After last year’s rough ride, 2003 River Run rolls along

Monday, April 28, 2003 | 10:58 a.m.

LAUGHLIN -- At last year's Laughlin River Run, Sandra Hook of Vista, Calif., was staying at Harrah's Laughlin when shooting broke out in the casino and three outlaw bikers were killed.

She and her husband, John, missed the poker run because his Harley-Davidson Deuce was cordoned off along with the suspects' motorcycles and hundreds of others. The couple spent the day in their room.

"I was determined to come back this year for the poker run and I'm glad I did," said Hook, who on Saturday drew a 10-high straight and finished 10th in the poker run, a motorcycle ride that includes a hand of poker. She won $75 in the event that took motorcycle riders on a lengthy trek to Searchlight and through Cottonwood Cove -- riders get a card at each checkpoint for their hand.

"We weren't afraid to come back because we knew the chance of something like that happening again was real remote," she said.

A year after motorcycle gang violence marred the event, the 2003 version of the Laughlin River Run went smoothly.

Last year's violence that included 12 injuries did not deter 72-year-old Jackie Darrow of San Jacinto, Calif., from making her first trip to -- and first motorcycle ride at -- the 21st annual five-day biker extravaganza.

"My children were here last year and had such a good time, so this year they brought me," said Darrow, who rode on the back of her son Jeff's Harley-Davidson Heritage Soft Tail. She finished sixth in the poker run with a full house and collected $125, which she planned to invest in a keno slot machine.

Jerry Rocha of Globe, Ariz., won the poker run, drawing four nines, to collect the $600 first prize. The 46-year-old firefighter, who was making his second trip to the River Run, says too much was made about one bad incident last year.

"People get killed every day, everywhere," said Rocha, who rides a 2001 Harley Heritage Soft Tail. "They made a big deal about these killings just because we ride motorcycles."

About 500 Metro Police officers, including 300 patrol officers, the mounted horse unit and 200 detectives -- as well as biker gang experts from as far away as Finland -- were in the Colorado River gambling town 90 miles southeast of Henderson last week to prevent a repeat of last year's brouhaha.

Metro Police said the final weekend crime figures would not be available until Tuesday but as of this morning the unofficial number of arrests were 79, including 15 for driving under the influence.

Four motorcycles were reported stolen and 17 motorcycles were confiscated for either having been stolen or for being equipped with stolen parts. One biker-less biker standing outside the Laughlin Metro Police substation Saturday afternoon said he thought the $175 tow charge was excessive punishment.

More than 300 traffic citations were issued, police said.

The Nevada Highway Patrol wrote more than 100 traffic citations, responded to one fatal accident and one serious injury accident and arrested four people for allegedly driving under the influence, troopers said.

Metro Sgt. Rick Barela said for the most part the throng of an estimated 80,000 bikers was "very well-behaved" as it descended on the town of about 8,000 residents. Laughlin gets an estimated $25 million in revenues -- $17 million of which was from non-gaming activities -- from the event.

The nine major hotels reported 90 to 100 percent capacity. Weekend room rates ranged from $140 to $200 per night. There are about 11,000 hotel rooms in Laughlin.

At least one hotel turned away some bikers.

"A hotel official met a group of Hells Angels in the hotel parking lot and said he didn't want their business," said Barela, who declined to identify the hotel. "They got back on their bikes and left town.

"There was a possibility -- though I don't know how much of a probability -- that people involved in last year's incident would return. We had intelligence officers looking for them this week."

The hotel that turned away the group of Hells Angels was Harrah's, which is understandable given that a brawl and gunbattle on Harrah's casino floor left two members of the Hells Angels and a member of the rival Mongols gang dead on April 27, 2002. Another Hells Angel later was shot to death on Interstate 40 in California, about 115 miles from Laughlin.

Andre Carrier, chief executive officer of the Golden Nugget Laughlin and spokesman for the promoter Dal-Con Promotions of California, said organizers at no point had planned to cancel this year's event because of that melee.

"We got a lot of first-time visitors to the River Run this year," Carrier said. "People from all over said they have heard about what a great time others have had. They said they looked past the one very unfortunate incident that we had in our 20-year history."

This year, signs were posted such as "No weapons are permitted on the Golden Nugget premises April 24-27"and "Harrah's: No colors, weapons, cameras."

Colors are vests featuring biker club logos.

The no-colors rule and the presence of extra police officers prompted one regular River Run contingent, the Arizona Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs, to boycott the event and host a smaller-scaled rally in Phoenix called "Screw Laughlin."

"It is out patriotic duty to fight against discrimination, especially when people are continually surrendering their rights to authorities," said Pat "Pooh Bear" Conley, chairman of the Arizona Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs and national president of the Silver Riders Motorcycle Club.

"Not allowing patch-holders (colors) into the hotels is discriminatory and yet another example of authority trying to strike fear into the populace. Killings have occurred at soccer matches and Little League games, yet police do not react the way they are overreacting to us."

Barela said this year's added security "was not a knee-jerk reaction."

"At the end of every event we review what we need to adjust for the next year, and we made an adjustment this year," Barela said, noting that last year there were 150 Metro Police officers at the River Run. The cost of the added officers this year was paid for by the organizers.

Les Imlay of Santa Barbara, Calif., a one-time member of the Bandidos Motorcycle Club and a psychiatrist-turned-carpenter, said the extra police presence did not bother him.

"The police were noticeable, but pretty unobtrusive, which did surprise me," said Imlay, a biker for more than 40 years who rides a 2003 Harley Road King. "When you get groups of people who are drinking and you add to that the bravado, there are going to be some problems."

While many of the casinos along the river were bustling Saturday, it was noticeably quieter at Harrah's on the extreme south end of Laughlin's main drag early Saturday evening.

"I like it quiet, that's why I stay here," said Phoenix truck driver Ron Vigil as he played a Harrah's slot machine after spending the day riding his 1996 Harley Electra Glide on Casino Drive and checking out what the vendors had to sell.

"I didn't think twice about staying at Harrah's this year. You have a few bad apples everywhere."

Laughlin was not the only community to benefit from the River Run. Searchlight, a sleepy rest stop community about 40 miles from Laughlin, saw a lot of action, especially when the poker run came through Saturday afternoon. Hundreds of bikes filled the Searchlight Nugget parking lot.

"It's great to have them come here every year," said Verlie Doing, who has run the Nugget since 1979 and still serves a 10-cent cup of coffee in her restaurant. "I would have hated to see the River Run end over what happened last year because it is very exciting for us and real good for this town."

Doing said bikers and their lifestyle are misunderstood and that people from all walks of life ride motorcycles. "Our minister is a biker and my insurance agent is a biker," she said.

Unlike the Laughlin casinos, Doing allowed colors to be worn in her establishment.

"I don't like to have too many restrictions, but I won't tolerate bad language -- using four-letter words will get you thrown out of here," she said. "Just behave yourself and have a good time is my rule."

Laughlin River Run vendors reported sales were better in some areas but off in others this year.

"Cigarettes and cigars have done real well," said Ron Dittmer of the Colorado Belle gift shop concession booth in that resort's parking lot, where hundreds gathered to listen to rock bands and watch bikini contests. "Cigar sales were up about 50 percent over last year."

However, T-shirts retailing for $20.50 and depicting scantily clad, voluptuous biker chicks with messages such as "Expose Yourself to Laughlin" were not selling as well this year, he said.

Carrier said plans for next year's River Run are under way, including somehow identifying more available parking.

"This year, we utilized the river taxis and encouraged parking on the Arizona side," he said. "We may try to expand on that next year. Hospitality has to be our main concern because people have high expectations. You can't give them less."

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