On Saturday, September 19th, a herd of Ford Broncos and Bronco Sports gathered at Sunshine Mountain Ford Lincoln for the highly anticipated 2026 Vancouver Island Bronco Poker Run. With sealed envelopes, standard poker chips and a community ready to ride, SMFL hit the trail for an adventure filled with local stops and grassroots giving.
Our community is what makes this event so special the 2026 stampede brought out some absolute legends. We were thrilled to have the adventure-loving crew from the YouTube channel @lunchwithaview2022 cohost! We also had the pair from @IslandDriven26 make a stunning appearance, rolling through the checkpoints in their gorgeous Wimbledon white 60th Anniversary edition Bronco (with matching manicure).
Here is a look back at our adventure!
After a smooth check-in at the dealership, the convoy officially departed at 10:00 AM and made its first stop at Drip Coffee Social.
We took our time meandering down to the shop and strolled back to the rigs with pre-made iced coffees served in gorgeous “cans”. It was the absolute perfect way to kick off the morning before hitting the road again.
We found the park completely full and alive with a plethora of patrons enjoying the playground and surrounding area. We weren’t there for the park amenities, though, we were there for the sugar and the TRIVAI!
@HarbourCityDonuts was on-site, providing our runners with fresh donuts that were as gorgeous as they were delicious to keep the energy high.
We arrived at a deeply important stop: Royal Canadian Legion Branch 256 Mt Benson. After rounding up the posse for our official 2026 VIBPR group photo outside, we removed our hats and headed inside to enjoy the space. Lew Forth shared an incredible history of the Legion and we were honored to be attended by George Molnar.
Best of all? Thanks to the incredible generosity of our posse, we proudly presented a donation of $1,050 straight from the runners to support the Legion’s vital community initiatives for veterans, youth and health programs! NOTE: During 2026 you can join the Legion for FREE.
Just after noon, we rolled into one of the most action-packed checkpoints of the day at Skydive Vancouver Island in Nanoose. Bronco Runner Susann summed up the vibe perfectly in her feedback: “Parking corral style & watching the skydivers is a stop that would always be great!”
While watching two epic skydive landings, the herd fueled up with @islanddirtysoda. Owners Krista and Dean were absolutely incredible, keeping everyone refreshed and even providing “at home” Dirty Soda kits for every single Bronco! We also connected with JP from @4wdabc (Four Wheel Drive Association of BC). JP shared great info on their five decades of advocating for backcountry access and responsible land use, making them a perfect partner for our off-road community.
Before heading back to the barn, we made a sweet stop at @Burnt Honey. They served up incredible ice cream for the perfect afternoon cool-down.
The Broncos returned to Sunshine Mountain as we tallied the poker hands, handed out over $1,000 in prizes and celebrated an unforgettable day of community support for the Legion.
We captured some amazing moments of the convoy, the rigs and the people who make this event so special. Check out a gallery of event photos in our event photo dumps on Facebook.
Thank you to every single runner, passenger and local business partner who saddled up with us this year.
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