As an automotive editor who travels extensively, I have had the unmatched experience of meeting many different types of enthusiasts and of focusing my eyes on many different styles of customized trucks. It is an occupation that is rewarding and keeps my personal enthusiasm at an all-time high. Back in May, Harley Camilleri, Dan Ward, and I flew to Mississippi to attend the Showfest Truck Show, and I came across a few enthusiasts who demonstrated what our low-rolling, pavement-grinding hobby is really all about.
Last year at Showfest, our feature truck quest began in the hotel parking lot when we spotted a couple of trucks that were shoo-ins for our Saturday morning feature shoot. After striking up a conversation with a few of the truck owners, we realized that some of the rides we had inquired about were owned by buddies in the same truck club. The first truck we discovered was a bright red '70 Chevy shortbed laid out on big-diameter billet wheels. The truck was stunning and packed all the visual punch we look for in a quality feature. Our eyes shifted to another spot in the parking lot, and a '99 Chevy S-10 Extended Cab sitting flat on the ground snagged our focus. After peering over the S-10 for a moment, another club member opened the door to his enclosed trailer; inside sat a freshly finished and highly detailed Mazda B-2200 extended cab. We stood in the trailer drooling over all the glistening paint and shiny chrome and scheduled a morning meeting with these three enthusiasts and their rides. As we all clicked away on Kyle Boring's '70 shortbed, Rico Rodriguez' S-10, and Jason Reisser's Mazda, it was clear that these guys are hardcore friends and that building and showing custom rides is what brought them together. When you think about it, our hobby of building and showing customized rides really helps fuel long-term friendships.
While Kyle, Jason, and Rico waited for their rides to be photographed, we noticed that they helped each other clean, apply Truckin' stickers, and prepare for the photo shoot. Seeing the way this group of buddies and custom truck fanatics interacted and helped each other out was the coolest. They were all on a major high from being part of the feature shoot, and smiles were readily apparent with each swipe of the quick detailer.
After the shoots, we asked Rico, Kyle, and Jason to drive their trucks down by the Mississippi River, where the below group shot of their trucks was taken. It was evident from the brief time we spent with this group of hardcore truck fanatics that they would do anything to help each other out. Our hobby is about developing custom truck friendships; the trucks are just the common ground for establishing them. It's about the guy who can take a totally stock truck, cut the daylights out of it, shave everything off of it, weld and grind like crazy, and make it look like the factory built it that way. Sometimes the pure shock of how amazing a show truck comes out makes us forget about the amount of work that went into building it and the talented hands that shaped it. Think about that the next time you are at a show gazing at someone's pride and joy. Unless that person has more money than they know what to do with, odds are, a lot of late nights were spent crafting the stunning piece laid out before you. Kyle's, Rico's, and Jason's trucks are all featured in this issue of Truckin', and each ride features modifications and style worth a double take. Until next month, keep hitting those switches, cranking good tunes (such as Testament and Bang Tango), and cruising until your heart's content.