It's a rare occasion that I can wake up in the morning, take a deep breath of clean air, and stare at the clear ocean from my window. That's because I live in Long Beach, California, where the sky isn't blue but more of a poop brown from pollution. I can't even swim in the ocean without worrying about being stuck by a nasty hypodermic needle. Relocating to Honolulu every summer doesn't seem like such a bad idea. I could roam around aimlessly every day trying to find the shaved ice shack and spend each evening frolicking in the sand, chugging down frou-frou drinks. When my body desires a colder climate, I'd retreat indoors for some A/C action. Luckily for me, on June 7, I knew where I could go to ditch the tropical weather from early afternoon to late night. This is only the second Import Xtreme Showdown event at the Honolulu Convention Center, but those dudes made a huge impact. With over 11,000 attendees crammed in one hall, you'd think that Vivid Video was doing open casting calls (that's not even counting big vendors and sponsors like TYC Elegante, Chevron, and Mazda). Seeing that I'm not very tall, fighting my way through the huge crowds was tough, especially with those video cameras from 360, Street Fury, and my homies from Grip. Luckily I had my trusty tripod handy to take out some kneecaps.
I don't know how those IXS dudes pull it off, but it seemed like the swarm of heads coming into the show never ended. The huge turnout could have been from the DJs, bikini contest, and some intense booty shaking. Or maybe it was because the fellas had a chance to win a date with Queen Derrick Yee's very own Mary J. Castillo. Who could say no to that? Well, maybe Derrick since he won't make his 15 percent cut off of it. Even the contestants got more than they bargained for with two free polyurethane body kits for the best Civics of the show. And don't forget the coveted Super Street pick of the show. Is it the big mix of all this goodness that brings in the masses? Who knows what the IXS guys do? I really don't, but that's why I'm a poverty-stricken editor and not a promoter.
What I do know is that this is only their second time around and they don't plan on stopping anytime soon. Next year's event is already scheduled for the first week of June, so if you happen to be on the island of Oahu at the time, make sure to check it out. For all the locals, I don't even have to tell you how much you'll regret it if you miss the next IXS. That is, unless you're not really into dope cars, hot chicks, and loud music. But then again, if you weren't, you wouldn't be reading this anyway.
After going to an event that crazy, being at home kind of sucks. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to step outside of the office to inhale some smog.