What a crazy past few weeks it has been. Between H2o International at the end of September, Rallycross in New Jersey with NGP the following weekend and then various other obligations last weekend, I've barely had time to think about what to say, let alone get it out into written form.
I suppose at the end of the day there isn't much more to say. The 'event' that is H2O International appears to be on the verge of something big, perhaps something more akin to the European shows like Worthersee where it's less a car show, and more a week-long insane-huge-party-car event.
Ocean City already has bike week, hot-rod week, Corvette week, why not VW / Audi week? (it'd probably be called something lame and predictable like 'Dub' week but I think that's a: not very original, b: not inclusive enough considering the number of Audis and even BMWs that show up these days)
What next year holds could be very telling. It wasn't so many years ago that Waterfest was this big, this anticipated, but continued and increased community (or at least police and hotel) resistance more or less put a stop to the after-hours shenanigans, which in part has slowly killed the party vibe, and thus the show.
These days a show is simply not enough...if the Ocean City community can pull together and see the H2O event for what it is, a cash cow, and not like it's the Hell's Angels descending on some town off the California coast in the '60s, H2O will be able to survive. (and perhaps thrive even beyond what we have seen so far.
At least in terms of the town and the week. The show itself is slowly becoming an also-ran to the monster number of get-togethers and community orginized meets. The venue which has done so well by Jay and his crew for so many years may finally be at the end of its usefulness. Where would they go from here?
Aside from the fact it's just getting to be too small, the newly built (but not yet finished) slots / casino / dealio will probably be far too expensive to shut down for a full weekend, 'just for a car show.' However many dollars Jay pays currently, to a slot machine and gambling center located just outside of Ocean City, it would probably be just an hour's worth of revenue or so.
So it's with equal parts eagerness, dread, hopefulness and skepticism that I look towards 2011. All signs point to it being a real turning point for H2O International and those of us here on the East Coast. Will it make it to the next step, something akin to the GTI Treffen and Worthersee?
Or will it go the way of so many other once-great shows and pass into irreverence, unable to come to grips with massive popularity, and all the organizational and infrastructure requirements that go along with it. We shall see...
Complaints about judging, organization and whatever else you can think of are nothing new when it comes to car shows. It's pretty much expected actually, as there is always a squeaky wheel or ten no matter how much grease you throw out there.
It was pretty apparent this year however, that the sheer volume of people, cars and the traffic that goes with it is beginning to overwhelm the systems currently in place. Whether it's the streets and roads around Ocean Downs, the crew taking money and directing traffic, or the judges themselves (who are volunteers), all seem overworked and probably under-appreciated.
Perhaps a move to a self-judged show would be a good move...the people that attend can judge the cars for themselves. While there is always the danger of ballot stuffing, and it would surely take away from the 'concours' style of judging, I can't say it would be a bad thing.
So here's to hoping many more years of success for H2O International...if not for Jay's pockets, at least for the people who travel thousands of miles to attend, and who make the show what it is: The best in the world.
_WRS
No comments:
Post a Comment