Wavecrest marks 28 years of Woodie wonder

By: JOEL D. AMOS - For the North County Times | Sunday, September 16, 2007 12:36 AM PDT ∞

ENCINITAS ---- The 28th annual Wavecrest Woodie Meet hit its crescendo Saturday at Moonlight Beach with a convocation by the ocean that inspired the automobile's creation.

Woodie-related events began Thursday and end today, but the showcase event was Saturday's gathering in Encinitas. Woodie clubs form across the state and nation were represented.

"It's the granddaddy of Woodie meets," said Jim Riley, who had traveled from Fresno with his wife, Peg, in their 1940 Ford. The couple said they were continuing a tradition at Wavecrest that began 12 years ago.

"It's the first one I ever went to, and it's got people coming from all over with such enthusiasm," he said.

Many of the participants were longtime Woodie owners.

"I first saw this car at the Reno swap meet in 1966, and I was attracted to it because it was neat-looking," Jim Riley said, his voice rising over the dueling banjo and fiddle on the nearby stage. "You don't see many cars that look like this."

Ushering visitors to gaze inside his car, he explained that the secret to his automotive affection covers the inside roof.

"When I looked in and saw all the wood on the inside, I fell in love with it," he said. Glistening mahogany immaculately lines the roof from front to back.

"It's got more wood on the inside than it does on the outside," Peg Riley said.

Mirroring the sentiment of those gathered Saturday, the car has history.

"We raised our kids in it and now we're taking grandkids out in it," she said. "We have a lot of fun with this car."

Wavecrest organizer Lee Kidwell of the San Diego Woodie Club, left his '37 Plymouth Woodie at home in Escondido.

"I have to bring so much stuff here, there is no way I'd make 20 trips," Kidwell said, laughing. "I don't want to put my Woodie through that."

Organizers estimated that the parking lot was filled with 250 Woodies. Other attractions included raffles for surfboards and vendors with a variety of wares.

"It's the largest Woodie meet in the United States and has been No. 1 since we began 28 years ago," Kidwell said.

Of the hundreds of cars, Kidwell was quick to point to a gem, the eight-door 1941 La Salle.

"It is the most impressive car we've ever had (at the show)," he said.

"Wavecrest is a meet of a bunch of friends who happen to have Woodies," Kidwell said. "For every one Woodie driver we have here today, we have Woodie friends who didn't drive their car here and just came out to have fun."

Many of the owners of automobiles made with lumber showed their appreciation of the surfing lifestyle that seems to travel with the vehicle.

The Wavecrest festival was initially paired with a surfing contest. The contest faded, but the car show remains bright. It's been held at Moonlight Beach since 1990.

"We're not going to quit what we're doing," Kidwell said. "The people in this neighborhood have been fabulous putting up with our shenanigans."

Kidwell said Woodie owners know no borders.

"This year we have a fellow who flew in from Australia," he said. "It's not just a Southern California thing, it's international. The neat thing about the event is it appears to just be a Woodie meet. This is just the tip of it. It's a family."

Norm Ream of Encinitas sat next to his two-door custom 1950 Ford. Saturday was his car's anniversary.

"I bought this last year at Wavecrest," Ream said. "My first Woodie I bought in 1966 for $25 and I always regretted selling it. I wanted another one."

After attending for the previous 12 years, Ream was finally a Woodie owner.

"It's fantastic. I can't believe how it's grown," Ream said of the event. "It is such a great group. We all have a common interest. I've got a 2004 Porsche collector's model, and I've been to those meets, and it's kind of snobby. These are down to earth, good people."

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