Some 16 months ago, participants in the 2002 edition of VWTrends' Charity Cruise couldn't be more pleased. We gave them the opportunity to visit several renowned Volkswagen-related companies, including SCAT Enterprises and their production facility, West Coast Metric's private VW museum, as well as Kymco's popular shop filled with innovative merchandise.
Even though all cruisers we spoke with praised the 65-mile-long party, we decided to change its format for 2003, our main goal being to shorten the driving distances. We therefore concentrated on finding two ideal locations to fire up and finish the affair, in addition to establishing a memorable excursion through the streets of SoCal. After some intense brainstorming, we elected to start the cruise at Oakley, a company known worldwide for its sunglasses. That's right, we did not choose a business specializing in Volkswagen products; but then again Oakley offers something rather unique: a fantastic structure which welcomes their headquarters along with their retail store. What sets this building apart from the rest has to be its futuristic design. Enter the main hall and you will suddenly feel as if you were on a science fiction movie set--we especially liked the four ejector seats from retired jet planes and used as "lounge chairs!" There is also the body of a very cool Funny Car dragster from Scotty Canon hanging on one of the walls.
To end our driving event, we secured the notorious Newport Dunes, a beautiful beach area surrounded with palm trees, found in Newport Beach. It offered enough space to accommodate our crowd, plus the various games and vendor booths. The drive from Oakley to the Newport Dunes would consequently involve cruising up one of the most scenic stretches of the famous Pacific Coast Highway. Sounds like a good plan, doesn't it?
While the caravan was supposed to leave late in the morning, the first Volkswagen owners drove in at 8am. VWTrends' registration booth soon buzzed with activity. Against the sum of $20 (unless they brought and donated three non-perishable cans of food as they registered), participants were treated with a bag containing a variety of goodies: t-shirt, Mothers car care products, meal and drink tickets from Wahoo's Fish Taco, raffle ticket, stickers, et al. We recognized quite a few vehicles that had joined the fun in 2002, but we also discovered some freshly completed Vee Dubs--our pages for a feature on these cars in the future.
Oakley's parking lot became packed to capacity, and by 11am the cruise led by the yellow Commonwealth VW New Beetle Turbo was finally ready to hit the road. After leaving Foothill Ranch, located in south east Orange County, cars headed for the ocean, more specifically toward the city of Dana Point. From there, they caught Pacific Coast Highway for another 15-mile drive, and passed through various communities known for their surfing activity: Monarch Bay, Laguna Beach, Crystal Cove, followed by Corona Del Mar. Volkswagens then reached Newport Beach, where traffic proved somewhat chaotic due to unpredicted road constructions! Partakers didn't complain however... to the contrary, the long line up of VWs certainly impressed bystanders who didn't expect this invasion of German tin.
The Newport Dunes then welcomed the happy herd, which parked in a large designated area. Around it, various vendors had set their tents so as to display the goodies they brought along--check out the Vendors box for further details. Kids and grownups could entertain themselves with different games and activities including a climbing wall, while a group named Na 'Ohana O Mele (the family of music) demonstrated what Polynesian dances are all about. Solo guitarist Mike Eager played a few tunes before the raffle began. The latter was once again the hit of the day, thanks to the long list of products donated by our sponsors (as seen on page 65 in this article). From skateboards and NHL tickets, to exhaust systems and stays at the Hyatt Newporter, there was something for everyone.
With 145 VWs accounted for at the Newport Dunes, a slightly higher tally than the 2002 event, the VWTrends Charity Cruise keeps on getting bigger and better. Speaking of charity, we should mention that the profit from our 2003 shindig went to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County (Society of St. Vincent de Paul--check www.feedoc.org). What's on the agenda for this year's happening? If everything works as expected, we would once again like to end our cruise at the Newport Dunes. We also plan on organizing a sizable Car Show there, in order to cater to the whole spectrum of our Volkswagen hobby. See you sometime in October!
SPECIAL THANKS to our Presenting Sponsors, Commonwealth VW & Audi (www.commonwealthvw.com) and The Real Source (www.800luvbugg.com). We should also thank the Newport Dunes (www.newportdunes.com) for their warm welcome, as well as Wahoo's Fish Taco (www.wahoos.com) and Archie's Ice Cream (www.archiesicecream.com) for bringing food and munchies. Finally, the event wouldn't have been a success without help from a few more sponsors: Blimp, West Coast Metric, Absolute Exhibits, Dangerous Grafix, and Oakley, naturally (www.oakley.com).
VENDORS
Quite a few vendors made the stretch to the Newport Dunes, including: Commonwealth VW & Audi and their impressive fleet of vehicles, Sara's Toys and More (www.sarastoys.com), Quality German and their engines (www.qualitygermanautoparts.com), Musty Putters and their golf putters (www.mustyputters.com), Dangerous Grafix (www.dangerousgrafix.com), Element Skateboards (www.elementskateboards.com), Della Motorsports (www.minimotoxxx.com), the team of the LA Avengers (www.laavengers.com), Mattel Toy Store (www.MattelToyStore.com), Robert August Surfboards (www.robertaugust.com), and LA Partyworks (www.lapartyworks.com). Last but not least, Hansens Energy Drinks (www.hansens.com) and Red Bull (www.redbull.com) supplied free drinks to everybody!
RAFFLE
Locals who could not attend the Cruise missed a great selection of raffle prizes.
Here is the list:
Element skateboards (3)
Oakley backpacks (3)
Oakley Messenger bags (2)
Blackball skateboard (1)
Hyatt Newporter - 2 nights (2)
Staples Center tickets from VWTrends (12)
LegoLand tickets (4)
Sea World tickets (4)
San Diego Zoo tickets (2)
Portable Sony Playstation One (1)
BUGPACK Ceramic coated exhaust (1)
EMPI roof rack (1)
West Coast Metric gift certificates (5)
... as well as various goodies from The Real Source, Blimp, and Rocky Mountain Motorworks