Paso Robles 2005

Hard to believe Paso was a week ago. As soon as I got back to Raleigh, I had to head out of town for week. So, needless to say I've been jonesin' for a HAMB fix, and kinda bumming that Paso came and went so quickly. So, I figured I might feel better if I posted some pics and some words to describe the experience. (Feel free to use the scroll bar and go straight to the pics).






First off, to call Paso "a car show" would be an understatement and a misnomer. It really is a weekend-long party, immersed in all things kustom. The show proper is maybe only 50% of the overall experience. To see a bad-ass custom parked under a tree is one thing, but to actually see, hear, and feel it prowling the streets is totally different. And between the Friday night cruise, and bouncing between the A&W and the bowling alley, there are tons of opportunities to experience these customs in their dynamic state.











And it's not just the cars, it's the people too. I got a chance to meet and hangout with a bunch of HAMBers over the weekend... way more than I'd ever hope to be able to remember their real or HAMB names. I also got to meet Gene Winfield, Keith Weesner, Scratch, Shag, and Coupe de Cab. Most of these guys are also HAMBers, and all are as down-to-earth as they come. But they all live 2000+ miles from the east coast, so to have a chance to meet them in person was a real pleasure. Hell, Richard Zocchi and Jesse James even walked by the truck, but they must not have recognized me. That wasn't true for HotRodHon (Craig) of West Coast Kustoms. I bumped into him several times, and even with 850+ entrants, he still had time to stop and make me feel welcome.











And that same spririt really seemed to resonate throughout the whole town. Maybe the kustom crowd is a refreshing change from the stuffy whine-and cheese bunch who normally vacation in Paso? Sure there were cops on the street, but people were still having fun with their cars. And it was an "alchohol free" event, but I saw people drinking responsibly and no one was getting hassled. How cool is that? Maybe it's all just "good for business", but it still made for a great environment to kick back and enjoy the weekend.











Folks on the HAMB were right... it doesn't matter if you drive, walk, or skydive into town - you will have a blast! We crashed in the Walmart parking lot and there were a bunch of HAMBers staying at a nearby RV park (that allowed tent camping). So, even if you can't score a room in town, with a little creativity you can avoid having to drive to SLO or the coast, and paying big bucks for a room. Plus, with all the stuff going on in Paso, you just don't want to miss any of it. And no matter how hard you try, I don't think it's possible to see everything at the show. From that standpoint, it really was a little overwhelming. If it was a full-on two day event, it might take some of the heat off. At one point, I just quit taking pictures and chilled out for awhile. So many cool cars, so little time.











As far as parking goes for Saturday - don't sweat it! I read stories about having to sit in line, starting at 6:00 a.m. or earlier. We didn't care about getting in the park, so we rolled down Spring street at 7:30, hoping to find a nice side street to park on. Well, before we could even circle the park one time, we were directed into the park, and ended up under a huge oak tree across from City Hall. Hell, we were right next to the Reyes '54 Buick ragtop and the Harry Bradley-designed Afterglow. So, sleep-in, and get there when ya get there.











The whole weekend went super-smooth thanks to Creeper Larry, who served as Central Coast Ambassador for Zman and me. Larry was debating on going surfing or hitting Paso with us, but the allure of Paso won him over (or was it the fouled plug or Fosters oil-cans?). Hehe. He even gave up roadster build-time to make the trip, and last I heard he had the new motor in and was headed to the Antique Nationals in Palmdale. I hope he kicked ass!















So, now that it's all over, I'm already scheming how to get back to Paso. It might take a few years, but till then I'll rely on the HAMB for event coverage. Here's a few pics to help those who didn't make it this year. There's probably a bunch of repeats here from other's posts, but I'm too lazy to sort em out.













-murph