Waves crashing, faint Bob Marley tracks in the background, and a few hoopers is the occasional ambiance at 6 a.m. in Venice Beach. But on Saturday, August 27th, what stood out were a few hundred customs, lowriders, and classic cars parked past the handball courts.
With places like Venice's 'Freakshow' gone and restaurant dives like "Big Daddy's Pizza" changing everything but its name, getting a glimpse of true L.A. culture beyond the millions of tourists who flock to the boardwalk every year is becoming harder to experience. This makes an inaugural lowrider meetup like the one that happened last weekend all the more important to document.
Brought to us by "Dogtown Devils" Car Club, the Venice-based car club made history by making it the very first official car show on the boardwalk. There was breakdancing, candy paint, and bacon-wrapped hotdogs, but more importantly, a glimpse of an old-school Venice that many of us thought did not exist anymore. There were seven trophies awarded: Best Classic, Best Kustom, Best Lowrider, Best Truck, Best Muscle Car, Best Paint, and Best Chop.
All photos by Gilberto Godoy Jr.Â
