For Hawke's Bay Harley Club president Dale York the words of a past president of the Auckland Harley Owners Group (HOG) Club were the icing on the cake after last Saturday's big Spring Rally Poker Run.
"He said it was one of the best run poker runs he had ever been
on," Mr York said. "A lot of people worked hard and put a lot of time into this, so that was great to hear."
The annual poker run, where partaking riders gather a card at different stopping points to make up a (hopefully) winning poker hand, drew about 430 motorcycles - to turn the gathering area around Bluewater Hotel in Ahuriri into a landscape of chrome and leather.
"It was an amazing day and we had so many positive comments," Mr York said.
As well as hundreds of local riders, the four-hour ride through to Central Hawke's Bay and back attracted about 70 motorcyclists from Wairoa and Gisborne, 30 from Wellington and 30 from Palmerston North.
Mr York said it had now clearly been stamped as "the run" to take part in, as the weather was always good, the roads were good, the company was good and the cause was great.
The Hawke's Bay Harley Club members have been long-time supporters of charities in the region, especially Child Cancer HB, and Saturday's rally will add a major boost.
For one young Napier family man, who Mr York said preferred to remain anonymous, spending $25 to take part resulted in his name being drawn in the competition to win a BMW car.
"Yes, he was pretty happy," was how Mr York put it. Another local rider won a luxury launch cruise around Hawke Bay, while a visiting rider won a mini-bike.
Mr York said support from sponsors had ensured the successful event would be staged again next year, and he paid special tribute to the motorists and people of the Bay who were patient when the great sea of bikes arrived through their part of the region.
