Eibach 2007

It's 4:30 a.m., Sunday, May 20th. My alarm clock bellows out the most annoying buzz you could possibly imagine, and I slap it into submission without a second thought. I grab my camera bag, my cooler, and I'm out the door to fire up my beloved hatchback. By 6 a.m., I've gone through over 20 inbound phone calls, answering questions about the day's event, vendor info, and roll-in times, but I expect that to triple by day's end. My partners for the event, mastermind Ryan "VtecVoodoo" Hoegner and East Coast muscle "Stunna Ben" Howard are taking care of the vendor setup and roll-in lists, as I help the DJs get their stations set up at each end of the facility. Seven-thirty hits before we know it, and we begin rolling in the seemingly endless line of Hondas as quickly as possible.

Our plan is working very well. So well in fact, two motorcycle officers stop by on their police-issued Honda bikes, and give us a handshake, stating how impressed they are with our group's organization. (Yeah, I couldn't believe it either). As the hours click by, the vibe remains relaxed, many enthusiasts meeting each other for the first time face to face, and the hating and attitude so common on the message boards has all but vanished (even if just for a few hours). From one end to the other, visitors from San Diego to Arizona, Seattle to Wisconsin flooded the parking lot along with 1,500-2,000 other participants. Many might have confused the event for a K-swap and right-hand drive convention, as the sheer number of both amazed nearly everyone. Known as the trendsetting event for the Honda community, wild wheel colors were toned down this year, with many going back to the classic white, silver, and gunmetal hues. Others concentrated on getting the widest wheel they possibly could under their fenders, running offsets that, just a few years ago, would have been deemed impossible on a Honda.

With free pizza, a huge raffle, Eibach facility tours, non-stop music provided by the DJs, and enough Hondas to fill a few football stadiums, Eibach '07 once again set the standard for all Honda events.