Waterfest 16 - the slim pickens

Sometimes despite your best intentions or efforts, one has no choice but to abandon plans. That pretty much spells out my efforts this year for Waterfest. As the granddaddy of big-time VW shows it has always been a little bit crazy for those of us who have to work the event.



It's like Christmas in July, for anyone unlucky enough to work at a big-box retailer through a holiday season, but usually extremely hot and humid. Still, there are worse ways to make a living, and as much as Waterfest means weeks of hard work before and after, it is worth it.



This year, perhaps even more so than the past. At the absolute peak of Waterfest insanity, 2003 and 2004, it seemed to me that no-one, not the vendors, not the participants and not the customers were having much fun...but since then, the event has slowly, surely, gotten back to that 'VW show' vibe which had been lacking.



Maybe it is because the haters who claim to dislike it so much have finally all stopped coming, or maybe it's because there isn't QUITE the same massive number of people there, clogging all the isles and making it hard to walk. It could even be the revamped restrooms, which hey, do make a difference.



Whatever is, Waterfest 16 turned out to be a pretty much all-out success from my point of view. It was pretty warm yeah, and there is always something to complain about, whether that is judging, Jersey roads or whatever, but the feeling, the core of the show, was really good.



So if it wasn't as crazy, what's my excuse for not taking more pictures? Well not as crazy doesn't mean more free time for me....I pretty much only had time to take pictures Friday after set up and at the hotel. Jason, Arno and I were hanging with Leila from Vogtland NA, and Stephan from Vogtland Germany...



There were some really nice cars, with a pretty decent sized group from the Long Island / Eastern Queens...and a lot of air-ride, as there is no way you could roll cars like this in or out of NYC. At least not without a roll-back!



And that was it...I took a few pics at the show with the mobile, but this is it for the good quality stuff.



I'll probably claim to take more pictures at H20, the next big event on the schedule for me, but only who knows, with the size that show has become maybe it is the 'next' Waterfest and I'll have more excuses...

_WRS