It Was No Trick -
It Was the Gimmick Rally at Everglades National Park AJ Moffitt, Staff Writer
Andrew Moffitt, Event Photography
On March 12th, and what turned out to be a beautiful Saturday, members of the Gold Coast Region of the Porsche Club of America met down in Everglades National Park to enjoy the fun of the Everglades Rally and National Park Tour. Not only was I able to cover this event for the Kassette as a staff writer, but my husband, Andrew, and I were fortunate enough to be able to enjoy the festivities as participants. This was our first rally, also known as a gimmick rally, and I am certain it won’t be our last! Organized by the club’s own Dottie and Steve Kidd, the gimmick rally had two take-off times – 9:00 am and 10:00 am. The fee for registration was $15.00 per car. Once registered, participants received a confirmation email instructing them to meet at the Coe Visitor Center at the front of Everglades National Park and to look for Dottie, Steve, and the multitude of Porsche flags. Upon arrival, participants checked in as either drivers or navigators. They were given a wristband to identify their participation, and they could get bottled water, sunscreen, and bug spray. This was a necessity since the event was in the Everglades, after all. In short, a gimmick rally is very similar to a scavenger hunt. You are given a list of questions or tasks to complete, with each item being worth a certain number of points. After driving around the designated area and answering the questions, you submit your responses to be tallied. In the case of a tie, the team with the shorter time would place higher. Fifteen minutes before each of the two start times, Steve held a brief meeting explaining what the rally entailed and giving participants an opportunity to ask any last-minute questions. Once questions and answers were over, the navigators grabbed their clipboards containing rally questions, final instructions, and a pen. Andrew and I were scheduled for the 10:00 am departure, so we arrived on-site just before 9:30 am. As we traveled from North Broward County, the first stop we made was to the restrooms. As we approached the buildings, we saw many of the 9:00 am participants looking at the signage and seeking answers to the rally questions. Some teams seemed to be more competitive, keeping their answers secret from others. Other teams, however, were more open with their responses and would share what they found among each other.
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Die Porsche Kassette
| May 2022
After using the facilities, Andrew and I headed back to the checkin area. I had an opportunity to speak to other participants and find out about their adventures. The first group that I spoke to was Herman Duran and Carmen Molina from Kendall. It was their first PCA event, and when I asked about the experience, Herman’s reply was overly positive, “So far, it’s awesome. We’re meeting some people. We’re having fun. It’s a great time of the day to be out here. I’m not an early bird, but I made it out here because I wanted to hang out with some Porsche enthusiasts. This is my first year and my first event, and I’ve already met four or five people who are as excited about Porsches as I am, and it’s just a great event to meet like-minded people.” We spoke for just a few minutes because they were still at the beginning of the rally, and they needed to complete the next set of tasks. Andrew walked around taking pictures before the start, so I went and found a seat on a bench, where I sat next to Peggy Raben, a 15-year member. Peggy and her husband, Paul, live in Fort Lauderdale and own a 2002 996 Twin Turbo, a 1986 930 Widowmaker, and a 1964 356 with removable hardtop. The two have done many events, including gimmick rallies, before. In addition to being PCA members, they also belong to the local Florida Owner’s Group, also called FOG, which is unaffiliated with PCA but aimed at 356 owners. She loves being in groups that are as helpful as PCA and explained to me, “Joining both the clubs has been a treasure-trove of information for us on repairs – who does the best job. And then my husband likes to work on our cars himself, so he gets a lot of details and clues and tips from other owners. It’s been wonderful.” I chatted a bit more with my bench mate until it was time for the 10:00 am group to get our instructions. Steve had us gather close, where he told us what we would need to do, and he had his sense of humor in tow. “It should be a lot of fun today.
Park Signage
