The 16th Annual Beachcruiser Meet Brings Out More than the Woodies

The Huntington Beachcruiser Meet is famous for its setting and of course the Woodies. Combined, it makes for a terrific car show. For the 16th annual gathering, the weather at Surf City was a little brisk, but by 11 o’clock the sun was out and temperatures were in the 70s.

Saturday started with participants arriving at the sold-out event as early as 4:00 am! By 5:30 Main St. was full of 80-plus “Beachcruisers”.

The Pier Plaza area was where most of the Woodies parked and the adjacent parking lot contained another 120 or so cruisers. On Sunday the Pier was filled with Woodies, as expected, and they were as natural to the landscape as girls in bikinis and surfboards.

The original idea for a Beachcruiser Meet came after the 20th annual Wavecrest Woodie Show in 2000. Many fine ‘50s, ‘0s, and ‘70s era “beach” vehicles were seen parked on the side streets adjacent to the show. The “Woodies only” event excluded them from participation. Therefore the theme was set for an all-inclusive show that welcomed all types of “beach cruising” vehicles. And Surf City has embraced the idea for 16 straight years.

The pier and downtown area were packed with spectators and the stores and restaurants were filled with people enjoying the eclectic collection of cars on display. Great surf music was provided all weekend by Brett Harrell and his High Energy sound machine. This weekend honored the Golden Age of surfing when we hauled our boards, our buddies and our babes to Surf City. For future show information contact Socalwoodies.com.

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Editor’s Note: A version of this article first appeared in the August 2016 print issue of the Drive Magazine.