As the poker-run part of this week’s annual Anderson Powerboats Desert Storm Poker Run goes, the trek up and down Lake Havasu is unremarkable. For valid safety concerns, there is no giant group-start, which in years past devolved into an unsanctioned powerboat race, a wickedly dangerous pop-up event of sorts.
Participants in the Lake Havasu City, Ariz.-headquartered event can start any time after 11 a.m. on Friday. There is no officially organized lunch stop along the way.
So while individual groups do organize and run together, the overall poker-run lacks cohesion. That isn’t good or bad, just—as noted—unremarkable.
But tomorrow’s street party in downtown Lake Havasu City? That part of the KICKER Marine Audio and DCB Performance Marine presented event is remarkable. Strike that—
the massive, mile-long celebration of high-performance powerboats and assorted engine-powered toys from hot rods to Harleys to side-by-side off-road vehicles is an absolute ass-kicker.
The McCulloch Boulevard affair is the kind of over-the-top extravaganza by which all other such happenings are measured. Other than the Waves And Wheels Shootout On The Strip Party during the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout week in late August, nothing else comes close.
Don’t get me wrong—the Northern Michigan Boyne Thunder Poker Run and 1,000 Islands Charity Poker Run in Upstate New York produce charming, small-town street celebrations. If you’re looking for lower-key fun on a weeknight evening, they’re perfect. Full disclosure? They’re more of my jam.
But if you’re looking for a massive bash outdoor bash in a high-octane environment with more than 10,000 of your closest friends, the Desert Storm Street Party is the hottest ticket in the go-fast powerboating world. Forget that a small percentage of the people in the crowd actually know that they’re looking at. It’s a simple, open-to-all-celebration.
Plus, it’s a great place to gather—and gather energy—before the following day’s poker run. Even if you find the run itself uninspiring, the Desert Storm Street Party will send you into Friday evening with enthusiasm to spare.
The fun starts Thursday at 1 p.m. and continues to 9 p.m.—Matt Trulio