave you longing for a vacation after you get home.

So why not—at least if you can get around the pesky distraction of having to make a living—do both this August? If a one-two event-punch is what you need to round out your boating season, the Rock The River Cincy Fun Run and the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, are one hot combo.