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click here »Expo 1988. Jean Pierre Sports Complex. That was ground zero for me. The first car show I ever attended. I was 15yrs old. Some of you weren't even born as yet. But, for you it may have been Southex's Auto X car show, or the Car Crazy Series of car shows. Or you experienced the Barely Legal vs DropShop legendary battles at more recent car shows. Whatever your "ground zero" was, Jamboree has in someway redefined your experience. Or has it limited it? 
Organised by the Garage Fresh outfit headed by Riaz Ali and RaceTrac Wheels’ Andy Mahabir, the Jamboree series has exploded over the past two years to showcase some of Trinidad and Tobago's talent when it comes to customisation of vehicles. 2014's show was a huge success, bringing out cars and people like never before. But the 2015 event. Ah. You can’t class the two. The marketing for this year’s event was different, the hype was different, the preparation by the participants was different, the appreciation trophies were different. Man even the eye-candy was different. Imagine seeing a proper Nur Spec R34 being driven into the event by an equally beautiful woman. Yeah. Your jaw drops.
This year I was invited to be a judge for the event. That meant walking around close to 300 cars and trying to be impartial, despite my personal preferences in car customisation. And it stretched my discipline to tell some "get out" and others "wow... can I carry you home"? To be fair, I have my favourites for the show. But as I did my job, part of me was yearning for a type of car to be at the show. I saw one or two of them. But not all was well.
Amidst all the expression of car culture, I think Jamboree failed to capture that class of purist who think (and rightfully so) that the car show circuit is NOT for them. So as a result they keep their pristine exotics or their classic V8 custom builds hidden away. And like Expo 88, that’s what I would love to see. I think it came down to location. Had the event taken place at another location, perhaps paved, it may have drawn them out.
Maybe too it’s time to be selective for what gets displayed at certain car shows. Like Expo 88, there were no "show and bling" cars. Maybe we've evolved to the point where natural selection must take place at car shows. Jamboree for one showed that. That amongst the "rice" there can be pieces of meat in the pelau. Or maybe it’s just me.
But be that as it may, if you missed Jamboree. You missed the tipping point of car customisation on display locally. From roll cage and suspension works to full aero all fabricated locally. It wont be the same after this.
:o
