4th Annual Silver State Concours…
Or, “How I spent Saturday afternoon defending my spotlessly clean car against rogue weather”
Grandma Pat Bauderer shines up her original 1966 911 Coupe before judging starts. (Photo by C Kugler)Rain is nice from the inside looking out – think of Fall colors, cool temperatures, warm fireplaces, and all the SPEED Channel you handle. But rain is not your friend when you want your car to look its best. For those attending the Meet and Greet on Saturday, September 12th in anticipation of showing off their cars for prizes, trophies and bragging rights at the 4th annual Silver State Concours on Sunday, September 13th , rain is what we got…at least for an hour.
So what is this thing you call “concours”? In short, it is a beauty contest – check that, cleanliness contest - for cars. In summary, he or she that uses the greatest number of microfiber towels and Q-Tips wins! But the Silver State Concours is more than that. Held 45 miles south of Reno in Gardnerville with the Sierra Nevada as the western backdrop in the fertile Carson Valley, it’s the premier weekender/getaway in the Zone 7 Concours series.This translates into 2 days of camaraderie, car stories, car-spiffing, conversation and consumption of good food and adult beverage. But you don’t need to be a Q-Tipper to participate and enjoy it.
Mark Gersh and Sharon Neidel chat with Concours friends before dinner at JT’s. (Photo by C Kugler)Saturday afternoon before the judging on Sunday, the Porsches of all sorts – early 911’s, race-prepped 914’s, Carrera’s, 964 cabs, Cayman’s, GT-3’s, RSA’s, old, new, drivers, and trailer queens – rolled into the parking lot of the Historian Inn, everyone’s base of operation and lodging for the next 24 hours. Nearly all rooms were booked and the Historian provided buckets and hoses for washing which created, for a brief few hours, Nevada’s largest Porsche car-wash facility. Between turns in the washing spaces, participants gathered, mingled, and enjoyed the Meet and Greet smorgasbord of food and beverage sponsored by SportHaus, who brought a beautiful black on terracotta 997 Turbo to the event for display.
Freddy and Mark Coronado surround Rich Wyett with “bling” at the Concours. (Photo by C Kugler)That was when the rain struck. Nobody in their right mind likes soggy nachos or cars. So the party quickly moved inside the Historian lobby and the cars were covered or left to suffer in the rain. Just when we’d all settled inside, the sun came out and we washed our cars all over again while others participated in the intentionally dove-tailed event, the PCA Tech Quiz. Other than some gusts of wind, the weather cooperated for the rest of the weekend.
Well, if filling up on hors d’oeuvres wasn’t enough, there is always the dinner across the street at JT’s Basque Restaurant where the food is cheerfully served family-style for you and 50 of your closest Porsche friends. Soup, salad, and bread were soon followed by beef stew, chicken, steak, french fries, and beans, all topped off with ice cream and coffee. David Yamada of VEPA (Vehicle Enhancement Products and Accessories) presented the Tech Quiz awards, some really excellent car care kits and products to the winners Larry Sharp (1st), Larry Moeller (2nd), who finished only 2 points back, followed by David Bunch in third.
John Strom, Dean Watts and Pat Costin pose for the camera during judging at the Concours. (Photo by C Kugler)Are you still hungry? Just wait until Sunday morning where you can load up on chocolate muffins and coffee while putting the final touches on your car before judging begins at 10:00 a.m. sharp. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
Sunday morning began early – like 6:00 a.m. – for those who still needed to wash their cars following Saturday afternoon’s sprinkles, yours truly included. Around 8:00 a.m., 34 freshly-spiffed Porsches began arriving on the grassy field of Lampe Park where the final bugs, brake dust, and any remaining visible dirt was removed with aforementioned Q-Tips, spray-on detailer, and microfiber towels. 25 gleaming beauties competed for top honors in their respective classes. The 9 display-only cars graced the field with them too, which allowed their non-competing owners to wander and marvel at the attention to detail of the judged cars. At 10 AM competitors are required to step away from their cars and let the judging begin.
Joe Schumacher with his People’s Choice winning 1967 911S. (Photo by C Kugler)We sidestep here for a moment to remind you, dear reader, that PCA is not just about the cars, it’s about the people. However, if you are a contestant, you’d be forgiven for the temporary change of mindset – when competitive spirits take over - where it really is just about the car until the judging team has done their job and moved on to the next car. Then it can be about the people again!
Judges Cindy Wyett and Sharon Neidel explain the Concours “examination” to owner Ken Hollman. (Photo by C Kugler)Gilbert Dayao of Gilson Auto Body provided the outstanding picnic lunch for all to enjoy immediately following the judging. Oh, and you like raffle prizes, right? Well, how about a bottle of Presley (as in Elvis) Cabernet in a black velvet case, free oil changes, $100 of engine parts, gift baskets, Starbucks and Amazon gift cards, and wine-pairing dinners? We thank Gem Gallery, Gilson Auto Body, Reno Rennsport, EBS Racing, Gesture Gifts, Butcher Boy, and individual members of the board for their generous prize contributions.
Most of all, we thank Porsche of Reno for their generous sponsorship of the Sunday event, including the beautiful venue and awards. Without their support, an event of this caliber would not be possible.
Finally we thank all the volunteers and participants that came from all regions, including Diablo, Golden Gate, Sacramento Valley, Yosemite, and our very own Sierra Nevada Region to make the event a resounding success. See you next year!
Click here to see our Concours photo gallery.
