The weather has played a part in our Florida shows as of late. The Florida State Fairgrounds luckily remained dry for the 2006 Lowrider Tour stop, but the fact of the matter is that even with the aforementioned weather, the show saw more than 10,000 spectators enter the gates to enjoy the Sunshine State's shiniest lowriders, live entertainment andhydraulics contest. The Lowrider Events crew, joined by sponsors Quaker State, Rockford Fosgate, Fuze Energia Postiva, Harley-Davidson and CCE Hydraulics, rolled into Tampa to give the Florida fans a great show. Sunday was nothing but blue skies and the people were eagerly waiting for some of the finest lowriders east of the Mississippi.
As for entertainment, Rob Base performed and had old skool rap heads bobbing to his classic hits like "It Takes Two" and "Joy and Pain." Next, came the man whom many came to see and that was David Banner, whose energetic set took him to a higher level,literally. After climbing on the speakers, David made his way up to the second floor, then back down to perform in the middle of the crowd, truly staying in touch with his fans. All said, it was a great show and the crowd appreciated the energy that he put out. The Bikini Contest was all that you would expect from a Lowrider Bikini Contest, especially one in Florida. In the end, one lovely lady took the $500 for her beating out the "pros" in the contest. This year's Tampa show was entertaining in all aspects. After Tampa, there are still 10 more shows to go before the Super Show, giving competitors some time to qualify.
The lowriders on hand were some of the best that the sport has to offer. The list included last year's Traditional winner, "Certified Gangster," a '64 Impala that rolled up from Miami to show what a champion lowrider looks like in the flesh. Along with the Impalas and Cadillacs, show-goers could gaze at heavily customized Ford T-birds and Buick Rivieras. Quite a few Euros were on hand, as well, along with SUVs. In short, a wide spectrum of the automotive market showed up to the show.
There was plenty of action in the Hop and Car Dance categories too, but you'll have to go to the Hop section to get the 411. Vendors row had plenty of giveaways from energy drinks to grab bags from Quaker State. The lowrider community was well-represented vehicle-wise, but the rise (literally) in the big-wheel trend was evident in the amount of entries in that category. Big wheels are living large in Florida and there was certainly a large contingent of them on hand at the Fairgrounds. From early Chevy Impalas to late model Cadillacs, the growing trend is starting to show up in other parts of the country.
Tampa Winners
Best Car of Show
First--Bowtie Connection South, '64 Chevy Impala
Second--Augustine Cruz, '87 Buick Regal
Third--David Espinosa, '92 Cadillac Fleetwood
Best Traditional Lowrider
First--Johnny Salters, '59 Chevy Impala
Second--Luis Aviles, '69 Chevy Impala
Third--Edwin Rosado, '63 Chevy Impala
Best Original '69 & Below
First--Jose Reyes, '63 Chevy Impala
Best Truck
First--Juan Gonzalez, '89 Ford Ranger
Second--Jared Franklin, '02 Nissan Xterra
Third--Cheryl Mendoza, '03 Cadillac Escalade
Best Bike
First--Jesse Hopkins
Second--Mark Alonzo
Third--R.J. Cantu
Best Custom Compact
First--Jimmy Morales, '93 Nissan Altima
Second--John Calvo, '97 Acura CL
Third--Rolando Puerto, '01 Toyota Corolla
Lowrider Excellence Award
Bowtie Connection South, '64 Chevy Impala