The 6th annual Jasper Motorcycle Run roared through town Aug. 24, bringing about 100 bikers to Jasper for a day of riding through the park—and it was all for a good cause.
The run saw riders compete in a “race” around the park. Each rider visits five checkpoints—this year’s were the Jasper Sky Tram, Marmot Basin, Athabasca Falls, Maligne Lake and Sunwapta Falls—and picks up a playing card. At the end of the day, whichever rider has the best five-card poker hand wins.
Each poker hand cost $50, and many of the riders bought more than one. According to organizer Chelsea McBride, in the end all those tickets added up to about $3650, which organizers will donate to help support the Jasper Ladies Hospital Auxiliary’s ultrasound fundraising efforts.
McBride said that along with the money raised from poker hand sales, part of the profits from the wild boar roast that took place at the De’d Dog after the event will also be donated.
This year marked a big change for the event, with a new group of organizers taking over planning. Previously, Jasper Motorcycle Tours and Tourism Jasper worked together to make the event happen, but because Tourism Jasper didn’t have the resources to take on the project this year, a group from the Astoria hotel picked up the slack.
Blaire Antler and McBride, along with a ton of dedicated volunteers, spearheaded the event this year, putting together in just a couple of months an event that normally takes most of the year to plan.
“Usually you’re planning it a year in advance, so we had two months to plan what technically we would do in a year,” said Antler. “It’s the first time we’ve done it completely under our window, and you always get a few glitches, but generally everything went very smooth.”
McBride echoed Antler’s sentiment, saying that hosting the event was a lot of fun, and it prepared them well for taking it on again next year, when they’ll have more time.
“It was a great day and kind of a learning experience for us,” she said.
When the race was over, most riders gathered back at the De’d Dog for the wild boar roast and entertainment—provided by classic rock cover band Old School.
Antler said everyone he talked to had a blast. The combination of great weather, great food and great music ensured the event was a success.
“It’s just a really good ride, just for people to enjoy, and you don’t see anything less than smiles on their faces.”
