Back in July of 2003, Jeff Zander of KRZ Customs and Kach of Kach Studios put together the 1st Annual River Run, which was held at the Riverland Resort on the shores of the King's River. The event was expected to bring in a few hundred vehicles from the central California area, as well as some friends from the northern and southern regions, but needless to say, they got more than they ever bargained for.
By 7 a.m., the roll-in line was backed all the way out Riverland Resort, through the access road, down the freeway onramp, and onto the freeway. It was nuts, but fortunately for Jeff, he had the great club Dangerous Toys helping him out. Together, they rolled in nearly 600 vehicles, only about 100 of which had pre-registered for the event, and packed the showgrounds.
While the morning turned to a warm afternoon, swarms of people began entering the show to check out the goods. Everything was on hand, from minis to semi trucks and '30s to '03s. Just about every class was represented, including Under Construction, which was lead by Chad Lucas' crazy Pathfinder (Nov. '03 issue cover truck).
As the crowds walked through the show, it was hard to gauge the number of heads bobbing through the rows. That all changed, however, when the bikini contest was announced. As the hot bikini babes hit the stage, a sea of raging testosterone surrounded the platform. Loving every minute of it, the girls danced, jiggled, and exposed their tender loving hearts to the cheers of more than 5,000 fans.
After the skin show came to a close, everyone made their way from the center stage to the 559 Customs hopping competition. Several trucks rose through the ranks of 'bagged hoppers and a few were even kind enough to blast the crowd with a blown 'bag or two. You really can't ask for more from a veteran show, let alone a first-time event. According to the Riverland Resort, this was the biggest crowd that had ever filled its gates. Its on-site bar ran out of beer, the general store was completely wiped out, and the surrounding gas stations ran out of frosty beverages. If that's not success, we don't know what is.
To register for the second installment, or just to place bets on how many hours Jeff can run around like a chicken with its head cut off, call (559) 266-9116 or visit www.krzcustoms.com.