Stu Jones, leader of the Florida Powerboat Club, says he is 'picking up all the pieces' following his epic Key West Poker Run that took well over 200 teams from Miami to the USA's Southernmost city for six days of fun, sun and Race World Offshore‘s Key West Offshore World Championships. Jones also revealed his group's 2020 schedule, which will closely mirror this year's itinerary. (See below for the complete schedule.)
Peterson's Key West Poker Run 2020 Schedule
Jones said the 2019 poker run season outpaced previous years, and credited the strong economy for the growth.
'This year turned out to be really successful, in that we launched a lot of new events and we set records on some of our bigger events, like the Key West Poker Run,' he says. 'I think it reflects the state of the economy being at a very high level. The sport continues to grow, just because it's a great sport and a great way to enjoy performance boating. We're getting more people coming into this sector, and that's why these events have become more successful. Seeing Key West go to record numbers, and going off without a hitch, was a real highlight.'
- Each year, their premier charity event is the Key West Poker Run, sponsored by Peterson's Harley-Davidson of Miami, Peterson's Harley-Davidson South, Budweiser, and Pepsi. Thirty-six years ago, Phil Peterson came up with the idea of a poker run to boost the motorcycle business, and the Key West tourist trade during the slow September season.
- Please see below for a complete list of 2020 speedonthewater.com stories presented by Performance Boat Center from the Key West Poker Run hosted by the Florida Powerboat Club (jump to stories here). Unfortunately, the Race World Offshore Key West Offshore World Championships was cancelled this year ( jump to stories here ).
28th Annual Key West Offshore Poker Run November 11-15, 2020 Miami to Key West: Florida Powerboat Club's signature poker run with almost two hundred poker run teams from around the globe!!
It's been just about a decade since Jones operated his ubiquitous pace boat, 39′ Nor-Tech King of Clubs, which was a familiar fixture on FPC's numerous runs through the years. This year, Jones could be seen driving his Project 1080 Cigarette (showcased in the May issue of Speedboat Magazine) during nearly every one of his group's events, which was another red-banner moment.
Peterson's Key West Poker Run 2020 Calendar
'We put in 150 hours on the boat from January to November,' he reports. 'That was a highlight for sure. The fact that I could start enjoying these poker runs in my own boat put a different slant on it for me and made them more enjoyable. Certainly one of the reasons it made my Key West run more fun is that I was able to drive my own boat all the way there and all the way back, and I haven't been able to do that for a long time.'
The Cigarette project boat celebrates the club's 25th anniversary and perfectly captures the whole spirit of what the poker runs are for Jones. 'It was truly special for me,' he says, 'and I think it was one of the reasons I really enjoyed the 2019 Key West run.'
Jones says that the international participation at his club's events continues to expand, 'not only from Canada, which has always been strong, but European boaters are making transatlantic crossings, putting their boats on freighters and bringing them over here for the season to enjoy,' he says. 'We had about 10 teams this year from European nations—all of them had brought their boats over for this event.'
With more participants than ever, the onus was on FPC to give away a colossal amount of shirts and other goodies. 'It all goes bye-bye at Key West—we finish it off there,' he grins. 'There might've been a few things left over. Smalls and mediums.'
COMMENTS
Anyone who enjoys riding a motorcycle, playing poker, and benefiting charities all at the same time should really join in the Key West Annual Phil Peterson Poker Run. For over 40 years, this motorcycle event started with just 46 riders, and is now the biggest riding event for motorist party in South Florida today.
Jones said the 2019 poker run season outpaced previous years, and credited the strong economy for the growth.
'This year turned out to be really successful, in that we launched a lot of new events and we set records on some of our bigger events, like the Key West Poker Run,' he says. 'I think it reflects the state of the economy being at a very high level. The sport continues to grow, just because it's a great sport and a great way to enjoy performance boating. We're getting more people coming into this sector, and that's why these events have become more successful. Seeing Key West go to record numbers, and going off without a hitch, was a real highlight.'
- Each year, their premier charity event is the Key West Poker Run, sponsored by Peterson's Harley-Davidson of Miami, Peterson's Harley-Davidson South, Budweiser, and Pepsi. Thirty-six years ago, Phil Peterson came up with the idea of a poker run to boost the motorcycle business, and the Key West tourist trade during the slow September season.
- Please see below for a complete list of 2020 speedonthewater.com stories presented by Performance Boat Center from the Key West Poker Run hosted by the Florida Powerboat Club (jump to stories here). Unfortunately, the Race World Offshore Key West Offshore World Championships was cancelled this year ( jump to stories here ).
28th Annual Key West Offshore Poker Run November 11-15, 2020 Miami to Key West: Florida Powerboat Club's signature poker run with almost two hundred poker run teams from around the globe!!
It's been just about a decade since Jones operated his ubiquitous pace boat, 39′ Nor-Tech King of Clubs, which was a familiar fixture on FPC's numerous runs through the years. This year, Jones could be seen driving his Project 1080 Cigarette (showcased in the May issue of Speedboat Magazine) during nearly every one of his group's events, which was another red-banner moment.
Peterson's Key West Poker Run 2020 Calendar
'We put in 150 hours on the boat from January to November,' he reports. 'That was a highlight for sure. The fact that I could start enjoying these poker runs in my own boat put a different slant on it for me and made them more enjoyable. Certainly one of the reasons it made my Key West run more fun is that I was able to drive my own boat all the way there and all the way back, and I haven't been able to do that for a long time.'
The Cigarette project boat celebrates the club's 25th anniversary and perfectly captures the whole spirit of what the poker runs are for Jones. 'It was truly special for me,' he says, 'and I think it was one of the reasons I really enjoyed the 2019 Key West run.'
Jones says that the international participation at his club's events continues to expand, 'not only from Canada, which has always been strong, but European boaters are making transatlantic crossings, putting their boats on freighters and bringing them over here for the season to enjoy,' he says. 'We had about 10 teams this year from European nations—all of them had brought their boats over for this event.'
With more participants than ever, the onus was on FPC to give away a colossal amount of shirts and other goodies. 'It all goes bye-bye at Key West—we finish it off there,' he grins. 'There might've been a few things left over. Smalls and mediums.'
COMMENTS
Anyone who enjoys riding a motorcycle, playing poker, and benefiting charities all at the same time should really join in the Key West Annual Phil Peterson Poker Run. For over 40 years, this motorcycle event started with just 46 riders, and is now the biggest riding event for motorist party in South Florida today.
Over 10,000 riders start in Miami, Florida and ride down to Key West on US 1, and one of the most scenic routes with turquoise blue waters surrounding the roads, and ride over the famous Seven Mile Bridge to get to Mile 0. Riders have five stops along the way to draw five cards, and whoever is dealt the best hand is the lucky winner. If the rider is in the top 10 hands, they will get the chance to play a round of Texas Hold ‘Em at Cowboy Bill's on Duval Street. The winner takes all and will walk away with a brand new Harley-Davidson or $6,000 in cash!
The City of Key West block off most of Duval Street, for the hundreds of bikes to be lined up, and for motorcycle parking. It's quite the sight to see! Usually this is about an eight block stretch to make enough room for the huge bike show, that is held in front of Sloppy Joe's Durty Harry's, and Rick's bar. This mini-parade has a carnival-like atmosphere that welcomes and attracts all locals, tourists, and bikers with music, food, and ice-cold beer.
The Annual Phil Peterson Poker Run has raised over hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities like the Diabetes Research Foundation, and the Key West Sunrise Rotary Club, and could be the most fun a charity event could ever get. As well as benefiting different charities, and raising awareness, the motorcyclists also generate a stimulation in the local economy in Key West, the Florida Keys, and Miami. They have brought millions of dollars during late September, which would be otherwise a very dead season for Key West businesses.
Peterson's Key West Poker Run 2020 Results
The Peterson's Harley-Davidson of South Florida is known in Miami for being generous in serving the community, by regularly motorcycle events including bike nights, weekend trips, and the most well-known, the Key West Poker Run. Normally, the Poker Run is toward the end of September, and be sure to buy tickets to the Biker Brunch held on Sunday. Island hopping is greatly encouraged among cyclist, as there is probably not enough to accommodate for all 10,000- 15,000 riders on the island of Key West.
Peterson Key West Poker Run 2020
Many riders stay the week before or after, and enjoy Key West snorkeling, or a Key West dinner cruise. For more information on signing up to ride for this event, visit the Peterson's Harley website.
