{"id":256,"date":"2018-12-31T13:15:49","date_gmt":"2018-12-31T14:15:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.1001starsites.com\/?p=256"},"modified":"2023-12-15T08:34:45","modified_gmt":"2023-12-15T08:34:45","slug":"not-dead-yet-2018-in-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.1001starsites.com\/index.php\/2018\/12\/31\/not-dead-yet-2018-in-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Not Dead Yet: 2018 In Review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Here we are at the end of another year, and I\u2019m sat in front of the computer the night before New Year\u2019s Eve wracking my brain in a somewhat vain attempt to recall exactly what happened in the last 365 days.<\/p>\n

2018 has been one of the busiest years of my life; both automotive media related and non. My wife opened a photography studio<\/a>, my son is a fully functioning small human with ideas, interests and ambitions of his own, and I started a new day job.<\/p>\n

If that wasn\u2019t enough, I picked up BMX Racing again completing my first provincial series since \u201998. To pile on, because at this point why not, I did over 50 freelance pieces for a variety of print and online publications.<\/p>\n

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The Canadian International Autoshow<\/a>\u00a0kicked off the year. CIAS is an event that always manages to sneak up on me despite being the same time every year.<\/p>\n

One minute I\u2019m think it\u2019s been awhile since I\u2019ve touched my camera, the next I\u2019m surrounded by my friends at the Metro Toronto Convention Center enjoying complimentary beverages and the latest offerings from the large oems.<\/p>\n

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Following that freelance work took me out to Detroit for Autorama.<\/p>\n

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I was really only able to post a few cars outside of the\u00a0\u00a0Pirelli Tires Great 8<\/a> here, but, I did a robust series of posts over on Rod Authority<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Two weeks later Autorama was swiftly followed up by Ontario\u2019s\u00a0Motorama<\/a> and it\u2019s import counterpart Spring Fever<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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I really enjoy Motorama\u2019s methodical approach to growing this multifaceted event.\u00a0Each year they make slow, incremental changes: none of which boil the ocean but each make the event better overall.<\/p>\n

For 2019 they\u2019re adding a room specifically for traditional hot rods that I\u2019m keen to check out.<\/p>\n

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There was then only a small break between Motorama and Import Expo, then an even smaller break between Import Expo<\/a> and Driven<\/a>\u00a0both of which were swiftly followed by\u00a0Fitted<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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After that two month onslaught, I took a break from shooting and writing about the local Import community to instead focus on hot rods with my friend Kenny Kroeker<\/a>.<\/p>\n

He and I actually cranked out two separate articles on our mutual friend Keith MacIntyre and his shop Binbrook Speed and Custom<\/a>. One for Canadian Hot Rods Magazine (which dropped mid summer) and the second for Autostrada Forum which just hit shelves recently.<\/p>\n

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After a half second to get my life together, it was time to start chronicling Ontario\u2019s newest Drift series, Drift Jam<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Head up by personal friends Devo and Jover I put my best effort into getting as many photos as possible in this series\u2019 inaugural year.<\/p>\n

I try to support my friends as much, or more, than I\u2019d like them to support me so I was happy to give this series plenty of love.<\/p>\n

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The close proximity of two of the events, and the constant mid school hip hop sound track, certainly helped this event earn a spot in my aggressive summer schedule.<\/p>\n

When time didn\u2019t allow for me to personally attend, I called on local photographers to lend a hand.<\/p>\n

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Nik Dimitriou helped me out with 2018s third round<\/a> and the fourth I handed photography duties over to my son Ash<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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His solid efforts made posting my own photos from the event really quite unnecessary.<\/p>\n

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I managed to allocate a few Sunday morning hours to Engineered Automotive<\/a>\u2018s Cars and Coffee events. These gatherings remain a constant source of entertainment and inspiration.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve said it before<\/a>, and I\u2019ll damn well say it again, Ontario has a plethora of amazing cars and owners that need their stories told.<\/p>\n

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Hopefully I can tell good chunk of them before I hang up my hat.<\/p>\n

<\/a>London\u2019s East London Timing Association rolled out the red carpet for all of Ontario with their first Summer Bash\/Big Go Drags held outside of their long-standing London Based Club house.<\/p>\n

The move is something that might take people a few years to get over, but a necessary one given the size, scope, and reputation of the ever-growing event.<\/p>\n

<\/a>I had a great time at the Summer Bash and look forward to attending the (now) track side event for several years to come.<\/p>\n

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2018 also marked a venue change for The Jalopy Jam Up<\/a> Ontario\u2019s first traditional hot rod event. I\u2019m certainly not going to complain about this event moving closer to the city.<\/p>\n

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Gray County\u2019s Ghost Town was cool but it was a haul\u00a0<\/em>and near absolutely nothing.<\/p>\n

The new venue will allow the event to grow and hopefully bring out a few more of the great traditional hot rods from Ontario and beyond.<\/p>\n

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Making it to the last CSCS\u00a0 only came together a few days before the event. We\u2019re a long way from the days when I could cover every round<\/a>, but that doesn\u2019t mean I don\u2019t have love for the series.<\/p>\n

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Hopefully in 2018 I can switch things up and head to the event opener.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s closer to my house and it\u2019s been years since I\u2019ve found myself trackside at Canadian Tire Motorsports park.<\/p>\n

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SEMA<\/a> then followed, a show that I attended for Speedhunters<\/a>. It was great to return to the fabulous Las Vegas after a four-year hiatus.<\/p>\n

Shooting the show for an external publication really helped my focus throughout the massive event.<\/p>\n

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Rather than bounce around the halls overwhelmed I walked with intent and got a lot done.<\/p>\n

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Though it didn\u2019t feel like it while I was in it,\u00a0Project Why Wait<\/a> actually saw its most eventful year, with five updates in 2017.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s nearly bi-monthly and the most out of any year since the project\u2019s original kick off.<\/p>\n

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I\u2019ve been steadily working on it since the last update, and there will be a new post within the first two weeks of January.<\/p>\n

The year wasn\u2019t all triumphs however. 2018 marks the first year there\u2019s been no official vehicle feature on the site since its inception.<\/p>\n

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On the one hand I\u2019m a little disappointed that I wasn\u2019t able to nail down an exclusive feature. But on the other I did my best to make that up with a few mini spotlights but it\u2019s my goal to get at least one exclusive features roped up for next year.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Based on my current backlog of personal and professional projects it\u2019s safe to say slowing down for 2019 isn\u2019t an option.<\/p>\n

Opportunity doesn\u2019t knock twice, Carpe diem, whatever quip you want to use I\u2019m going to keep the shutter clicking and keys clacking into the next year.<\/p>\n

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Photo: Clipping Point Media<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Peace out 2018. Hope to catch y\u2019all in 2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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