Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/763593
6 nJanuary 2017n www.thunderpress.net THUNDER PRESS by Felicia Morgan PISMO, CALIF., OCT.13–15— Anyone who's ever spent any time at all near the ocean learned their beach lessons quickly or didn't live to tell about it. The sea is not at all forgiving and we're taught to never turn our back on the tide, a lesson that promot- ers for The Race of Gentlemen appar- ently forgot. As race fans were tucked into their beds, snoozing peacefully, Mother Nature was busily rearranging the furniture that had been laid out on the Friday evening before the big race. An unexpectedly angry sea and high tide brought on by an unseasonal freak storm that ravaged the entire West Coast wreaked havoc with the beach- front venue overnight. By Saturday morning's daybreak the sea had over- taken the area initially intended for the highly-anticipated fun stuff as rain and fog socked in the entire beach. Promoters scrambled to set things right as fi re marshals shut down beach access in order to protect the gather- ing crowds from the high tide's may- hem as heavy equipment scurried to re-establish perimeter barricades and fencing. Festivities were delayed for hours as the box offi ce continued to sell tickets and the crowds continued to collect on the dunes above. The race was, after all, billed as a rain-or-shine event and the drizzle did nothing to deter eager fans. There was no men- tion of Ma Nature's wrath, high tides or restricted access, however, and promoters Stultz and Green nervously kept the ball rolling with their typical "the show must go on" attitude despite the gathering gloom. The Race of Gentlemen is a unique, one-of-a-kind modern-day car- nival with a fl ashback fl air that sucks in all the senses and works the masses into a fevered pitch of anticipation and revelry while celebrating the days of yore. From vintage duds to rats, rods and motorcycles the recipe has proven to work well during the event's past fi ve years despite the constant, and now bi-coastal, power struggle with Mother Nature. Traditionally held on the Jersey shore, the 2016 inaugural West Coast version was nothing short of fi nan- cially disastrous. Though the race was delayed by several hours on Saturday, there were, indeed, races. And it was, indeed, thrilling. But it was a short- lived thrill as darkness set in and the tide began its evening ascent to swal- low up the racetrack. By Sunday con- ditions had deteriorated even further and the races were called off entirely. A car show was scheduled at the nearby campground instead and disap- pointed folks spent the afternoon mill- ing around the vintage cars and bikes trying to make the best of it. "Getting to race in California was pretty much an impossible dream and we just never thought they'd allow it, but we wouldn't give up," Bobby Green told T HUNDER PRESS several days later during a no-holds-barred interview. "We kept bugging the city since Pismo is really about the only place you can still race on the beach here. They never said no so we just kept on it for like two, two and a half years and fi nally they sent an e-mail and said yes. The timing was amazing because we were really discouraged. After Wildwood last year, due to the hurricane there, the New Jersey races got pushed back by two weeks but that's when we got the approval so it brightened up an otherwise gloomy week for us. And now, well, we pretty much lost our asses here," he said with a sigh. Both Green and Mel Stultz, his business partner in Stultz and Green Productions, are members of the Oilers Car Club that hosts The Race of Gentlemen. The Oilers are a club that started on the California coast back in 1947 and several race freaks reprised that club in 2008 with the blessing of Oilers' founder Jim Nelson. Today's members carry on the tradition of rod- din' and racin' from coast to coast at various events. "Will there be another California TROG?" Green repeated our question. "Yes; we just don't know when. It was extremely expensive to do this one and the cancellation meant we lost our ass, for sure. It all comes down to money, of course. If we can fi nd a big sponsor—Ford or Valvoline or a spark plug company—then we'd be able to do it. Response has been amaz- ing, people love this, but it's tough all the way around when something like this happens. Even so, you know, it's hard to get people to go out in the rain but we had around 8,000–10,000 people come out and even visited at the campground on Sunday so people are clearly excited about what we're doing. We had some of the Motorcycle Cannonball guys with us, too. They got to race." Current sponsors are companies like Sailor Jerry, Hemmings Motor News and "The Company" themselves, Harley-Davidson. From Pismo residents and city offi cials to the racers and fans, everyone seems excited to have the event on the California coast and they are backed by some quality businesses who believe in what the guys are doing, so now, if Ma Nature would just give 'em a break… To see what's next for TROG, go to theraceofgentlemen.com. 4 THE RACE OF GENTLEMEN TROG meets West Coast wrath Racing against Mother Nature Rats, rods and rowdy riders showed up to test their skills on the sands of Pismo Beach during the west coast TROG Wild riders like Matt Walksler and his buddies came all the way across the country to race the west coast tides, but mostly they sat in line waiting their turn as the weather worsened Photo by David Carlo Photography Weather and rules be damned, happy riders still lined up to tear their way down the California coastline