Last weekend saw the third installment of StelliezFest at the Van der Stel Sports Ground in Stellenbosch.
Pulling a pretty decent collection of metal, the approximately 500 cars that rolled into the home of the Van Der Stel Rugby Club represented a diverse selection of style and purpose.
Bobby Nitro spoke to an organiser, Ansel Langeveldt, one of about 10 involved, after the event. Ansel says: “What really stood out for me was the variety of vehicles, from old to new as well as the more exclusive cars such as the Mike’s Place Auris and Razor Custom’s Dodge. With race cars mixed in with the show ‘n shine cars, there was plenty to feast the eyes on.”
After a rainy Friday, the organisers had to pick up the pace on Saturday morning to get everything set up. Including the show ‘* shine, sound-off, live entertainment, food stalls, limbo and kids zone.
INVEST: Proceeds of the event will go to two causes. Picture: Supplied.
The best of show award went Abeed Salie and his black two-door import spec RunX. Clean, lowered, with tasteful add-ons, this cabbie impressed the judges.
One of the judges, Shahiem Bell, says: “Abeed had been preparing for Drift City, which was postponed due to weather, so his RunX was sitting with a fresh coat of paint on an original set of wheels, everything complementing nicely.
“The Mike’s Place Auris is also a fresh build and was a crowd-puller of note, while the Razor Customs M3, Evoque, R8 and Dodge presented a special collection of some of the Cape’s most popular vehicles.”
CROWD-PULLER: The Mike’s Place Auris. Picture: Supplied.
What is becoming a thing nowadays, is the place to park your car. Shahiem says: “There was a cool vibe, and all entrants got shaded areas and a nice hard surface to display cars, which is especially important for the stance guys. With each car having two parking bays, it also provided for more space for patrons to admire them.”
A red 1400 LDV earned the crew’s choice award, and is notable for its custom flared arches that allow for what looks to be a perfect tuck, with the outside curve of the stretched tyre conforming beautifully with the angle of the arch. Plenty of planning there. This was definitely one of the favourites.
IMPRESS: Ou adjusting suspensions of the Golf. Picture: Supplied.
Ansel adds: “We had about 100 show ‘* shine entries with R15k in cash prizes to spread around, and had some nice feedback on Facebook after the event.”
Another organiser, Patrick Davids, says his top moment was seeing “the main characters, the big guys, coming out to Stelliezfest, as well as the family vibe we managed to create.
DAY FOR ALL: Organisers are proud of the family vibe they created. Picture: Supplied.
“The idea is to put back into the community. This year we selected two causes to donate to. The first is the Van Der Stel Rugby Club and the other is the Standing Rock rehab. Hopefully our funds will go towards getting some kids who have drug problems and really need help, into rehab.”
With so many shows on the calendar, StelliezFest has done well to attract the variety and quality they have this year. Patrons and judges alike are on the lookout for those organisers who are willing to go the extra mile to create awesome spaces to display the Cape’s finest, and a spacious, level and hard surface is a big attraction.
Just saying!