I can’t remember the year, but it had to be 2001 or 02 when I started sending my pictures into Garrick of all the car shows I was attending. We talked for a while after that because he wanted to make sure I had what it took to shoot for the magazine. Which I could understand because I saw the reputation he had to uphold with the viewers of the magazine by attending car shows and seeing all the stickers on rides, and reading in the posts in the forums. Soon after Garrick and I talked about doing features and I shot my first feature, For You to Envy, in January of 2004 which made the cover of the February 2004 magazine. Seeing that on the cover made me psyched to shoot more and soon after I was featuring cars and trucks at almost every show I went to after that. I joined Relaxed Atmosphere in March/April of 2004 and that was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me, and gave me a lot more inspiration knowing that there was a club of //RA’s size interested in my ride. I met Garrick, Ben, and all the members of Relaxed at first show “Relaxed Atmosphere’s All Star Event” and that was the first time I ever had to shoot features one after another, after another.
I’d say getting involved in this scene is one of the best choices I ever made. I met so many people, and did so many things I never thought I would just from getting involved with this lifestyle. Id personally like to thank all the people that helped me along the way, and gave me the inspiration I needed to keep on going to get through some of the hard times. Well that’s all I can think of for now. I hope that you guys like the article. I look forward to writing many more and you can expect a lot of inside info into the scene, some talks of the partying that goes on behind the scene, events, and maybe even some interviews of from some of the badass builders and shop owners in the scene. Till next month, drag carefully, and always remember your ride is your dream and, nobody else’s so build it for yourself and not for them.
Doug Large
aka Douggie Fresh