Scooting around town

Retirees turn hobby into a group activity

AN VIEW--As predident, David Mason, with the help of his wife, Joan, schedule and organize activites for the Sun City Area Scooter Club. Like the Mason's most members are local retired professionals. View Photo De Etta Louise

The Sun City Area Scooter Club, known for frequenting coffee shops over bars, has more than doubled its membership in the last year as members prepare to ride in a local rally with thousands of other motor scooter enthusiasts from around the world.

The scooter club, with more than 30 members from Henderson neighborhoods including MacDonald Ranch and Anthem, is made up primarily of retirees, ranging in ages from 55 to 76.

"It started off just being a group of enthusiasts seeing each other on the roadways," said David Mason, club president and MacDonald Ranch resident. "We thought it would be fun to get a group together."

Mason, 67, and others formed the Sun City Area Scooter Club in January 2004. He said while the hobby often attracts younger "hellraisers," the Henderson group meets at the It's A Grind Coffee House in Anthem on Sunday mornings before rides.

"We go from coffee shop to coffee shop," he said.

According to Mason, one reason membership has grown is because the club is very social. With frequent coffee outings and other activities, several members join to meet new friends, while simultaneously improving their riding skills.

"They get a little bit more comfortable riding their scooter in a group," Mason said.

Although the club makes several trips throughout the year to Mount Charleston, Red Rock Canyon and Lake Las Vegas, members ready for a different kind of challenge are gearing up for the Highrollers Weekend, a scooter rally in Las Vegas.

The event, running Thursday through Monday, features several rides and races throughout the Southern Nevada area, including a round-trip ride to Hoover Dam, poker tournaments, parties and a scooter show.

Mason said the Highrollers Weekend is the largest event the Sun City Area Scooter Club has yet to join.

"Everyone around the world looks forward to it," he said.

A scooter enthusiast for the last decade, Mason took up the hobby after his brother developed an interest in riding.

"It's just a lot of fun," he said. "In cars you miss things. It's just breathtaking. You can stop whenever you want. You see things that you just don't see otherwise."

Gasoline powered motor scooters require less maintenance and have cheaper operation costs than motorcycles. While motorcycles can be used on freeways, scooters are limited to city streets.

Mason said scooter speeds ranges from 30 to 70 miles per hour, depending on the size and type of scooter, but members ride as a group, ensuring no one is left behind.

"Our club policy is we go only as fast as the slowest rider," he said.

The fact that members watch out for one another is one of the reasons Jeremy Maxwell joined the Sun City Area Scooter Club. Having ridden motor scooters in high school, Maxwell, 63, joined the club a year ago after hearing of the opportunity.

"It's a great feeling to be outside," she said. "Everything. The fresh air, the wind, the sun, it's hard to describe. It's a type of feeling you just don't have riding in a car."

For more information about the Sun City Area Scooter Club, call 407-1728.