Summer poker run brings out choppers for charity

A wild and crazy summer day on choppers, a.k.a. motorcycles, brought

out the Orange County Noble Vikings, a men’s charitable and social

fraternity based in Newport Beach.

A group of 40 Vikings, some with their wives and some with

girlfriends, came roaring into Newport Beach on 26 motorcycles and a

fleet of limousines -- now that’s the O.C. we know and love and talk

about -- following a Sunday jaunt that began at Cook’s Corner.

The gents and their ladies made quite the spectacle, traveling in

formation from Cook’s Corner to the Swallow’s Inn in San Juan

Capistrano. They took over the joint with plenty of hooting and

hollerin’ -- then it was back in entourage formation and north on the

Pacific Coast Highway.

The next destination was the Salt Creek Grill in Monarch Beach for

a little lunch. The tourists dining at Salt Creek have plenty to talk

about when they go home.

“Boy, those Californians do lead exciting and different lives.”

If they only knew.

From Salt Creek, the caravan headed further north on the Pacific

Coast Highway, returning to Newport Beach and their local home away

from home, the Balboa Bay Club & Resort. The spectacle pulled into

the circular porte-cochere at the club and dismounted from their

bikes, parking them -- or should I say lining them up -- around the

valet station and central fountain.

Kids on the resort’s beach went wild.

“Mommy, look at that.”

Worse, “Mommy, there’s daddy. Look at that!”

The mom’s retort? “Have another Power Burger. And please, someday

follow some of your father’s other more redeeming qualities!”

Now, who said Viking bikers for charity were not redeeming? Try to

tell Danny Thomas, Jim Jenkins, Ed Raymund, Don McCreadie, Jerry

Owens, John Postma and Walt Havekorst that the Vikings are not

redeemable. After all, funds raised from the event will go to a host

of O.C.-based children’s charities supported by the Vikings.

In fact, the entire day was one giant traveling poker-run. The

winner of the best hand was Barry Lloyd, who took home his bike and

$850.

Viking Chief Mike Farah and his wife Sally were on the tour, along

with Hansjoerg Maissen, the newly appointed boss of the Four Seasons

Newport, and his fiancee Terry Dishman. Also spotted in the entourage

were Carl Cain, Jack and Jan Mohler, Julie Hall and Viking princess

Kristilyn Goff.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.