The 2016 Tickfaw 200 Poker Run was huge, over 400 boats, over 400 poker hands sold, perfect weather, perfect water, great food, great bands, beautiful girls, great hospitality, and incredibly fun running over 200 miles back and forth across the protected water in and around Lake Pontchartrain.
I arrived at the run early to conduct a Performance Boat School which was great, I talked to event organizers Joey Fontenot and Casey Harrison for quite awhile and offered to help, doing whatever we could to make the run and event bigger and better. Lets face it the Tickfaw 200 is so good and so unique in so many ways it is hard to do anything but just show up. On Wednesday night not known to Joey, Casey sneaked in a live band to get things started early. The bar wasn’t open to sell anything but it didn’t matter because everyone showed up at the fun house and, well…..had fun. Thursday we ran around the water for while and the card stops were open early making it a great day. Friday was our Powerboat Nation Party at Sun Buns and it was recorded as the busiest day in the history of SunBuns with so many boats and people it was just simply jammed.
Thursday night the Fun House was so busy you could barely walk through. EVERYONE was there and it happened all over again Friday Night and Saturday Night with the “FUNNESS” lingering around through Sunday as the last stragglers reluctantly took their time loading up to leave.
After the Crowning of the Tickfaw 200 King and Queen A.J. Phillip and Jessica Whittich I sneaked over to the food tent to grab some late night Jambalaya and Crawfish. This incredible feast was all being sold to raise money for local charities run by Livingston Parish Sheriff Jason Ard. Sitting there enjoying some alone time I was graced with the presence of Mr. Joey Fontenot who brought over another large plate of crawfish (the best ever BTW). Joey asked me what I thought about his little poker run and I went on to tell him………again……. how great, the best, incredible everything was, all the accolades and I asked him again what I could to do help, because I really, really, want to help where I can.
Now when you really think about the power and reach of Powerboat Nation which is now in the multi millions of readers every week we can make some noise about things, Joey told me about the size of the event, the limitations on infrastructure, and just how much work it was and how I really needed to maybe not tell everyone the entire, enthusiastic truth about how great Tickfaw 200 is.
Hmmmm, help by not promoting and telling the truth, now I had dilemma… I have to tell the truth but I want to help my friends… I had to leave Tickfaw early to get on a plane for a job in Europe. While driving out from Mak’em Wet Marina where I noticed there was room for many more boats, buses, trailers, etc, I passed another big open field and then came to the boat ramp by the bridge where both sides of the road were overflowing with trucks, trailers,cars and people and a little further down the road by the blood river landing there was room for more trucks, trailers, and boats and even a little further I saw some more room.
While driving to the airport I solved my problem. I will keep my word to Joey, if anyone asks if they should go to the Tickfaw 200 I will tell them no way and then tell them why I have to tell them not to go. The Tickfaw 200 is just too damn good, so good in fact you may not be ready for it, go to some other runs around the country and work your way up because lets face it… It is the STURGIS of Powerboat Poker Runs and you may just not be ready.
Powerboat Nation Party at Sun Buns
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