Rabi Thapa is the CEO of Scared Summits and Moto Himalaya. Thapa started the Enfield Rendevouz and Poker Run along with friends back in 2009. Now in its eight edition, Poker Run is all set to head off to Pokhara from April 12 to 14. The Post’s Alisha Sijapati caught up with the adventurer to talk about the event, bikes and more. Excerpts:

When did you start Poker Run? How did the idea materialise?

I had a friend, Binod Acharya Chettri, who was an avid biker. Binod went to Australia to meet another friend of ours, Steven Mcleen, who is also an avid biker. Steven organises the Poker Run in Australia with Harley Davidsons. When Binod came back to Nepal, he came up with the idea of starting this in Nepal as well but with Enfields. There wasn’t much support from people back then and the idea was shelved. Then, in a tragic mishap, we lost our friend Binod. After that, Steven came to see us and we decided to organise Poker Run every year, in memory of our departed friend. That is how Poker Run initially started.

And has the event been gaining popularity ever since?

In Nepal, we started the programme eight years back in 2009. At that time, we were only about 22 people on 12 bikes and went up to The Last Resort. It was just a one day trip. Initially, there were hardly any avid Enfield bikers in Nepal. Now, however, the scene is changing and we can see a lot of Enfield clubs in Nepal.

As the whole idea of Poker Run is to ride, chill and have fun, a day was not enough. Bikers started complaining about their hangovers and then we started planning two-day trips during the Nepali New Year.

What is the purpose of Poker Run?

Well, abroad, Poker Run is all about gambling; from playing poker from one junction to another and the lucky ones winning huge amounts of cash from it. It’s about having a good time. However, our Poker Run is completely different. All participants pick five cards each; from the pre-party to each stop, and on the final night we pick a lucky winner on the basis of the cards. Winners walk away with complimentary vouchers.

How has the event evolved over the years?

After 2009, a lot of Enfield clubs mushroomed in Nepal and all of them have been supportive of the event, and have participated enthusiastically. There is a lot of foreign participation as well—mostly from India. As I grew up in Darjeeling, I participated in most of the Poker Runs held by different states clubs, travelling all around India on an Enfield. Many members of such clubs—from Chandigarh, Shillong, Nagaland and more—have started participating in our Poker Run in Nepal. So, the numbers of bikers have increased every year. The biggest turnover was in 2015; there were 400 participants.

Can you tell us about the rules and regulations of Poker Run?

Our team consists of a road captain who leads all the Enfields; no one can go ahead of him. We don’t have any other rules as such; everyone is there to have a good time in a civilised manner and we have never really had any problems. We also have mechanics to help the biker, should the need arise. Also, there is always an ambulance and medical kit in case of an emergency.

Do many women participate in the event?

We encourage women to join us for the Poker Run, of course. But people get surprised when they see Nepali women bikers riding and partying with them; the same reaction is not saved for foreign women bikers. We have Siru, a female biker, who is an amazing rider. In fact, she is someone who comes at par with most of the male bike enthusiasts.

How many places has Poker Run been to so far?

The first edition took place at The Last Resort. We went to Chitwan once but Pokhara has always been our favourite destination. Last year in Pokhara, no bikes were allowed to pass Lakeside as it was over crowded. We plan to cover other destinations in the future.

Where is the destination this year? How many people are joining?

This year too we are going to Pokhara, and we will be staying at the Fulbari Resort. About 200 people are travelling with us this year. It is sad that the number has drastically declined from last year due to the political instability and the fuel crisis. This year, for the first time, Japanese, Romanian and Norwegian bikers will be joining us, along with more Indians. Actor Rajesh Hamal will flag us off from Tundikhel.

Any incident that remains a favourite memory?

Yes, there was this biker who accompanied us in one of the editions. His bike broke down quite a few times on the way. So, to just lift up his mood, we gave him a cash prize to mend his bike.

What else happens in this event?

We have a variety of awards given to the participants, like the Most Senior Rider, Best Woman Biker, Best Modified Bike, Best Maintained Old Bike and many more. Poker Run is all about having a good time with friends; even my wife joins me but accompanies us in a car with other passengers who just want to join in for some fun.