Bay Rodders Winter Blast/Swap Meet
Annual Event 2011

Winter Blast 2011

Thunder, lightening, pounding rain, huge hail stones that left a blanket of snow, that’s how Bay Rodders started their annual Winter Blast event in Tauranga, Friday 24^th June, we don’t call it WINTER BLAST for nothing. 

Friday night at the Hotel Armitage, was a chance for Bay Rodders to meet and greet many of the 200 guests attending Winter Blast, from Rotorua, Taupo, Gisborne, New Plymouth, Auckland, and beyond.  This year we had many Winter Blast virgins; first timers who had never attended before such as Gloria from Papakura, who says she will "definitely be back next year".  Registration went without a hitch thanks to the wonderful work done by all Bay Rodder members and our President Deano and his wife Claire.

On Saturday morning the weather did a complete turn around and we had brilliant sunshine. Just over 100 cars were welcomed by the Bay Rodders President; Deano, and then given their Mystery run instructions by Dennis sporting a long brunette mullet.  Last year’s Winter Blast attendees will remember him as the long blonde Denise.  The Mystery run required cars to drive an unknown run, answer questions, collect crap, and perform activities (I have included it below – with answers correct and FUNNY you have to read them!!). After wishing all runners the best and reassuring them that if they got stuck to simply ring 0800 WHO CARES they were all sent on their merry way.

A big thank you to Bethlehem Shell Station, soon to be Z, who very kindly gave all our runners a free drink when they said “Z is for New Zealand”, thank you for also providing gifts for the Saturday night prize giving.

He thought he'd get extra points if he did a dead ant impression on the shell floor??

The PAPER BOY/GIRL ACTIVITY required one person to hurl one rolled newspaper at a time (they were given two) over their car, to the other person who had to catch it in a big red bucket. All I can say is I saw some awesome acrobatics by those trying to catch, I didn’t know petrol heads could move that quick!

Interesting approach ...scared of his partner's throwing abilities??

The CAMS BLINDMAN ACTIVITY was hilarious, where the driver was given goggles so they could not see, and the passenger had to guide them through a course of traffic cones.  I am happy to confirm very few cones were injured in the making of this activity.   There were some priceless moments like a young son navigating his father through the cones without a hitch, and the complete look of pride on his dads face.  There were other rather tense moments between couples, as the navigator discovered yelling left, left, right, right, or just pointing and yelling over there, over there, doesn’t really help a blind driver.  Then there was a scary moment, when one unnamed driver said “it’s just like driving home from the pub on a Friday night” – yikes! 

Actually I think those goggles suit you Garth?

The final THRUST TO WIN activity required a person to tie piece of string around their waist with a rather large mallet on the end, and swing the mallet between their legs and hit three tennis balls into the scoring rings.  As you can imagine this resulted in a lot of heckling from the crowd, comments I simply can’t repeat about thrusting techniques, most adults turned to their younger and more agile children, who did really well, the trick with thrusting is to bend their knees.

Thanks for yummy lunch!!

Saturday night was a dinner and dance, a big thank you to the Armitage for the great service and awesome meal!  The theme was Rock-a-Billy; I’ve never seen so many wigs and fake tattoos.  Everyone was dressed up and ready to have a good time, you could spot the young parents who had managed to find homes for their kids for the night; they were out to party big time.  There were the usual antics, with Deb proving how far she could throw a napkin, and a new Bay Rodders past time started called pancake planking.

Bay Rodders Vultures

Chris is that a handbag?? There's a fine! - Trouble Comes in Fours Now ...

After dinner was the prize giving the three winners of the Winter Blast mystery run were, Rob and Lou “Mouses” Car, Oinka Car and thirdly Girlz Rule Car.

Bay Rodders selected the Top Five cars they would most like in their shed, winners were…

• Bruce and Raelene Carter 1933 Ford Tudor

• Shane and Dawn Dumbell 1932 Ford Roadster

• Tom and Christine Jones 1931 Model A Pickup

• Phillip Mules 1948 Buick Sedan

• Ted and Gloria Williams 1956 Chrysler Windsor

The best represented club was Sulphur City, Rotorua.  Other prizes included; longest distance - Bic and Brenda Morgan Whangarei, hard luck prize - Doug and Gillian Hooper Waverley, boobie prizes - Karla for locking her keys in the car, and Revhead and Kim Poynton for stalling their cars leaving on the mystery run, to which Kim added “it happened more than once”, should have stopped while you were ahead honey.

The traditional PK Challenge then followed with seven aside drinking black Russians; of course Bay Rodders won again and continue to hold the trophy until the next challenge.

The Al Dawson WildKatz band was awesome as usual; they were such a hit at the Bay Rodders Nostalgia Drags in April 2011 that we had to have them back for our Winter Blast.  The dance floor was full all night and we were treated to Cam’s special dance moves which can only be described as a combination of spank the pony and an ever-ready battery.  By the way at this stage Nostalgia Drags will be the first week of April (Easter) in 2012 so mark it in your diaries!

During the evening a Rock-a-Billy banner created by Kim McNaughton was put up for auction, with all proceeds going to Kim’s charity of choice the SPCA.  The bidding was fierce and exhilarating with the two spotter girls Rochelle and Claire trying to keep control on bidding hands flying up, the winning bid being $850!!! Piece of advice Kim stop sewing cushions and stick to the banners.

Sunday morning everyone was up with the sparrows and off to the Spring Street Car Park building for the Swap Meet.  Some should have taken longer in the shower because some of those Rock-a-Billy tattoos looked like really bad hickies the next morning!    The Swap Meet started with a wee hiccup, as a certain drunk decided he didn’t need sleep and that he needed to get into the Swap Meet, but he didn’t manage to get past some of our larger male Bay Rodders members and so he was treated to a free ride in the back of a police car.

The day went without a hitch and was a huge success, as the four storey car park building was full by mid-morning with a huge number of new, muscle, vintage, classic, street,race and hot rod cars and motor cycles on display, swap stalls were busy trading and some rather weary Bay Rodder members managing BBQ orders, and trying to get their heads around with or without onions, with or without sauce.

On the day I was approached by Rick Brenchley the secretary for the Gisborne American Car Club who later emailed these photo's of four of their members planking on top of the Armitage - four stories up, I think they win showing us up Bay Rodders!! Rick wrote it was a "great rod run we will be back and have booked accommodation for next year, we have just got back to Gisborne and we are knackered" - excellent.

Sunday drawn prizes went to many lucky attendees but the happiest prize winner was Leanne Milne who finally won the free tattoo voucher she wanted.  The biggest prize was a Mig welder and all its accessories provided by the Tool Shed.  The draw winner was Dallas Wood of Street Machines and Customs owners of a 1966 Dodge Dart GT.

The whole weekend was a complete success in every way, with so many familiar faces returning and so many new faces, and such good feedback from all.  Many people approached Den and myself asking how to join Bay Rodders, so we may see more of these faces as new members.  Thank you to all our sponsors, we hope you will support us again next year, and to every one else see you all next year!!

BAY RODDERS WINTER BLAST MYSTERY CRUISE

 Turn left out of car park and then left onto Cameron Road

-          Straight through the lights

-          Straight through the roundabout

-          Carry on straight through the lights at MacDonalds
 And again at the next set of lights

-          Turn right at the next lights (15^th Ave)

-          Follow your nose down the Expressway

-          At the next roundabout go straight through

-          Turn into the Shell forecourt, park up and one person to go inside and tell a staff member that “Z is for New Zealand” and you will then receive your free gift

-          Carry on back on the Highway North

-          Turn right onto Te Puna Station Road and turn right again to take you under the bridge

PAPER BOY/GIRL ACTIVITY

-          Turn left out of the Activity and don’t turn off
 On your way to the next activity answer these 2 questions

-          Follow your nose along Crawford Road
 Follow your nose onto PoriPori Road to the next activity

GET YOUR BALLS OUT OF THE BOX ACTIVITY

-          Turn left onto State Highway 29

-         Follow your nose to the next roundabout and go straight through
Second left at the roundabout then first right into Maleme Stre
 Turn right at number 100

CAMS BLINDMAN ACTIVITY

-          Right back onto Maleme Street

-          Turn right onto Oropi Road
First left at the roundabout

-          Straight through the next roundabout

-          And again go straight though the next two roundabouts onto Maungatapu Road

-          Follow your nose to the end of the road onto the Expressway

-          Keep left through the next two roundabouts
 Go straight through the next roundabout

-          Stay in the left lane and go straight at the next roundabout

-          Straight through the lights

-         Straight through roundabout
Left at roundabout

-          Right at next roundabout 

-          Straight through roundabout times 2

-         Straight through the next 2 roundabouts
Right at the lights and first left after the railway crossing

-          Right at the roundabout taking the third exit

-          Left at lights and first left and first left again

THRUST TO WIN FINAL ACTIVITY

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