If you were there, you know.
The only thing that kept the OOB show from being one of the better shows was just one thing - a complete and total lack of proper organization. After 16 years, it seems they still do not know the first thing about cars, or how to plan and organize properly.
Other than that, it really was a very good show, with lots of great cars - many from parts unknown - and lots of great folks. But the problems were just far too plentiful, and resulted in no less than 56 people lodging complaints.
Among those problems - OOB organizers, please take note, as many of these folks have expressed they will not return:
1) VERY poor class structure. Over 30 vehicles in some classes, while others only had two.
2) Classes overlapped, such as FACTORY MUSCLE and MOPAR.
3) Non-muscle Mustang was in FACTORY MUSCLE
4) Muscle SS, complete with drag tires and wheelie wheels was in Best of 60's instead of muscle
5) Everyone knows the legal definition of Street Rod - it cannot be newer than 1948. Even the DMV laws concerning registering a street rod states that. Yet, a 1950 Ford was in Street Rods, and the organizers REFUSED to do anything about it.
6) All 2x and 4x trucks lumped together, divided only by MODIFIED or STOCK. Only exception was ANTIQUE TRUCKS.
7) 2 classes for a total of 3 years of Chevy, involving only 7 vehicles.
8) Although there was a class for "60's GM" and another for all other 60's, a 60's GM was found among the "non-GM 60's". Organizers again refused to do anything about it.
9) The 70's were split, with many on the street, and the overflow of about 8 cars was shuffled out into left field. Folks voted on the street without seeing the rest of the class until too late.
10) Of the 11 vehicles in Special Interest, only two were legitimate Special Interest. Also in that class were (2) kit Cobras, one kit Jaguar, a '67 Falcon, and '83 El Camino, a stock motorcycle, a stock 2007 Saturn, a 1979 Nova and a stock Simpca - a foreign car that belonged, obviously, in FOREIGN. Duh!
11) Only one class for 56 years of Corvettes, only one class, through '79 only, for Mustangs and only one class for Street Rods. Hello!
OOB organizers could learn a lot by actually attending a couple of car shows that know what they are doing, such as Andover, Settler's Green & Durham.
And then one of the usual malcontents came up and asked me "How many of these are Special Interest according to your definition?"
So, to be as clear as clear can be, for the sake of such people who obviously have no clue, I will say this just once more - IT IS NOT MY DEFINITION! I do not come up with the definitions for classes. The national organizations and associations, such as NSRA, Classic Car Club of America and the National Car Show Association do that. All I do is try to educate folks as to what the definitions are, by reproducing them for everyone to see and learn. Just because someone does not want to accept the standards does not undo those standards or render them irrelevant.
Street Rods end with the year 1948. Period. And Special Interest must either have been built for a specific function OR built to a recurring theme. And if a person does not understand what a theme is, they should look it up before putting their vehicle in Special Interest.
He also infered that, according to the definition for SI, there would only be two entries. My response to that - if the organizers and class-jumpers would stop screwing over the real SI vehicles, maybe more of them would attend the shows. There are a LOT of SI out there. But many do not go to shows because the class keeps getting abused. You can screw someone just so often.
OOB organizers should take the above issues seriously. Many folks have already abandoned OOB because of the high fee. Many more today expressed they will not return next year if these issues are not taken care of.
But I doubt they will be taken care of - several folks complained to the organizers about the '50 Ford in Street Rods, and why it could not be allowed to remain there. Yet, the organizers did nothing at all. And by not taking action, they actively and intentionally cheated every other street rod in the class - any votes that car got would have gone to other vehicles, and could have changed the results.
OOB, if you are going to have a show, and if you are going to hit us for $15.00, then you have an OBLIGATION to provide a fair venue. You have an obligation to understand the classes, and develop a fair class structure. And you have an obligation to ENFORCE them.
But as I said early on, although the organizers refused to do their job, the CAR FOLKS at the show made it a very, very good and enjoyable day. In spite of the lack of organization and effort by OOB.
/
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Friday, September 18, 2009
OOB Cruise And...
The weather was nearly perfect, and so was the OOB Cruise-in, as usual. Hundreds of great vehicles to check out; hundreds of good friends to visit. Will post the pix tomorrow evening - right now, I gotta get caught up on some other stuff.
Meanwhile, good news - Maine Coastal Cruisers' September cruise at 5 points shopping center in Biddeford got washed out. However, it has beren rescheduled for October 3rd, 4-7 pm. $3.00 donation per vehicle, lots of giveaways and 50/50. It's a great cruise, so if there is any way you can make it, please do so. Here's hopoin' it doesn't get snowed out.
And as much as I hate to think about it, once again it is time to think about stringin' the outside Christmas lights - I like to get it done before it gets so cold that my hands freeze. But this may be the last year we will put on a big show, if the government passes the Cap & Trade bill - that would increase electricity cost far, far too much, and will likely kill most Christmas displays everywhere in the future. But this year, they will be ON!
/
Meanwhile, good news - Maine Coastal Cruisers' September cruise at 5 points shopping center in Biddeford got washed out. However, it has beren rescheduled for October 3rd, 4-7 pm. $3.00 donation per vehicle, lots of giveaways and 50/50. It's a great cruise, so if there is any way you can make it, please do so. Here's hopoin' it doesn't get snowed out.
And as much as I hate to think about it, once again it is time to think about stringin' the outside Christmas lights - I like to get it done before it gets so cold that my hands freeze. But this may be the last year we will put on a big show, if the government passes the Cap & Trade bill - that would increase electricity cost far, far too much, and will likely kill most Christmas displays everywhere in the future. But this year, they will be ON!
/
Thursday, September 17, 2009
OOB
Was looking over the classes for OOB. And I must say, I am sorely disappointed in the organizers of this show. After 16 years you would think they would have figured some things out.
Like having a class for just 3 YEARS of STOCK Chevys, and another class for THE SAME 3 YEARS of MODIFIED Chevys, (that's TWO CLASSES for just THREE YEARS of ONE MAKE of vehicle) but only one class for almost 30 years of Street Rods - and with Street Rods so plentiful and popular. That is absurd! All I can think is that OOB organizers' favorite participants must own 55-57 Chevys.
Only one Mustang class, and it only goes through '79? What about the other 30 years of Mustangs? And just one class for ALL 56 years of Corvettes - how in the heck is a new Vette going to compete with a classic '53?
But they have FACTORY MUSCLE and a separate class for MOPAR - I'm sure this will be interesting, since many MOPAR are factory muscle! I can see the sparks flying now when a Charger enters in Factory Muscle.
It really is a shame that some show organizers just do not get it - they have NO clue as to how they should develop their classes to be FAIR to all, and to avoid overlapping. Makes one wonder if the organizers even know anything at all about cars, other than how to put gas in them.
Wake up, OOB! Get with the program. If you are going to milk the folks with a whopping $15.00 fee to get in, just so YOU can make money off of us, the least you can do is put in an effort to have a decent and fair class structure.
/
Like having a class for just 3 YEARS of STOCK Chevys, and another class for THE SAME 3 YEARS of MODIFIED Chevys, (that's TWO CLASSES for just THREE YEARS of ONE MAKE of vehicle) but only one class for almost 30 years of Street Rods - and with Street Rods so plentiful and popular. That is absurd! All I can think is that OOB organizers' favorite participants must own 55-57 Chevys.
Only one Mustang class, and it only goes through '79? What about the other 30 years of Mustangs? And just one class for ALL 56 years of Corvettes - how in the heck is a new Vette going to compete with a classic '53?
But they have FACTORY MUSCLE and a separate class for MOPAR - I'm sure this will be interesting, since many MOPAR are factory muscle! I can see the sparks flying now when a Charger enters in Factory Muscle.
It really is a shame that some show organizers just do not get it - they have NO clue as to how they should develop their classes to be FAIR to all, and to avoid overlapping. Makes one wonder if the organizers even know anything at all about cars, other than how to put gas in them.
Wake up, OOB! Get with the program. If you are going to milk the folks with a whopping $15.00 fee to get in, just so YOU can make money off of us, the least you can do is put in an effort to have a decent and fair class structure.
/
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
They're Here
The galleries are up for Springfield, Bangor and Calais, all courtesy of James Smith. He also emailed his take on each show, as follows:
SPRINGFIELD
"Bill:
The good and the bad of the Springfield Car Show in no particular order. The well intentioned organizers were perhaps overwhelmed by the turnout, as over 50 participants showed, many having driven as far away as Moncton, New Brunswick. Though staffed well, the classifications offered only best of pre-‘50s, ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and up, muscle cars, street (perhaps the catch all?), 2x4 and 4x4 trucks. Few true customized cars were present, with clean too perfection original cars the rule of the day. Some very impressive cars were on display, only to gather dust that no one could keep ahead of as the venue was the clay track in front of the Springfield Fairground’s grandstand.
Aside from the constant dusting, the failure to stage the cars in like classes made participant judging near impossible as one had to walk the entire single row of cars lined up, several times to view cars in the same class.
Lest you think the show was a flop, it was not. All the entrants appeared to enjoy themselves, especially with all the offerings of a traditional country fair concurrently running. Tired of just sitting and watching the spectators study your dust latten ride? No problem, become a spectator yourself and watch the horse/truck pulls, feed yourself on all the midway food or partake in the games and rides. But for the side activities, as car shows go it would have been like many others. A nice change of pace, however, and I’ll likely add it to my list of shows to attend for next year."
BANGOR
"You missed a good show this past Saturday (09-12-09). The 2009 Bangor Car Show – Wheels on the Waterfront, with ample sunshine, brought out just shy 350 quality cars and trucks. Participants and spectators were welcomed with a well staffed and organized group from the Greater Bangor Convention & Visitors Bureau. A great venue, live music and food offerings by local charities only added to the top notch condition of the participants’ cars that drew from northern and southern Maine and New Brunswick.
Judging appeared to be centered on condition of the vehicles with judges provided with score sheets to follow to arrive at 1st through 3rd place in each of 24 classes. With forethought the organizers had three judges per team and enough bodies to limit each team to judging only two classes, and speed the tallying to permit an early presentation of awards.
The second year of the event did have a few glitches. A few mis-classifications were noted (though they did not factor in the final awards), public address system could not reach the outer areas of the venue and dogs were present on the grounds even with ample notice to restrict their presences.
Speaking to organizers of the event, plans on next year’s is already in the works for the same weekend in September. Given the location with ample room, growth in the show is anticipated. This show is one to watch."
CALAIS
"The first car show hosted by the Down-East Cruisers was held on this Sunday past (09-13-09) at the town square lawn in Calais, Maine. Attended by 40 plus cars and trucks, the show certainly was an unqualified success with participants enjoying the efforts of the enthusiastic local group of car people. A first at least for me, it was the first event where I did not see block voting (participant judged show, organizer’s cars were not judged), nor class jumping or trophy hounds. Perhaps being a small show, perhaps being their first show or more likely the sincerity of the organizers and participants, no miss steps down that road were seen.
A good mix of interesting cars and a desire to put on quality event, add better advancing notice and a good dose of black fly control, and next year’s show should grow greatly"
/
SPRINGFIELD
"Bill:
The good and the bad of the Springfield Car Show in no particular order. The well intentioned organizers were perhaps overwhelmed by the turnout, as over 50 participants showed, many having driven as far away as Moncton, New Brunswick. Though staffed well, the classifications offered only best of pre-‘50s, ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s and up, muscle cars, street (perhaps the catch all?), 2x4 and 4x4 trucks. Few true customized cars were present, with clean too perfection original cars the rule of the day. Some very impressive cars were on display, only to gather dust that no one could keep ahead of as the venue was the clay track in front of the Springfield Fairground’s grandstand.
Aside from the constant dusting, the failure to stage the cars in like classes made participant judging near impossible as one had to walk the entire single row of cars lined up, several times to view cars in the same class.
Lest you think the show was a flop, it was not. All the entrants appeared to enjoy themselves, especially with all the offerings of a traditional country fair concurrently running. Tired of just sitting and watching the spectators study your dust latten ride? No problem, become a spectator yourself and watch the horse/truck pulls, feed yourself on all the midway food or partake in the games and rides. But for the side activities, as car shows go it would have been like many others. A nice change of pace, however, and I’ll likely add it to my list of shows to attend for next year."
BANGOR
"You missed a good show this past Saturday (09-12-09). The 2009 Bangor Car Show – Wheels on the Waterfront, with ample sunshine, brought out just shy 350 quality cars and trucks. Participants and spectators were welcomed with a well staffed and organized group from the Greater Bangor Convention & Visitors Bureau. A great venue, live music and food offerings by local charities only added to the top notch condition of the participants’ cars that drew from northern and southern Maine and New Brunswick.
Judging appeared to be centered on condition of the vehicles with judges provided with score sheets to follow to arrive at 1st through 3rd place in each of 24 classes. With forethought the organizers had three judges per team and enough bodies to limit each team to judging only two classes, and speed the tallying to permit an early presentation of awards.
The second year of the event did have a few glitches. A few mis-classifications were noted (though they did not factor in the final awards), public address system could not reach the outer areas of the venue and dogs were present on the grounds even with ample notice to restrict their presences.
Speaking to organizers of the event, plans on next year’s is already in the works for the same weekend in September. Given the location with ample room, growth in the show is anticipated. This show is one to watch."
CALAIS
"The first car show hosted by the Down-East Cruisers was held on this Sunday past (09-13-09) at the town square lawn in Calais, Maine. Attended by 40 plus cars and trucks, the show certainly was an unqualified success with participants enjoying the efforts of the enthusiastic local group of car people. A first at least for me, it was the first event where I did not see block voting (participant judged show, organizer’s cars were not judged), nor class jumping or trophy hounds. Perhaps being a small show, perhaps being their first show or more likely the sincerity of the organizers and participants, no miss steps down that road were seen.
A good mix of interesting cars and a desire to put on quality event, add better advancing notice and a good dose of black fly control
/
Coming Soon
James Smith has been good enough to provide write-ups and pix of the northern shows at Calais, Bangor and Springfield. I will try to get them all posted soon.
/
/
Monday, September 14, 2009
Flower Power
OK, folks, here's the deal...
In the early spring, we'll be giving away a couple thousand dollars worth of perennial flowers. These come from necessary dividing due to over-crowding. I usually sell 'em, but I am not going to bother next year - I expect to be busy.
If you are interested in getting some, you can send your email address to ptwoodycrew@aol.com and when they are ready, I'll email you. Put FLOWERS in the subject line, please. If you have preferences, let me know and I will try to accommodate as best I can.
Here are a few of the perennials available...
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In the early spring, we'll be giving away a couple thousand dollars worth of perennial flowers. These come from necessary dividing due to over-crowding. I usually sell 'em, but I am not going to bother next year - I expect to be busy.
If you are interested in getting some, you can send your email address to ptwoodycrew@aol.com and when they are ready, I'll email you. Put FLOWERS in the subject line, please. If you have preferences, let me know and I will try to accommodate as best I can.
Here are a few of the perennials available...
/
Best of...Settler's Green
The Best of the Best pix are up for Settler's Green - feel free to vote your favorites. Some great rides to choose from.
The Best of the Best Awards are being given out at the Durham (ME) show September 27th. To date, there have been 1,522 votes cast for 43 vehicles. Judging from the content of the mail (and the addresses), it appears that about 90% of all votes are from non-local internet vistors that found the site on Google or Yahoo. Sorry - can't give any hints as to which vehicles are in the lead :o)
We are really impressed with these results, so far. Only a couple more shows to go...good luck, all!
/
The Best of the Best Awards are being given out at the Durham (ME) show September 27th. To date, there have been 1,522 votes cast for 43 vehicles. Judging from the content of the mail (and the addresses), it appears that about 90% of all votes are from non-local internet vistors that found the site on Google or Yahoo. Sorry - can't give any hints as to which vehicles are in the lead :o)
We are really impressed with these results, so far. Only a couple more shows to go...good luck, all!
/
Windham
As promised, we now have pix up of the Windham show, courtesy of Bill Gribizis. Took awhile to resize and scale them. For those who want to send pix, they are appreciated, but if possible, please send in a size not to exceed 640x480. If you cannot scale them, that's OK - it will just take me longer to get them up.
Along with the pix, Bill said:
"Hi Bill,
I attended the Windham show today and I found it very organized. There was plenty of room. The help was very courteous, and people seemed to be having a great time. The judging was not perfect as the judges are not qualified to judge all catagories. Do I think it will improve in any of these shows? I doubt it, unless you hire judges from out of state or distant locations that are knowledgeable about all cars and aren't friends with anybody. Aside from that everyone I talked to enjoyed themselves, including myself."
Glad you had a swell time, Bill. Also happy to get a more positive comment about the show.
/
Along with the pix, Bill said:
"Hi Bill,
I attended the Windham show today and I found it very organized. There was plenty of room. The help was very courteous, and people seemed to be having a great time. The judging was not perfect as the judges are not qualified to judge all catagories. Do I think it will improve in any of these shows? I doubt it, unless you hire judges from out of state or distant locations that are knowledgeable about all cars and aren't friends with anybody. Aside from that everyone I talked to enjoyed themselves, including myself."
Glad you had a swell time, Bill. Also happy to get a more positive comment about the show.
/
The Real Reward
An artist paints a picture. He puts it in an art show, hoping it will win the attention of an art critic in a positive way. If it does, that validates his work.
A fashion designer sews a new frock. She hopes it will win over the buyers at the show. If it does, it validates her work.
A college student works hard. If he gets a 4.0 GPA, his future is assured.
A young boy strives to complete certain tasks in the Boy Scouts. His validation comes when he earns a Merit Badge.
A person builds a beautiful vehicle and enters it in a show. If he wins a trophy, that validates his efforts.
In all of the above, the GPA, the critic, the buyers, merit badges and trophies are not what is being sought after - they merely represent what is being sought. What is really being sought is satisfaction, career, respect or some other worthwhile component of success.
When I say a show is not about the trophies, this is what I mean.
It does not mean trophies are unimportant. It only means that they represent something more important - SUCCESS.
Anyone who thinks that is not important needs to think again. Many, many people have few opportunities to be as successful in life as they would like to be. In fact, most folks never achieve any real degree of success. They will never win a Nobel Prize. They will never be on the New York Times bestseller list. They will never be a news anchor, or a Senator. If they win a trophy at a show, that represents a very treasured success - perhaps the only success they will ever know. Or perhaps one of many more to come, as success begets success - a success, no matter how small, builds confidence for building bigger successes.
And that, my friend, is as important as anything gets.
/
A fashion designer sews a new frock. She hopes it will win over the buyers at the show. If it does, it validates her work.
A college student works hard. If he gets a 4.0 GPA, his future is assured.
A young boy strives to complete certain tasks in the Boy Scouts. His validation comes when he earns a Merit Badge.
A person builds a beautiful vehicle and enters it in a show. If he wins a trophy, that validates his efforts.
In all of the above, the GPA, the critic, the buyers, merit badges and trophies are not what is being sought after - they merely represent what is being sought. What is really being sought is satisfaction, career, respect or some other worthwhile component of success.
When I say a show is not about the trophies, this is what I mean.
It does not mean trophies are unimportant. It only means that they represent something more important - SUCCESS.
Anyone who thinks that is not important needs to think again. Many, many people have few opportunities to be as successful in life as they would like to be. In fact, most folks never achieve any real degree of success. They will never win a Nobel Prize. They will never be on the New York Times bestseller list. They will never be a news anchor, or a Senator. If they win a trophy at a show, that represents a very treasured success - perhaps the only success they will ever know. Or perhaps one of many more to come, as success begets success - a success, no matter how small, builds confidence for building bigger successes.
And that, my friend, is as important as anything gets.
/
Someone Else Who Does Not Get It
Received this comment from, naturally, an "anonymous" poster, concerning OOB and "Hiawatha's" comment:
"if the only reason to go is; "They added a third trophy" you could spend the same $15.00 buy yourself a trophy. "
This person apparently doesn't get it. So let me put it as simply as I can - some will get it, some will not:
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE TROPHY!
Here is what it IS about -
1) Show organizers who try to bleed the participants by increasing the fee, and then cut the number of trophies, thereby taking advantage of us for purposes of GREED.
2) Validation. Many (not all) participants are competitive - that is what a car show is - IT'S A COMPETITION. So, many folks are competitive. They do not want the trophy for the sake of the trophy. They simply want validation for the effort they put into their rides. It's like getting a grade on your work in college - without it, you do not know where you stand.
OK, so some people are not competitive, and that is your right. But most people are. And competition means winners and losers. There is no other way. Competitive people want to be winners. And if they lose, that tells them they need to try harder and work on their ride.
It's not about the trophy. It's about being recognized and rewarded for a job well done, and discovering whether or not others appreciate your efforts.
If a person does not want to compete, please do not disparage those who do.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE TROPHY! It's about COMPETING, and WINNING or LOSING. Competition is not only healthy, but necessary for survival.
As for OOB, it was also about their attempt to bleed us - take more money from us, but offer less in return. And THAT is why so many people made such a big deal about it. Had nothing to do with the stupid trophies. We do not appreciate being used - and abused.
If OOB needs a bailout, get it from Obama. But us "little people" can't afford it. I heard of one person who normally brings 5 cars - imagine the fees she would have to pay! She can't afford it, so she will not be going. And OOB loses money.
/
"if the only reason to go is; "They added a third trophy" you could spend the same $15.00 buy yourself a trophy. "
This person apparently doesn't get it. So let me put it as simply as I can - some will get it, some will not:
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE TROPHY!
Here is what it IS about -
1) Show organizers who try to bleed the participants by increasing the fee, and then cut the number of trophies, thereby taking advantage of us for purposes of GREED.
2) Validation. Many (not all) participants are competitive - that is what a car show is - IT'S A COMPETITION. So, many folks are competitive. They do not want the trophy for the sake of the trophy. They simply want validation for the effort they put into their rides. It's like getting a grade on your work in college - without it, you do not know where you stand.
OK, so some people are not competitive, and that is your right. But most people are. And competition means winners and losers. There is no other way. Competitive people want to be winners. And if they lose, that tells them they need to try harder and work on their ride.
It's not about the trophy. It's about being recognized and rewarded for a job well done, and discovering whether or not others appreciate your efforts.
If a person does not want to compete, please do not disparage those who do.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE TROPHY! It's about COMPETING, and WINNING or LOSING. Competition is not only healthy, but necessary for survival.
As for OOB, it was also about their attempt to bleed us - take more money from us, but offer less in return. And THAT is why so many people made such a big deal about it. Had nothing to do with the stupid trophies. We do not appreciate being used - and abused.
If OOB needs a bailout, get it from Obama. But us "little people" can't afford it. I heard of one person who normally brings 5 cars - imagine the fees she would have to pay! She can't afford it, so she will not be going. And OOB loses money.
/
OOB Update
Received the following email from "Iceman":
"Hi Bill: I just returned from R & W Engraving in Biddeford where I had to pick up a dog ID tag I had ordered and to my surprise, spread out on the counter were 66 Old Orchard Beach Car Show trophies: 22 first place, 22 second place, and 22 third place. The class labels had not been attached so I couldn't tell if any classes were eliminated or added but those of us who wrote letters to the OOB Chamber of Commerce must have had an impact on their decision to eliminate the third place trophies. Bob"
Today I had also spoken with the OOB Chamber of Commerce, personally. According to them, the entry fee at the gate is still $15.00 ($12.00 if you pre-reg). However, they have decided to have three trophies per class, with 22 classes.
So, now ya know!
/
"Hi Bill: I just returned from R & W Engraving in Biddeford where I had to pick up a dog ID tag I had ordered and to my surprise, spread out on the counter were 66 Old Orchard Beach Car Show trophies: 22 first place, 22 second place, and 22 third place. The class labels had not been attached so I couldn't tell if any classes were eliminated or added but those of us who wrote letters to the OOB Chamber of Commerce must have had an impact on their decision to eliminate the third place trophies. Bob"
Today I had also spoken with the OOB Chamber of Commerce, personally. According to them, the entry fee at the gate is still $15.00 ($12.00 if you pre-reg). However, they have decided to have three trophies per class, with 22 classes.
So, now ya know!
/
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Attention Car Clubs
I spoke with a gentleman, Jack Lufkin, who is the sales manager for Attitash Grand Summit Hotel & Conference Center (Bartlett NH, just north of N Conway). And he is looking for YOU.
It seems the Attitash Resort folks would like to sponsor a car show next season, and they are looking for a club that may be seeking a truly righteous location to hold one.
If you are a club, or know of one, that is looking to put on a show, and you think the Attitash Resort might be just the venue you are looking for, contact Jack at jlufkin@attitash.com, or call him at (603) 374-2142.
Tell him HotKarz sent ya.
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It seems the Attitash Resort folks would like to sponsor a car show next season, and they are looking for a club that may be seeking a truly righteous location to hold one.
If you are a club, or know of one, that is looking to put on a show, and you think the Attitash Resort might be just the venue you are looking for, contact Jack at jlufkin@attitash.com, or call him at (603) 374-2142.
Tell him HotKarz sent ya.
/
Update
The Gallery for the Settler's Green show, and the Winner's Circle are now up, as well as a new "Featured Vehicle of the Week". Also a new "Funnies".
Best of the Best will be up by tomorrow (I hope), as well as a few pix of Windham, courtesy of Bill Gribizis.
Bill
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Best of the Best will be up by tomorrow (I hope), as well as a few pix of Windham, courtesy of Bill Gribizis.
Bill
/
Another Windham Story
Received another email from a regular show-goer - it is slightly edited, as he asked to remain anonymous. So, I have removed "identifying remarks".
"Hi Bill, Well it finally happened, a show pissed me off. I attended the Windham Auto Show today at Windham High School which is a "judged" event. In my category there were 4 cars. One did not show up until around 10:00. I worked on my car while the others left and enjoyed the show. While it is somewhat anal, I take pride in making my car as competitive as possible. At the awards ceremony, I took 2nd and a late-comer 1st. Here's the rub - the winning car was a mismash, not resembling the class very well. I never saw the engine because the hood was never raised. [Editor: Hint to the organizers - in a judged show, an open hood is a must for serious consideration] To me that usually indicates a problem. Anyway, out of the five or six judges that viewed the cars, I had to practically drag four over to look at mine. One of them, and possibly two, never even looked at it. I hope this doesn't sound like sour grapes as I usually don't complain but this one doesn't feel right. While many cars have a certain amount of customizing to them, this car was clearly not like the other three in the category as it was highly customized, in my opinion. Further, I felt that the judging left something to be desired. It is unlikely that I will attend this car show in the future. If I hear that improvements have been made, I may attend in the future."
[Editor: remember, folks - these comments about Windham are from participants, not HotKarz. However, it is worth noting that these are the same types of complaints, which were many, made last year about this show. We hope - but do not expect - the organizers to try and address these issues. If they do not, even more of the folks will be at the Green next year...]
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"Hi Bill, Well it finally happened, a show pissed me off. I attended the Windham Auto Show today at Windham High School which is a "judged" event. In my category there were 4 cars. One did not show up until around 10:00. I worked on my car while the others left and enjoyed the show. While it is somewhat anal, I take pride in making my car as competitive as possible. At the awards ceremony, I took 2nd and a late-comer 1st. Here's the rub - the winning car was a mismash, not resembling the class very well. I never saw the engine because the hood was never raised. [Editor: Hint to the organizers - in a judged show, an open hood is a must for serious consideration] To me that usually indicates a problem. Anyway, out of the five or six judges that viewed the cars, I had to practically drag four over to look at mine. One of them, and possibly two, never even looked at it. I hope this doesn't sound like sour grapes as I usually don't complain but this one doesn't feel right. While many cars have a certain amount of customizing to them, this car was clearly not like the other three in the category as it was highly customized, in my opinion. Further, I felt that the judging left something to be desired. It is unlikely that I will attend this car show in the future. If I hear that improvements have been made, I may attend in the future."
[Editor: remember, folks - these comments about Windham are from participants, not HotKarz. However, it is worth noting that these are the same types of complaints, which were many, made last year about this show. We hope - but do not expect - the organizers to try and address these issues. If they do not, even more of the folks will be at the Green next year...]
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Settler's Green
Mt Washington Valley Old Car Club puts on the Settler's Green show, and no matter how they try to get folks to call it the Mt Washington Valley Old Car Club Show, everyone is still gonna call it Settler's Green. Get used to it, guys!
Because of our not-so-good experience with the Windham School Show last year, we opted to go to the Green this year.
Was the show good? Well, it all depends on your definition of "good". If your idea of a good show, like mine, is one that is well organized; uses a split ballot to make judging more fair and accurate; is run by great folks who treat everyone with friendly respect; prepare good eats; give away a lot of stuff; meet you on the way out to say "Thanks for coming" and have a 50/50 that nets the winner more than a grand, then the MWVOCC show at Settler's Green would have to rank, on a scale of 1-10, at least a 9.
The main organizers, Jeff and Fred, deserve a huge amount of credit. I spoke with the clubs new president, Ron Hayes (RedSled) at length, and his enthusiasm can't be beat. We have had our differences in the past, but this show did not give cause for any, except for a minor thing or two they are already thinking about improving for next year.
Gotta tell ya - it will be hard to improve on this show. But I trust them to do just that. The biggest "gripe" is that they do not have classes for any of the newer cars. And, of course, that tends to cause serious abuse of Special Interest - they have nowhere else to go. But the folks of MWVOCC say they expect to be adding classes next year to help alleviate this problem. I'm sure if they add classes up to the present, they will likely bring in at least another 25-30 vehicles.
The reason they only rate a "9" is because of the lack of classes for newer iron, and that the award ceremony got off to a late start because of all the give-aways. Next year they may want to get all the give-aways out of the way before the ballots are all counted, to speed things up. Not that we were in a hurry to scoot, but because many folks travel up to three hours to get to the show - and want to get home before dark :o)
Keep up the good work, MWVOCC.
Bill
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Because of our not-so-good experience with the Windham School Show last year, we opted to go to the Green this year.
Was the show good? Well, it all depends on your definition of "good". If your idea of a good show, like mine, is one that is well organized; uses a split ballot to make judging more fair and accurate; is run by great folks who treat everyone with friendly respect; prepare good eats; give away a lot of stuff; meet you on the way out to say "Thanks for coming" and have a 50/50 that nets the winner more than a grand, then the MWVOCC show at Settler's Green would have to rank, on a scale of 1-10, at least a 9.
The main organizers, Jeff and Fred, deserve a huge amount of credit. I spoke with the clubs new president, Ron Hayes (RedSled) at length, and his enthusiasm can't be beat. We have had our differences in the past, but this show did not give cause for any, except for a minor thing or two they are already thinking about improving for next year.
Gotta tell ya - it will be hard to improve on this show. But I trust them to do just that. The biggest "gripe" is that they do not have classes for any of the newer cars. And, of course, that tends to cause serious abuse of Special Interest - they have nowhere else to go. But the folks of MWVOCC say they expect to be adding classes next year to help alleviate this problem. I'm sure if they add classes up to the present, they will likely bring in at least another 25-30 vehicles.
The reason they only rate a "9" is because of the lack of classes for newer iron, and that the award ceremony got off to a late start because of all the give-aways. Next year they may want to get all the give-aways out of the way before the ballots are all counted, to speed things up. Not that we were in a hurry to scoot, but because many folks travel up to three hours to get to the show - and want to get home before dark :o)
Keep up the good work, MWVOCC.
Bill
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Windham Show
We received this email from Andy - his take on the Windham Show:
"Hey Bill, It's Andy. Wanted to fill you in on the makings of the Windham Auto Show today. Despite some cloudy rainy weather to start off the day it was definitely a great turn out. There classing system was the best I've seen in a while. They had it divided into 4 colors with classes under each color. They had a group of judges for each color so that way the judging process didn't take all day which was great. Although the judging went well and smooth I was not entirely please with what I saw. I saw 4 judges come by, at different times, by the class and they looked at all the cars but not in a fair manor. The cars that had more modification they judged those cars correctly looking up and down and all around. Then other cars that were not as modified they pretty much just walked up, look, and walked away. So to me the cars that were more apt to win did place but not every vehicle had a fair chance and a fair judging. I happened to get a look at the judging sheets and they were not fair. It was not any type of judging ballot for sure. From what I could see it was basically the number of the car registration and the information off there window ballot that you place on your vehicle. Other then that it was a great turn out and definitely a well organized show. There were a few vehicles that were in the wrong classes but for the most part everything was right where it should be.
-Andy"
Thank you Andy. This is exactly the way they did it last year. And that rather poor judging system is the primary reason so many folks went to Settler's Green today. What you wrote about this year's judging is pretty much what folks - including myself - wrote about it last year.
Fully half of the folks who showed up at the Green today are from the Windham area. What can I say? If a show does not wish to improve, and offer the folks a good and fair venue, the folks will (and in this case many did) go elsewhere.
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"Hey Bill, It's Andy. Wanted to fill you in on the makings of the Windham Auto Show today. Despite some cloudy rainy weather to start off the day it was definitely a great turn out. There classing system was the best I've seen in a while. They had it divided into 4 colors with classes under each color. They had a group of judges for each color so that way the judging process didn't take all day which was great. Although the judging went well and smooth I was not entirely please with what I saw. I saw 4 judges come by, at different times, by the class and they looked at all the cars but not in a fair manor. The cars that had more modification they judged those cars correctly looking up and down and all around. Then other cars that were not as modified they pretty much just walked up, look, and walked away. So to me the cars that were more apt to win did place but not every vehicle had a fair chance and a fair judging. I happened to get a look at the judging sheets and they were not fair. It was not any type of judging ballot for sure. From what I could see it was basically the number of the car registration and the information off there window ballot that you place on your vehicle. Other then that it was a great turn out and definitely a well organized show. There were a few vehicles that were in the wrong classes but for the most part everything was right where it should be.
-Andy"
Thank you Andy. This is exactly the way they did it last year. And that rather poor judging system is the primary reason so many folks went to Settler's Green today. What you wrote about this year's judging is pretty much what folks - including myself - wrote about it last year.
Fully half of the folks who showed up at the Green today are from the Windham area. What can I say? If a show does not wish to improve, and offer the folks a good and fair venue, the folks will (and in this case many did) go elsewhere.
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