Having previously collected awards for Best Camaro, Best Muscle Car and Best Convertible, Morey Rozen of Victoria said he has enjoyed a pretty successful run in his six years attending the Seaside Cruizers’ annual Father’s Day Show ’n Shine in Qualicum Beach.
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He admits he may have been rewarded a little too richly after collecting both the Best Under the Hood and Best in Show trophies in the Cruizers’ lastest installment Sunday, June 18.
“I’d always wanted Best Under the Hood,” Rozen said after posing for photos with his 1967 Camaro and his newly won hardware. “But Best in Show too? I don’t think there’s anything left for me to get.”
Rozen was one of a number of trophy-winners selected by the club’s judges, including Lantzville’s Doug Blakey, whose 1933 Ford coupe won best street rod. Two local classic car enthusiasts claimed prizes voted on by others.
Kevin Varey, president of the Seaside Cruizers, won the Best in Club trophy, in which visiting show ’n shine entrants cast their ballots for the sweetest ride entered by the host club.
And Grai Beal of Qualicum Beach scored the People’s Choice trophy, voted on by many in the estimated crowd of 20,000-plus, for his jet-black 1966 GTO.
“This is my fourth year in a row (in the car show), but I’ve never won anything before. I’ve won something at every other show I’ve gone to in other places, so it was pretty cool. It was nice to get some recognition.”
Varey said turnout this year may have been depressed somewhat by the cool, cloudy conditions that followed a night of rainshowers. For the first time, the Cruizers opened up registration for 600 spots online, and all of them were filled, though he believe about 500 cars actually appeared on the downtown streets of Qualicum Beach.
And he thinks the daylong crowd, which has been estimated as high as 30,000 in recent years, was likely down as much as one-third, also due to the threatening and chilly weather.
“The last few years, you could hardly move in the streets because people were shoulder-to-shoulder,” said Varey. “This year, there was some room to move around.”
Still, he said, this year’s show ’n shine is going to be another successful fundraiser for the club, which donates proceeds to local charities. Varey said the total has yet to be determined, but last year the Father’s Day car show raised about $30,000 for local groups.
In addition, both Mount Arrowsmith Search and Rescue and the Dashwood Volunteer Fire Department benefited through their 50/50 draws, which Varey said combined for more than $2,000 in payouts.
“We don’t keep any of that money,” he said. “That’s split between the Dashwood Fire Department and the search and rescue, and the draw winners. It’s another way we like to help out and give something back to the people who are doing good things in the community.”