An Open Letter To Car Show Trophy Hunters
By DaveT -
May 26, 2016
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Dear Trophy Hunter,

We know the show season has just begun and you are noticeably excited, but before you explode with jubilation we’d like to stop you for a second and address an incident from last year.

Do you remember? It happened at the show where you spent most of the day glued to your folding chair positioned beside your car. You grew agitated with each passing moment you were not judged, and when it was your time you made damn sure the judges were well aware of the fifth TV screen your car had, versus your competitors one.

Yes, we’re talking about that show.

The same show where upon not winning the trophy you had already awarded yourself mentally, you tried to keep your composure but the expression on your face and words muttered under breath betrayed you.

As you stomped off like a child we watched, and later when you went on a social media slandering the event, its competitors, and the ‘scene’ in general we watched that too.

awardsLetting loose an onslaught of complaints and personal attacks, alongside boisterous self promotion justifying why you deserve an award, makes you look incredibly immature, especially when you do it after every event.

Do you really think show organizers want to read complaints you made while they were still at the venue cleaning up? Do you think those who accepted their awards humbly want to read about how little you think of their cars?

Yeah, we’ve got to tell you, as a friend all of that behavior is getting pretty tiresome.

niagara_truck_and_tuner_expo_2013_trophi esSure, we all love appreciation for the cars we call our own, but the rest of us have realized that building a car for ourselves is a much more valuable endeavor and that appreciation comes in ways not limited to plastic cups.

All the time you spend obsessing over something to put on a shelf in your garage, or worse cart from show to show as some sort of mobile shrine to yourself, has blinded you to the true joys of being an enthusiast.

Did you happen to notice the small child that spent an extra long time looking at your car? Chances are they will remember your vehicle for years to come and it just might have set them down the path of becoming an enthusiast one day. You’d pick up on these kind of subtleties if you saw the forest beyond the trees, or that is the community beyond the awards. Building a car, truck or bike, should never be just about a trophy because honestly there are much cheaper past times to partake in if you just want to line your mantel or work bench with trinkets.

Witnessing your adult temper tantrums is exhausting, and your empty threats to retire and leave the scene fall on deaf ears because, thanks to your increasingly poor attitude, we wish you would.

But as much as events could do without you we want to let you know it isn’t too late to change. Instead of fixating on the prize at the end, focus on the journey, the experiences, and friends that come with building a car and being a real enthusiast. When you’re at the next event on your calendar take a look around at what everyone else is doing; swapping stories, laughing, catching up and genuinely enjoying themselves. Is missing all that really worth a trophy?

After all these years of chasing awards we know it might be hard to change your mind about the true purpose of events (TLDR: it’s about the people not the awards) but if you could at least try to see them differently this year that would be great.

Thanks,

Concerned Enthusiasts Everywhere

 

one of the biggest reason's i stopped showing my car was people like in this letter...

 

Seen people like that many times over the years. Sadly, they do miss out on a lot of fun at the car shows.

 

They should enjoy the show, network with other car Enthusiasts, and enjoy all the beautiful cars.

If you win something fine, if not, still fine

 

I pay the entrance fee so I get a good place to park. I do not set up a seat, I just walk around and look at all the cars. I don't know if my car was ever judged. I own the car because I love driving it.
"Life is short, eat dessert first"

 

My car has won many trophies, all of which I donated to a poor Cub Scout Pack who could only afford certificates and they really appreciated my gift. I've seen trophies given because the winner is always at all of the promoters shows. I've seen brand new Vettes get a trophy for clean & shine. I've never come across anyone like the jerk mentioned, everyone is there to socialize and check out the other rides.