ED. TEAM CHATTER

Iwon’t pretend I’ve been around forever, because, compared to many familiar names in the modified car fraternity, I’ve been here for only a blip on the timeline. However, in my 15-plus years of attending the local shows, pedalling cars, spinning spanners, and hosting my own grassroots events, I have seen a thing or two and it feels like a decent chunk of time to me.

So it always impresses me when some of the early pioneers start rattling off a good 20 to 30 years of history as if it were yesterday; stories of events that are now household names kicking off with a hiss and a roar of delinquency and public menace; the trial and error of taking whatever you could get your hands on and attempting to make it work; the latenight backstreet battles that acted as the catalyst for others to hoard their pocket money to get a car of their own.

New Zealand has a rich history that was lifted up on the shoulders of a number of people who were there in the early days. We have a lot to thank them for, and I’m appreciative of all those who came before us. Some are still around today; others aren’t, but their contribution remains monumental.

It’s fair to say things have changed since those early days, some for the better, some for the worse. Styles and tastes have changed, laws and attitudes have changed, the track days, shows, and night-time antics have changed. It’s only natural that all these would alter over time; stagnation is boring and is easily the quickest way to kill off any interest.

As things do evolve and new generations of enthusiasts come up through the ranks, a divide can begin to form. It’s the new generation vs the old guard. We’ve seen it for a while now — those who have been around for a hot minute not understanding what the new kids on the block are up to and shying away from the forefront of the scene because of it. Talks about where the good old days went become more frequent and an unwillingness to associate grows.

I’ll highlight the fact that all tastes are subjective; what you and I like may be two very different things, but we risk sounding like angry old buggers sitting on a porch shaking a cane at the ‘young punks’ flying past us. We’re a collective going through a vast amount of change, with styles, wants, and interests rapidly reshaping.

Meanwhile, event organizers and those within the industry scramble to cater to these changes. In an age of instant content through social media, that’s no easy feat. There has never been a greater connection to what is going on around us both locally and internationally, so of course the way we used to do it and how it’s being done now are going to be dramatically different.

What I’d like to see is less segregation, less “Why don’t you do it this way?” — from all sides of the fence — and more “This is how I like to do it”. Educate the young bucks on the ways of old, be open to learning what can be done now, and collaborate to improve all facets of the community.

I do miss a few of the things from years gone by, but nothing stays the same forever and that’s really important in terms of keeping it all alive.

Catch ya.