|
This is the show of shows. The show that everyone looks forward to because it means the beginning of a new year. Although this was my first time ever attending Reso, I found it to be much like West Coast Nationals or Endless Summer. This show is a west coast run with a collection of kick ass rides, in other words. To start things off, Kris and I found us boarding a flight that would carry us to the run much faster then our normal 14-15 hour drive to this particular area. Once we arrived into LAX, our next goal at hand was finding the correct shuttle to get to our awaiting rental car. After many near death experiences at the side of the curb, we finally found our way to get our wheels for the weekend. Thinking that we would be getting a compact kind of rental like a Metro or something, we managed to use our swave ways to con ourselves into an Expedition for the same price! How did we do that you ask? I think it may be the pity the guy felt for us being from Idaho. Either that or the two or three bills I think Kris slipped the guy when I wasn't looking. But either way we were on the freeway and well on our way to a kick ass weekend. After god knows how long and a couple corrections in our directions, we found our hotel accompanied by a gang load of phat rides. Man handling any obstacle in our way with the Expo, we found a parking spot right up front so that we could check in. Once again, smoozing my way in a killer room with a kick ass discount, we unloaded and headed to the run. Knowing that there would be a line since it was Friday night, we were thinking about trying to use our press presence to move our way to the front. But when we arrived what we saw was a loooong line of rides and a couple of people at the gate that didn't look to familiar. Needless to say, Tim (as he did at West Coast last year) remembered us and managed to get us in right away without holding up the line for a second. Once in the show grounds, it was time to locate the crew Kris was going to crash with for the weekend (yeah I know…I'm a wuss I stay in hotels….haha). Once locating the IV Everlow campsite we parked and began our drunken happiness. Saturday morning would come to quickly, so, up at the crack of dawn (or 11 which ever…) we hit the show and began to snap photos of everything we could. Temperatures were in what seemed like 90's (compared to home, where we left the 30's). We quickly found our way back time and time again to equipt ourselves with water. Once hydrated, we began looking around to see which vehicles we would want to feature. The only thing we seemed to do however was think about how in the hell we would be able to get the rides out before sundown to get in a few shoots.
|
There were tons of rides that were all worthy of features, but our time restraints had us limited to only a few. After running into Courtney from Street Trucks time and time again, (we believe he was following us but he would never admit it.), we gave up on the fact of a possibility of shooting that evening and began acquiring a few rides for the morning after awards. Once coming up with a game plan, it was time to head to camp and start getting ready for the nights festivities. With food in our bellies and beer in our hand, it was time to hit the cruise and see what was out and about. Since we had all of this room in the Expo, I hit up Donnie and his wife from Magical Mini's of Salem Oregon to cruise around with us and a grip of IV Everlow members. With a packed ride and cooler in the back, off we went. Knowing that the campsite of ST and NC would be one of much humor, I headed straight in that direction. On our arrival whom do we first meet up with? None other then Courtney once again. This time I do believe that he was following us around. Seeing many people we know, we decided to hold up traffic for a few minutes and say our hellos and watch one of 's finest doing his, all-so-famous, naked fat man dance to perfection. After grasping composure over my laughter, it was time to head out and about. Finding that traffic wasn't the best, we decided to test out the Expo in the bushes, ditches and trees, to make it around numerous amounts of rides. After deciding that the Expo had endured enough abuse (Courtney managed to fill the entire inside of the rental with Cheetoe's and Fretoe's) we parked back at camp turned on some music and commenced drinking. One of the IV EverLow members decided to pull out the beer bong, so we utilize the rental one last time in sacrifice of getting our fellow minitruckers and minitruckerette's drunk. I climbed up on top of the Expo where a few others joined me and we had our own little party. Out of beer and way to hyper to chill, it was time to hit the stage where they had a DJ spinning the tables to provide us with tunes to get our groove on. To much of our expectations, we found that there were girls on stage strutting their stuff and showing none other than boobage. After all, what West Coast run would be complete with out it? Feeling that I'd seen enough, it was time to head back to the hotel and catch some shut eye so that I would be rested for a New Years night in San Diego. There has been much talk about this being the last Reso, but it would be a shame to let such a long lasting tradition end after 25 years. Although I've been in the scene for many, many years and this was my first Reso, I feel privileged that I managed to make it to one.Garrick Arends
|
