Photo credit: MS Gulf Coast CVB

PG: Let’s go beyond Mardi Gras for a second because when you wanted to talk classic cars, you’ve got something called Cruisin’ the Coast.

WB: We do. We started that event in 1996. Our Sweet 16 is coming up for us in October.

PG:  I talk about the Barrett Jackson classic car show in Arizona,  but this is different.

WB: This is an event where you get to use your car. A lot of people go to a car event and they sit in a field and they auction them off, but here we cruise the coast. We have a 26-mile beach front area that you cruise up and down and you go to certain events. These cars don’t stay on a trailer, they’re out actively running up and down the coast. We had about 5,484 vehicles registered last year and that was almost our record year.

PG: What does it take to register a car? It’s got to be a really cool car to ride in this thing?

WB: Well, we’re 25 years old or older so that’s the only requirement.

PG: So if it’s running it shows up?

WB: That’s correct and running is important like I say cause we have events for you to do. That’s why it’s so unique.

PG: If the only requirement is to be 25 years or older, you’ve got to tell me what’s the ugliest car that showed up at this event last year?

WB: Some unique cars show up. One year we had this old truck —it was an old rust bucket and this guy’s a crab fisherman—and he won the flame-throwing competition. You never know who’s going to show up.

PG: Excuse me, what is the flame-throwing competition?

WB: Who can shoot out the best flames from their exhaust pipes. Some vehicles are equipped with spark plugs that are ignited when the exhaust gas comes out and they shoot out flames.

PG: So the fire department is involved?

WB: The fire department is there. We did it on grass this past year and we did catch some grass on fire a little bit.We had the fire extinguishers there so there was no problem.

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