NODDY’S VIEW
WOW! THAT’S THE BEST WAY TO SUM UP REPCO BEACH HOP 18
As I sit down to write this, I’m reflecting on what was an extremely memorable and pleasing event. I know that there are many clichés out there that I could use, but I will try to avoid them, as they’ve already been thrashed to death. So, to put it as succinctly as I can, Repco Beach Hop 18 was the best yet. We keep saying that every year, and it worries me that, although we think it can’t get any better, it just does. What makes us think that it does get better? From our point of view, everything went like clockwork — it really is a well-oiled machine. However, after 18 years, so it should be — or we shouldn’t in the business of doing what we do! The smooth operations are a result of the experience we’ve gained over those 18-plus years of planning, planning, and even more planning. We are fortunate to have a fantastic crew to work with, excellent sponsors, who just let us get on with the show, a brilliant council to work with and remove any barriers that might arise, a supportive police team, entrants who are there to have a good time, world-class entertainers, and the wonderful community of Whangamata that allows us to hold the event. We now have a formula that works well and provides a variety of attractions each and every day. We stick to that programme, but always try to introduce some new things to keep it fresh. This year, we successfully made a world-record attempt for the biggest gathering of people wearing Hawaiian-style shirts at Whangamata New World, provided an aerobatic display at Whitianga on Thursday and over Whangamata on Saturday, and held the Harcourts Top Hop House competition — congratulations to ‘Chevy Corner’, which blew everyone away. How about the Friday cruise at 9pm through Port Road by our 1949 Ford drag car and three visiting gassers from Australia?! Where else but at Beach Hop would you ever see that kind of thing? These were all highlights, as were the thousands of happy faces we saw over the five days of the festival. Low lights? Well, I can’t really think of any, although I’m still trying to understand the classic car owner psyche. Every year, I wonder why owners of classic cars want to queue up for three to four hours prior to a cruise, drive 30–45 minutes to the cruise destination, stay for half an hour, then leave. I just shake my head, as it really kills the show when cars leave after such a short stay. I struggle to understand the thinking. I must mention our sponsors — in particular, Repco, Ford New Zealand, Castrol, Meguiar’s, Classic Cover Insurance, Magic FM, the Whangamata Club, and CMP Construction, who provide the bulk of our sponsorship. That’s not to take anything away from the minor sponsors who support the festival — we appreciate you all. This year, two major international brands joined the festival for the first time — welcome to Harley-Davidson and Jack Daniel’s. We were very impressed with what these new sponsors brought to the festival, and look forward to a long-lasting relationship. Hopefully, they have had a taste of what the festival is all about and will be back even bigger and better next year. Because of the support of all our sponsors, we were able to offer our biggest-ever prize pool: the beautiful 1956 Ford F100 pickup, the crazy Hawaiian Tiki Lounge–themed retro caravan, the 2018 Harley-Davidson motorcycle, and the $10K cash up for grabs. Wow! No wonder we had such a huge crowd on the Saturday. It can be a real challenge, but also a ton of fun, to get these prizes ready in time, so a huge high five to our crew who worked on them. The results speak for themselves. Every year, we are impressed by the quality of the vehicles that enter the festival, and this year the standard was the highest it’s ever been. I spend six months in the US each year on my Route 66 tours. We visit many famous car shows along the way. Repco Beach Hop 18 is right up there with the best in the world, which is something we can all be proud of. See you next year — March 27–31, 2019!