BEST OF 2019: When the Big Guns Came to Texas
In 2019, the big guns came out for the 11th annual running of the Texas Outlaw Challenge in Kemah, TX.
Held each June, the event—famous for its shootout, poker run and pool parties—brought out some of the rowdiest and most fun-loving boaters to congregate in Seabrook and Kemah for an extended weekend of high horsepower hijinx.
The Street Party on the Kemah Boardwalk featured some of the finest boats for the participants, as well and the public to view and ogle over the hardware. The festive vibe of the area lends to the excitement that is yet to come. The Shootouts on Clear Lake, which kick off the boating weekend, brought out the speed demons to test their wares against other likeminded people, all in hopes of securing the title known as “Top Outlaw” and take home one of the coolest awards around—an old western-style rifle on the plaque, held on by bullets.
Immediately following the Shootouts was the crown jewel of the Texas Outlaw Challenge–the epic pool party at Kenny Armstrong’s private residence. If you don’t know Kenny, he is the charismatic playboy that owns and operates the famous 48′ MTI Phantom and is the title sponsor of the event with his company, DH Tech—a dehumidification company that provides humidity and temperature control solutions to multiple industries. Every year, he opens up his home (and pool) to all of the participants of the Challenge to come eat, drink and be merry. It also happens to be the first card stop of the Poker Run. And if the provided food, drinks and camaraderie wasn’t enough to keep you entertained, then cue the Swimsuit USA bikini contest and skydiving exhibition that lands in his yard, around the fleet of helicopters that came to join the festivities.
Saturday was the Poker Run and the day brought some bumpy water conditions on our way out to Harborwalk in the town of Hitchcock, where another pool party awaited the fleet.
In years past, the Texas Outlaw Challenge had their Awards Presentation on Sunday morning, after the event was mostly over. This proved challenging because most of the fleet were already well into their travels back home. So this year, with the help of Marine Max-Houston, an over-the-top, Casino-themed Awards Party with VIP boat slips and available bottle service welcomed the Outlaws for the final hurrah.
“We had Cirque du Soleil with aerial scarf dancers and a Casino Night,” says event organizer Paul Robinson. “It was just a really great get-together for everyone and an enormous success. Miss Houston, Blaine Ochoa, was there to help us with our charity checks that we were handing out. Some VIP boat slips got complimentary bottle service as part of their package; that was sold out within two days after being announced.” Otherwise, it was the usual conglomeration of triple-digit speedboats, off-the-hook pool parties and drop-dead-gorgeous girls.
The 2020 event is scheduled for June 24-28.
