Dec. 7, 2008 — From sick whips to bikes from Beijing, the Joseph Aubain Ballpark was the place to be this weekend as the 8th annual Summer Slam Car and Sound Show on St. Thomas showed off some of the territory's top rides and best sets.
"This event, now in its eighth year, was supposed to be the Summer Slam, but we were so busy with preparing for the Beijing Olympics that we had to push it back," said Tony Rosario, the event's organizer.
Rosario, also president of the V.I. Boxing Federation, made the trip to China this summer with the territory's Olympic team, who brought back a variety of bicycles that were on display at the car show. The bikes were folded up and stored in the group's suitcases on the trip back to St. Thomas, Rosario said.
"So we're calling our show the Winter Slam this year," he said. "We're featuring cars from St. Thomas and St. John only because we are planning a similar event on St. Croix soon. But we really had to make it happen this year — I know a lot of people look forward to the event, and they've been calling me trying to figure out how we could put it on and make it work. This year, we have about 43 cars registered and we're giving the audience a chance to judge the show part of the competition "
In addition to the usual competitors, the event also brought out unusual entries, such as safari vans and semi-trucks. One participant, Jackie from Jackie's Taxi and Tour Service, used her bus to advertise the fruit stand — Jackie's Organic Fruits — she has set up in Red Hook. The airbrushing on the van details a variety of fruits, along with a picture of the Dominican flag, surrounded by a waterfall and jumping dolphins.
"Everybody always comes out with these cartoon characters on their vans," she said. "So one day, I thought, let me do something real, something better, and I had the van re-fixed."
The design on the safari is the "best on the island," Jackie said.
Many of the show's competitors were equally as confident, particularly Cash Bailey, caretaker of a 1980 Chevy El Camino SS that has been entered in at least six different shows over the past few years. A multiple winner, Bailey's awards were displayed on the field Saturday, ranging from prizes for Most Exotic Vehicle to Best Rims.
"We have 13 awards in all," said Bailey, who entered the car on behalf of its owner, Darwin Donovan. "We've already won four shows on St. Thomas and two in Tortola. With a car like this, you can't lose."
Members of the audience were able to select the winners
Judging the sound competition again this year was Steve Stern, commissioner of the Mobile Electronics Competition Association (MECA).
"It's always a lot of fun for me to be here," Stern said. "At this show, we judge everything from sound quality — what the music actually sounds like inside the car — to the system's complexity of design, or how sophisticated it is. We always see a variety of things here, and it's always great to be able to come out and have a lot of fun doing the judging."
Winners of this year's Car and Sound Show:
Sound Competition (S2)
First place: Omar Sprauve
Second place: Juliene Durant
Third place: Jimmy Ventura Jr.
Fourth place: Eric Bell Sr.
Sound Competition (S3)
First place: Norbert Fahie
Second place: Felicia Brazier
Third place: Kadeem Benjamin
Sound Competition (S4)
First place: Venus Abraham
Second place: Eldridge Tobias
Sound Competition (S5)
First place: Shaun Testamark
Sound Competition (M2)
First place: Triston Baker
Second place: Yuri Richards
Sound Competition (MX3)
First place: Augustus Paul
Phat Awards
First place car: Omar Sprauve
Most Improved: Venus Abraham
Phat 10: Felicia Brazier
Phat 12: Eldridge Tobias
Phat 15: Norbert Fahie
Sound Competition Best of Show
Norbert Fahie
Sound Quality League winners
Best Amatuer: Tristen Baker
Best Street: Shaun Testamark
Modified: Eldrige Tobias
Modified Plus: Jose Lima
Modex: Jimmy Ventura Jr.
Modex Plus: Augustus Paul
Phat Awards
Car: Jose Lima
Truck: Junior Estrella
Install: Junior Estrella
Most Improved: Shaun Testamark
Best of Show: Shaun Testamark
Ice: Venus Abraham
Car Show Winners
Car: Gregory George, 1992 Honda Civic (red)
Truck: Jimez Ashby, Ford F450 (white)
SUV: Junior Estrella, 2004 Honda Element
Motorcycle: Donald Petersen, 2006 Suzuki Hayabusa
Best Detailed Engine
Jose Lima
Best Interior
Jose Lima
Best Rims
Car: Jose Lima
SUV: Jimez Ashby
Truck: Kalif Turnbull
Motorcycle: Luis Perez
Best Modified Vehicle
Jose Lima
Best Presentation
Darwin Donovan
Best of Show/People's Choice
Jose Lima
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