Day one; Customs and bonfires.
We had given ourselves seven days, myself and wingman Paul Mcgrath or F6 fame. As it turned out, this was the perfect length of time necessary to see everything and anything. Landing at Boston Logan airport at around 6pm local time we cautiously made our way through customs in what turned out to be an unnecessarily nerve-racking shuffle. Make sure to fill out your Visa-Waiver forms if your planning to make the trip next year to make the arrival experience as pain free as possible. Once through the gates we were met by Holden Moore, H20i Regular and the reciprocate of our own Edition38 experience in 2008. Once all together we made to hour long trip to his place over in Jaffrey, New Hampshire before crashing out for the night.
Day two; Meet the crew.
For as long as I can remember, C.B.S [Club.Broke.Status] has been a club in my mind synonymous with having a little fun in the scene. Taking time out to have a laugh, all the while turning out some incredible examples of what can be done with a little of Wolfsburgs finery. Dare I say, they’re famous for it? So it was with a little trepidation that myself and Paul waded into ‘their world.’ Entering Derek’s Audi dealership where he and fellow C.B.S member Russ Clark put in the spanner time, then loading up our luggage for a blast to Dereks house and a few bottles of Wachusetts blueberry was another of those ‘is this really happening moments.’ Ending the night in the Boulder, local C.B.S haunt and that trip home to Naits house in the Vanigan only went further to add to the awesome experience.
Day Three; Fear and Loathing in Providence. Lost passports and ‘The Vagina room.’ Ignore it, maintain. Surely you’ve not got the fear all ready? See it through… Thursday then and the road trip was well under way. Starting the day in true style we made our way to Dennys Diner. To our hosts it was just another American breakfast joint but to us it was the archetypal Stateside stereotype. French toast and Bacon. Just what’s needed before any 320mile drive down the east coast. Camera at the ready, I took up the role of driver in Chris Irgangs newly wheeled B5 Passat Wagon. Sparks flying out the back as we navigated the New Jersey Turnpike. Our destination, Philadelphia and the home of local Mk3 Whore Rob Fletcher’s for some music, meatballs and vintage PVW. Oh and the 20+ cars he managed to squeeze on his driveway. Day four; The final push. Show Drops and Supermonkeys. Just 200 miles lay between us, 30 or so VW enthusiasts rolling deep in a 20+ convoy and Ocean City, Maryland. You could taste it and with another fuel stop under our belt we were off again. If I’m honest, the drive didn’t feel overly long at all. The roads, although pitted, were strait and trouble free or maybe that was just my travellers naivety. Ignorance is bliss and all that. And then you see it. Rout 90 opens up for the final crossing, the last body of water. Its that moment that really stands out for me. That first glimpse of the strip that you’ve seen so many times before is rite in front of you now. Its very difficult to describe the feeling of being there. Surrounded by the cream of modified metal the likes of which will never make it over to our shores. 500miles had taken us from start to finish, Boston to Ocean city. It’s the equivalent of M.I.V.W or Club Charles from my London home, and yet, those shows seem so far away. What really astonished me was just how far the Americans go to be a part of it with many of the participants driving over 1000miles each way. Like Worthersee dubs take over the whole town, filling every car park and side street with people leaning out of windows and gathering on balconies up and down the strip. There really is something special about seeing the cars in motion and hearing the sound as they rip up 528 Ocean highway. So much so that it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Wide eyes, take it all in. Don’t miss a second. Seafood diners, 7/11s and lush palm trees with the centrepiece being an expansive six lane highway. Friday is the day when most punters roll into town so we were in good company with Saturday laying host to the ‘big ass BBQ’ in preparation for the main event come Sunday.
Day five; The strip, swimming pools and screwdrivers. Saturday morning brings the official start date of the show with cars flocking to the Raceway, though many stick around on the strip to take in some more of the action and attend the numerous ‘get togethers’ [GTG’s] that litter the town. From mk1 to mk2 meets, air affair’s and get low’s there really is something for everyone. We spent most of that day wondering the streets, collecting parts and attending gtg’s before heading back to the C.B.S condos for some food and the annual Ice Cream Social. Just don’t mention Seacrets, there is nothing more dangerous and deprived that the happenings in that seaside bar. All I will say is its an experience not to be missed, poolside after parties in the rain included. Day six; We make it to the show. Finally, our time comes to hit the Main Event. Just a 20 minute drive from where we were staying and we were in the thick of it. Although the day began with a little rain, by mid morning the skies had cleared and the heat was quite literally on. Attended by all generations the show itself takes over Ocean Downs Raceway, a Horse Racecourse on the outskirts of the coastal venue. Traders line the tarmac surrounding the field with the Top Dawgs parked neatly in the prime spot just beside them. The field is taken up by row upon row of show-and-shine entrants along with club stands and general parking. It was great to finally see all the cars in one place, having chased a majority of the ‘must see’ motors from car park to car park in the days leading up to the main event. The day ends with the prize giving and Top Dawg honours being handed out.. One topic, one... Tangent that has interested me for some time is the subject of US cars in the mag. So often and far too easily people discuss and condemn the prominence of our continental cousins in these very pages. All ill say on the matter is get yourself out there. Open your eyes and see first hand just what those guys are up to. They are the first to admit that their scene doesn’t compete on the quality of out-and-out show cars we have over here in Europe, but the level of dedication, enthusiasm and the general friendly nature of everyone I met out there far outweighed their lack of inside and out show queens. Its far too easy to sit back and dictate slews on another’s modifiers representation. Blaming competent camera work for the yanks increasing reputation and the oh-so-smooth roads as an excuse for the frankly incredible static lows. From what we saw of the New England area and the roads taken to get to H20, we’ve got it good. Months of deep-freeze winters and iced asphalt cause their roads to buckle and crack, making what would be considered undrivable pathways over here in the UK. Ok so some parts of the States are blessed with great roads, but that’s not a trend that should be thrown out as a generalisation. Id like to say a massive thank you to all the guys at Club.Broke.Status for looking after us during our stay. Its refreshing to meet such a down to earth group of guys out there doing it live for themselves and each other. So, if you’re at a loose end come September 2010, get yourself out to Ocean City Maryland and witness what has to be one of the greatest gathering of Water-cooled’s your ever likely to see outside of Reifnetz. There is nothing quite like sitting on the side of the strip, Super-monkey in hand, taking it all in while having a good chat with friends old and new. Like I said earlier, the US plays host to the most laid back VW collective I’ve witnessed. A claim heavily backed up by its goods, the quality and atmosphere of shows like H20i. H20 or Broke…
on December 15, 2009, 1:52 am