Mike Nicholson is like a proud father as he takes in the night-time atmosphere of a group he's spent the past two years assembling.
Motorbike riders from across the Pilbara are clinking drinks, playing cards and singing songs after a long day on the road.
The Port Hedland motorbike club is hosting the second last night of a 1,300-kilometre loop of the remote Pilbara region.
Mr Nicholson brings the clubhouse to order.
"Just remember we're all on this road together, there's always someone to talk to when times get tough."
It was seeing too many men in the Pilbara struggling that led Mr Nicholson to start this event.
"I've lost a few good mates through suicide and health issues. So this is where it's kind of all come about," Mr Nicholson said.
"I've got some good friends still struggling. But they know they can ring me or anyone in the group."
Feeling isolated
Northern WA experienced the third-highest rate of suicide among males in the country between 2018 and 2022, according to data collected by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
The area has a large fly-in fly-out (FIFO) workforce, a work arrangement that can be isolating.
That's how Mark Brenmuhl started life in the Pilbara, like many of the 30-odd guys on the ride.
"If you're FIFO it's really hard … especially if you're new to the industry. People new to the industry really struggle," Mr Brenmuhl said.
"I've been in situations up here where I've been in a break-up … the relationship was back in Perth and I was on my own with people that were just associates, not close-bonded friends.
"So it made it really hard."
Motorbike ride builds 'brotherhood'
Mr Brenmuhl has been a Pilbara resident for four years now and has found many of the close friends he needed through the motorbike community.
The "Pilbara bruthas" social motorbike club was founded by Mr Nicholson to bring together members of long-established clubs throughout the region.
Many on the ride have never met.
But it doesn't take long for them to hit it off, sharing stories about riding in the crowded streets of Ho Chi Minh city, and the mountains of Wyoming.
"We find a sense of community simply by the fact we share this kind of lifestyle," Mr Brenmuhl said.
"On the road is all like-minded people, so you're gonna find a brotherhood."
Not just a boys' club
Among a sea of black leather jackets, Hayley Speers stands out in pink.
Affectionately called "the power ranger", Ms Speers is one of a handful of women in the Pilbara bruthas group.
"I don't have a partner that rides bikes, he's not a motorbike person," she said.
"So these guys … someone helped me load my bike [on day one] and they're amazing, they're always there to help."
Jay Elms started riding after encouragement from her husband. She says the guys knew exactly how to make her feel comfortable.
"They explained stuff to me, they didn't make me feel like a loser … for being on my L plates with them," Ms Elms said.
"They never make you feel out of place. They don't judge you for anything at all."
Keeping money local
The ride is called the Pilbara Poker Loop, which refers to how the event raises funds.
Each participant has to "buy in" to the event, and gets a new playing card at each leg of the trip.
The person with the strongest five cards at the final stop in Paraburdoo wins a cash prize, with the rest of the funds going into a fundraising pool.
This year they raised more than $6,000.
"To raise that amount just goes to show we have a lot of good people here in the Pilbara," Mr Nicholson said.
Money from the first Pilbara poker loop in 2023 went to the Regional Men's Health initiative.
But now, they want to prioritise keeping the money within the remote mining towns of Tom Price and Paraburdoo, where the club was founded.
"We want to keep all money raised in our two communities and help our younger generation and those in need," Mr Nicholson said.
He said, as well as encouraging more men to seek help, he wants the Pilbara bruthas to create a legacy of giving back to their community.
"That's what I want to leave when I leave Paraburdoo."