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Out of all the pieces I write throughout the year, this is the one that I look forward to the most. H2oi Week is the highlight of every east coast car enthusiasts year, and for a select few even the west coast this year, and this is my chance to look back at it all as I write these words for you to read. It amazes me how much this event has evolved over the past few years. I’ve been attending for five years now and after each year I’ve come to realize that there are more and more outcasts in attendance as well. I fist made the journey down to OCMD when I was 18 with my first car, a mark three 2.0L Jetta, five years ago, and the island was packed with mostly Volkswagens with very few JDM cars thrown in the mix.

I remember outcast meets being thrown where only half the parking lot was full but then if we fast forward to last year and this year, we couldn’t have a parking lot big enough. Honestly I think this is exactly what the car scene needs. All these shows and events are so segregated, Honda Day, Waterfest, Evo vs STI Day, that it only gives us a reason to not like another brand or be bias against it. H2oi is like the peace and coming together of all makes and models, all styles and all kinds of people into one little island where we can all appreciate exactly why we got into the game in the first place. Whether you like, slammed and fitted cars, shaved bays, huge motor builds, ratchet builds, there’s something for everyone to appreciate. Now, I’m not saying to eliminate those band specific events, because we still need those. You can only compete within your brand; a supra is nowhere near equivalent to a GTi, but it’s also nice to have something once a year like H2oi, where we can all just get along and have a good time.

 

It’s not all about the cars though. Along with the amount of cars and the types of cars that are making their journeys from all over the country, the community is growing as well. People started staying for the full week in Ocean city rather than only the tail end of the week to enjoy the show. It’s become a huge party week along with the mixture of cruising up and down Costal Highway and trying to fit in every G2G, small and big, that you see while driving.

I ran into people that I haven’t seen since last H2oi, people that I only see once in a while and of course the handful of new friends that were made as well. The OG Volkswagen guys will complain that this is only a Volkswagen show and that no one else should be allowed. Well technically the show on Sunday is still just a Volkswagen show and only Volkswagens and Audi’s are permitted to enter the show grounds, but the week itself is open to anyone and everyone. Think about it; all the stop light challenges that take place whenever there’s a group of people standing around a red light, wouldn’t be as fun. I fell victim to one while making a U-turn on 41st and Costal when someone with a megaphone spotted my 350Z from the balcony and called me out to do something “fun.” Obviously I couldn’t disappoint the crowd watching me from both sides of the street so I decided to kick it sideways across two lanes and bounce off the limiter as I made the turn and do my best to please the crowd. Without the JDM cars and the American muscle, you’re not going to see that from a GTi. It’s all fun and games when it comes down to it.

The OCMDPD do harass people with tickets and regulations that might be a little frivolous, but for the most part they’re just doing their job. It’s an island full of young kids and cars and parties; it’s a recipe for disaster if not watched carefully. So thank God for the Police doing what they do to keep the city in line and doing their best to avoid another Supra stair climb like a few years back. Overall, I couldn’t be more pleased with this year’s turn out. It was the first time in about seven years that the threat of rain was nowhere in sight and the quality of cars just blew me out of the water. I saw everything from a TT VR6 to wheels worth more than what I have to my name. Ratchet builds with big wings and rusted body parts and fitment games that were more than on point where all over the place as well. There was one b6A4 bagged on gold plated VIP modular wheels all the way from California that took attendance also that blew people out of the water, along with some other VW’s and Audi’s from the east coast that were big head turners. The variety that chooses to come to Ocean City is what has made this show possibly the best one on the east coast all year long. Like I said before, it’s not only about the cars but how the community has grown powerful enough to make this show happen year after year even though the town wants to kick us out year after year. They know that we’ll keep coming back because it is the one thing that we look forward to every year. For a town to raise the police force, and have every hotel room and condo throughout the island occupied for one weekend, goes to show you how powerful the scene is and how far we’ve come as a community.

Words by Evan Kaston  |  Photography by Kenny Bascon

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