Texas Outlaw Challenge organizer says 18th annual event generated about $750,000 in local revenue

Paul Robinson, presenting for the Texas Outlaw Challenge, told the League City Convention and Visitor Bureau board on Sept. 18 that this year's race, the event's 18th, drew national and international participants and produced roughly $750,000 in local revenue.

'This is our eighteenth year of having the event in the area,' Robinson said, adding that the competition now draws participants from across the United States and from Canada and Europe. He said organizers secure temporary no-wake zones from seven cities on the lake for Friday's speed runs and estimated a peak spectator presence of about 250 private boats in the designated viewing area.

Robinson framed the event's local economic impact through hotel stays, hospitality spending and advertising tied to the event. 'Our job with hotel tax, obviously, is to put people in hotels,' he said, explaining that organizers verify stays by sampling about 10 percent of participating boats and using that sample to estimate room nights. Robinson said, over 18 years, his conservative method has recorded more than 2,000 room nights in South Shore alone.

Robinson also described the event's charitable side: 'We support our 10 local charities,' and he listed recipients including a program that ships care packages to deployed military service members, Bay-area groups supporting families affected by Down syndrome, Shriners Hospital and the Clear Creek Conservation Environmental Foundation. He recounted a recent emergency fundraising effort by event volunteers that produced a $50,000 education fund for the granddaughter of a longtime volunteer who died in an accident.

Robinson said the event costs between $240,000 and $270,000 to produce since the COVID period and estimated roughly 1,000 registered entries this year with 1,500 to 2,000 spectators across public activities. He gave a top speed record for the event this year as about 184 miles per hour over the three-quarter-mile speed course.

Robinson asked the board to consider hosting aspects of the event's awards banquet on the League City side of the lake in future years and noted that NASA Bay provided hot-tax funding to support an awards event held at a venue this year. He closed by saying organizers want to keep competitors and visitors in the area for multiple nights, adding that the event also provides substantial online exposure: 'This year was over 7,000,000 social media contacts to our website,' he said.

Board members asked no formal questions that changed policy or funding during the presentation. The board did not take a formal vote on recommendations from Robinson during the meeting.

Robinson's presentation followed roll call and preceded other routine reports on tourism and city art initiatives.