Vespa tour: Shrimp Run 2024
Thomas Hollænder from Denmark mesmerised us some time ago with the video of his trip to Italy, which attracted a lot of attention. Now he has followed up with a film about one of the biggest scooter events in Denmark, the so-called "Rejeturen: Shrimp Run", where more than 100 fans of classic scooters met at the beginning of August 2024 and made a tour to Sweden to eat a shrimp sandwich at Hotel Kullberg.
The organiser of the Shrimp Run today is Rune Møller, who remembers the birth of his idea: "The trip was planned in 2021 during the Covid period, when everyone was bored out of their minds. There were three of us - Thomas R., Lasse and I - and we set off for Sweden. It was a gorgeous day with bright sunshine, ideal for shorts, flip-flops and T-shirts. We even went for a swim in the sea on the way back. Denmark is as flat as a pancake, so the view of nearby Sweden was a welcome change. When we got back, we all agreed that it had been a fantastic trip and that we should definitely make something of it. Thomas R. and Lasse were in favour, but in the end nothing happened. After a week, I decided to take matters into my own hands and it's been a solo project ever since. The three stars in the logo symbolise the three of us."
More than 100 Vespas
"So! I wanted to organise a ride that was more than just an ordinary Sunday ride," recalls Rune. "That's why I designed a logo and stickers and started writing to numerous companies to attract sponsors and make the event even more attractive and exciting. Since the first official Rideout, Shell has been our main sponsor, providing everyone with free petrol. And this year you have joined in with SIP Scootershop. I'm not sure whether our many visits to you and the great collaboration with Peters Garage made a difference ;)"
Friends of classic Vespas and Lambrettas were lucky with the weather again this year, as the sun shone brightly. Thomas Hollænder describes the development and organisation of the tour: "In 2022 there were around 60 scooters, now there are over 100. The event is so popular that it is fully booked within a few hours. Unfortunately, the hotel cannot serve more than 120 shrimp sandwiches.
Many participants start at 'Peters Garage' in the south of Copenhagen and drive from there to the official starting point, a café just outside the city. From there, we head north to Helsingør, where we take a break and catch the ferry to Helsingborg in Sweden. In Helsingborg, we are joined by some Swedish scooter riders from the neighbourhood. We continue along the coast, through small towns and rural areas until we reach the town of Mölle. Here, the famous shrimp sandwich awaits us in a local hotel. This is also where the sponsored gifts are distributed. One Swedish rider was lucky enough to win three new SIP tyres - very welcome considering his old tyres were almost slicks.
The route from the official starting point to the hotel is about 75 kilometres and is relatively 'straight', but the scenery is beautiful and it is always an impressive experience to ride with so many scooters in a group. Some continue from Mölle to Kullen to enjoy an ice cream, while others take it easy on the spot. In the afternoon, we return along the same route, taking the ferry back to Denmark. The event finally ends in a pizzeria south of Helsingør."
If you not only look closely at Thomas' video, but also listen to it, you will realise that the lyrics of the songs fit the Shrimp Run quite well. Did they compose and record their own songs especially for the run? Thomas grins: "Yes, some of the songs in the video, the ones with lyrics, are generated by artificial intelligence (AI). I typed in some keywords on a website and some AI-generated songs came up. I used the best of them. Some of the lyrics don't really make sense - but we don't always ;-) A few people have asked me if we have a 'Scooter Club Band'."
So there are real professionals at work here, who have put together a fantastic tour and video. Rune summarises: "Denmark may be small, but it's great to see more and more scooters on the roads. The ride is a wonderful opportunity for everyone to make new friends and get out and about together."
Video: Shrimp Run 2024
