Sick of the way the show scene was headed in SoCal, the members of Relaxed Atmosphere decided to take things into their own hands. These shows were often mismanaged and very costly, not just for the participants but spectators as well. When Relaxing in SoCal was first held, the goal was to make it inexpensive enough to draw the largest crowd.
For many years, the event was held in the streets in front of Alpine Electronics' headquarters in Torrance, California. But as the years progressed, the show became increasingly successful and the crowds grew. It was both a blessing and a beating. The show area was becoming overcrowded, and last year, the staff had to turn vehicles away. The club members knew that if they wanted to ensure everyone continued to have a good time, they needed to look for a new venue.
They wanted to keep the show in the same area, and while scoping out the region the Stub Hub Center came up on their radar. Though the parking lot area seemed like a better spot, the land came at a higher cost. Unfortunately, this meant that vehicle registration went up $5 to $25. To help with roll-in, participants paid up front and went to register after parking, which made for a dramatically streamlined roll-in that took only a few minutes.
Brian Hill also pitched in and DJ'd the event. His Chevy C/K got the RA Club Pick.
Another change that came with the move was a $5 charge for spectator parking, although the show was still free to attend, and parking was considerably closer to the main event than it had been in previous years. Trailer parking was a lot easier, too. In the past, rig parking was done in the tight confines of a few nearby business lots, thanks to the new location all that has changed for the better.
With bigger show grounds there was plenty of room for more vehicles, and the numbers bore this out, as there were more than 500 vehicles registered and several others in vendor spots as well. To lure these vehicles in, there was a host of Best Of awards and plaques for the Top 75 in attendance.
The show was held May 1, and for the most part, it went off without a hitch. With Relaxing in SoCal 2016 a continued success, the club will be able to make another large donation to the local Ronald McDonald House charity.
The Vintage City Rockers, which features Dramarama's drummer as the front man, played throughout the day.
Surprisingly enough, the venue that hosts many large events received quite a few calls complaining about noise. The club is currently unsure what impact this will have on next year's event, although they would like to continue to host at the Stub Hub Center. To keep up to date with the latest on next year's event, visit the Relaxing in SoCal Facebook page.
This year's sponsors included: A Touch of Class, Aftermath, AirLift, Air Zenith, American Hay Day, Belltech, Black Widow Exhaust, Bomb Tonic, Borrachos Clothing, Brothers Trucks, Cambra Speed Shop, Cooks Tire and Tune, C-10 Era, DannyD, Empire Fab, Extreme AutoFest, F Word, Four Wheel Parts, Forgiato, IT Works, KROQ, Kustoms INC, Lexani, Lowrider Depot, Malex, MR19, Pink Hussie, PowerBass, Professional Products, RBP, Rent-a-Wheel, Sadistic Ironworks, Slam Specialties, Slamd Mag, Solid As Rocks, Starlite, Suavecito, T Mobile, Tire Stickers, Toyo Tires, Tre 5 Customs, UD Air, Viair, Xtreme Detail Products and 951 Customs.
Bubba from Forbidden Fantasy went away with the Best Minitruck award.
Pro Skater Christian Hosoi (middle right) with his pops, skater Lonny Hiramoto (left) and Carl from Lexani wheels.
Borrachos Clothing gave away its hand-made Choice award to the owner of this "Star Wars"-themed S-10 from No Regrets.
Editor's Note: A version of this article first appeared in the August 2016 print issue of Street Trucks Magazine.
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