Until Scrapyard Media entered the video-production game six years ago, most go-fast boating event-videos did a miserable job telling the stories of events. They usually were “babes-on-boats” productions set to low-rent, generic rock-and-roll. Change the water colors and a few boats and faces and one boats-and-babe-style event-video is interchangeable with the next.
Shorter version? They’re boring. Strike that. They’re mind-numbing, unless you happen to be a male teenage viewer with a wicked case of raging hormones.
Scrapyard Media founder Brad DiMaggio had zero interest in repeating that tired, lazy format when he took on his first Boyne Thunder Poker Run video fours years ago. Working with his wife, Katie, and friend/videographer/editor Bobby Boyd, DiMaggio had already co-produced the popular “In The Lead” documentary series—which began in 2021 and told the stories of high-marine notables from Grant Bruggemann of the famed Grant’s Signature Racing rigging and service shop to Florida Powerboat Club founder Stu Jones—with Speedonthewater.com. That series ran for three seasons, and DiMaggio had no intention of “dumbing down” the storytelling aspect of video for event-centric productions.
Heading into its 22nd year, the Boyne Thunder Poker Run in Boyne City, Mich., has a remarkable history and Scrapyard Media will produce the video from the 2025 event.
Boyne Thunder has been our favorite event long before we produced the event video,” DiMaggio explained. “We’re honored to be back for our fourth year promoting the best event in the country.”
For the past three years, the Scrapyard Media crew has brought it to life through interviews with organizers, participants and sponsors combined with plenty of footage of the 120-boat fleet in action on Lake Michigan, Lake Charlevoix and Round Lake. Key elements of the Boyne Thunder happening from the Thursday night welcome party at Boyne Mountain Resorts to Friday night street celebration that takes over downtown Boyne City, were woven into each story.
Running almost 30 minutes, last year’s Boyne Thunder video has been viewed more than 53,000 times on the Speed On The Water YouTube Channel. That’s exceptional performance for a long-format video on the YouTube platform.
Why? Simple. It tells a compelling story.
Look for this year’s production to be even better.—Matt Trulio
