2009 Lowrider Denver Colorado Tour Hop

The Denver hop contest was even hotter than the beef burrito I ordered while visiting local restaurant Bubba Chinos, located on Denver's legendary Federal Boulevard, the day before the show. The single pump class had Cool Cars' '88 Mazda truck out of Louisville, Kentucky, battling Shorty's Hydraulics of Houston. Shorty also had an '88 Mazda, so the crowd got to see a true head-to-head contest to find out who would be crowned the single pump top hopper. The battle of the Mazdas ended with Shorty claiming the bragging rights, as he beat the amazing 90-inch starting point that the Cool Cars' Mazda had achieved on its first run.

The Radical Car Class provided an interesting contest as it had Las Vegas hopper Ron Eggers of team Black Magic pitted against his old hopper, a car that was purchased and operated by Denver local Adam Decker. Black Magic brought out their '87 Monte Carlo, while Adam Decker brought out the car formerly owned by Ron, a 1964 Impala. In the end, local Adam Decker won on a technicality, as Ron's Monte Carlo got stuck ending its hydraulic run.

The Radical Truck Class was a true battle royale as it showcased four different states battling it out for the title. The first contestant was an '85 Mazda that represented Cool Cars of Kentucky. It set the pace for the field scoring a tough 98 inches. Next up was Eppie Martinez of New Mexico with his '89 Ranger, which fell short of the starting point, and was eliminated early into the competition. Indiana's Rob Robertson brought his '91 Toyota, and maxed out at 99-inches, squeezing into first place and eliminating Cool Cars' Mazda. Proving the theory that the last shall be first, Houston's own Shorty took home the title with his '89 Ranger, which beat out the other contestants in the class, hitting for over 100 plus inches.

The last class of competition for the day was the annual crowd favorite; the car dancing event. This time around, the crowd picked the winner based on the individual's moves, ensuring even more variety in the competition. Starting off the dance and setting high expectations for the contestants was Rob, with a dancing '85 blazer that managed to roll over, exciting the crowd. Next up was Clint, with an '84 S-10, that fell short of winning the crowd over after experiencing a few technical difficulties. The last one up was Texas' El Travieso, owned and operated by John of Team Shorty's Hydraulics. John just killed the competition, with an amazing display of powerful and controlled moves, executed perfectly by the '86 Cutlass. From its stunning side-to-side action, to the crowd favorite around-the-world dance, this G-body had what it took to seal the win.

Despite the challenge that team Black Magic presented to Shorty, the Shorty's Hydraulics Team still dominated this tour stop, as all three of the vehicles that Team Shorty brought performed well. We can't wait to see what the Vegas show brings to the table, as everybody will truly be giving their al,l and rolling the dice at this year's grand finale.