I may have only lived in this country for four years, but I've been coming here on hot rod-related vacations for over 20 years, and can remember going to Back to the Beach when it was a West Coast Kustoms event in Huntington Beach, California. Owned for the past few years by Trophy Queen Productions (yep, the kustom kulture handbag, clothing, and accessory people), and moved to Trophy Queen owner Jenny Tanner's hometown of Ventura, a little farther north on SoCal's coastline, the show attracts enough showgoers and vendors to be held at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.
With a strict entry policy of '69-and-earlier American cars and trucks, or '69-and-earlier American or British motorcycles, the old-school hot rod show ethos is maintained, and taking place the weekend following the West Coast Kustoms' Santa Maria event meant out-of-staters could bookend a 10-day vacation with two cool car shows. Whether the overcast weather or even the economy put a few spectators off, as the crowds seemed a little sparse, plenty of car owners turned out and had a ball, with live bands playing on the outdoor stage throughout the day, and a silent auction in aid of the Alzheimer's Association.
With prize giving wrapping up the show, we joined a bunch of hot rodders who moved on to Kiwi Kev's backyard for a barbecue and BS session, before hitting the town and even stumbling across a burlesque show at one bar before making our way back to our hotel, followed by a leisurely Sunday morning cruise home down Pacific Coast Highway in preference to taking the freeway.