To start at the beginning, Jack and I purchased our first PWC in celebration of our 25th wedding anniversary August 2003. We figured there’s got to be ‘silver’ somewhere in those Honda Turbo 4 Strokes! We joined Space Coast Jet Ski Club shortly thereafter and started hearing about “The Rally Series” which had just concluded. All we heard was “lots of fun” and “you’ve GOT to go next year” and “Make your reservations early for next year!” So, the first event of the FLORGIA Rally Series took place April 3-4 at Captain Hirams and WE WERE THERE!

We checked into our room at Key West Inn Friday night and immediately started meeting fellow PWC enthusiasts from all over the country at the hotel registration desk, at the event registration table, and even in the elevator up to our room. Heard about what we had missed not getting there earlier in the week (some of us do have to work). We saw one guy on a pair of crutches — Monster Hole living up to its name once again! Dinner that night at Captain Hirams with fresh fish and ohhhh those pina colada’s and Jimmy Buffet tunes in the background (the week’s work slowly started to fade). Our daughter, Summer, arrived from UF to join the fun.

By 7 a.m. Saturday morning, Summer and I were in the water headed to Monster Hole. It was chilly and beautiful out and just a little bump in the ocean. Thank God for the person who invented the wet suit! Back on the shore of Capt Hirams by 9 am to meet up with Jack for the scheduled ride of the day. A 90 mile round trip to Ft Pierce Inlet, captained by our club members Tom and Brad. The destination was a place affectionately referred to as The Redneck Riviera, a floating roach-coach type of establishment. I have to admit the Cuban

sandwich was great and we’ve been craving another water trip there! Heard there were 48 PWC on that trip, don’t know who counted but that sounds about right! The water was “choppy” and with Summer now riding on the back of my seat and holding on for dear life, felt like I had received the Heimlich Maneuver over and over and over…

The Saturday evening cook out was another excuse to meet new people and talk about the day’s ride. Met another Monster Hole victim, this time with a torn ligament to his left shoulder. He was on Lortab by then and feeling no pain. He had driven from Wisconsin with his boss, so he’ll be ok to get time off when he gets home (although I think I heard his boss saying something about it only takes one arm to push a broom?) Heard the Gator Piss Café’ was happening and John invited us to sample what appeared to be a toxic green concoction…maybe next time I’ll be brave enough!

On Sunday morning, Jack and I participated in our very first Poker Run. Think there may have been a small craft advisory that day. Choppy, chilly and windy conditions, to say the least! Flights of 20 PWC took off for 5 different checkpoints where you retrieve a secret card at each point. Heard there were 127 PWC registered for the Poker Run. We joined the“misfits” group, because we didn’t know what group we should be in. At stop #3, Sebastian Inlet State Park, a hot lunch was waiting for a nominal fee of $3. We fueled up with burgers, chips, and cookies…and tried to stand as close to the grills as possible to warm up.

My poker hand had no immediate value, never have been good at card games or gambling, but it was still fun! And who knows, there’s a cumulative score, and we intend to participate in as many of the series as possible! As one of the newer members, I was asked to write an article about our first rally experience. All I can say is “lots of fun” and “you’ve GOT to go to the next one” and “you better make your reservations for St Pete” and “WHAT A BLAST!”