The grill of a 1967 Cadillac commands respect at the show and shine at the Kerrobert Memorial Arena.
Kenneth Brown
of The Crossroads
The 11th annual Krazy Kruiserz Gumball Rally and Show and Shine in Kerrobert is in the books, and organizers say it was another fun rally for everybody involved.
The Gumball Rally and Show & Shine was held on Aug. 18 in Kerrobert and area. The Gumball Rally, a variation of a poker rally, takes participants from Kerrobert to Macklin, and then to Unity and back to Kerrobert. The Show and Shine takes place at the Kerrobert Memorial Arena after the rally.
According to organizers, a total of 26 cars participated in the rally. However, additional vehicles and owners showed up to the Show and Shine because there were more than 26 vehicles on hand for the gathering at the arena.
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The winner of the Gumball Rally was Brayden Belair of Debden, Sask., who rode as a passenger in the rally with Joey Knorr in his 2010 Dodge Challenger. The People’s Choice award winner was Bailey Smith of Kerrobert for her 1999 MINI Classic Cooper. The Driver’s Choice award winner was Bonnie Krenz of Eston for her 1954 Pontiac Star Chief Deluxe.
Participants make stops along the rally route to draw cards, and to play games and challenges. The participants played darts in Luseland, did a ball throw in Denzil, played bunnock in Macklin and played a game of dice at the A&W Restaurant in Unity.
Colton Obritsch won the darts in Luseland, Joshua Tennant won the ball throw in Denzil, Matthew Ley won the bunnock in Macklin and Brenda Bahm won the game of dice in Unity. Different awards were handed out to car owners for categories including best stock, best hot rod and several others.
Virginia Charteris, who helps to organize the event, rode in the rally in a 1966 Ford Galaxie convertible. She noted that she comes from a family of classic car enthusiasts and it was another excellent Gumball Rally for organizers.
“I thought it was a fantastic day,” she said, recognizing that the weather conditions for the event were great other than a smoky start to the day. “I’m a little biased because I quite like this event. It’s one of my favourite events of the year.”
She noted that the smoke lifted later in the day and the sun came out for the participants. There was a bit of precipitation early in the morning, but it did not rain during the rally. The temperature was not too hot, and it was nice because the classic cars and trucks do not enjoy the heat, Charteris said.
When asked about her favourite aspect of the day, she said it is the classic vehicles because they have character. The features of classic vehicles such as all the chrome and wings are what make them stand out, she said.
“They’re just so much car and they’re so big,” she said, recognizing the giant metal beasts are beautiful vehicles that still run and the people get to appreciate them at an event that “replicates the old Sunday drive experience of back in the day when you went driving as something to do.”
Charteris, who married into a car family and came to love classic vehicles as a result, said it was a fun day for everyone involved. She noted that she wanted to thank Keith Smith, who has spearheaded the event for the past 11 years.
Keith, whose daughter’s MINI was a favourite among people attending the Show & Shine, said his daughter wanted a Volkswagen van, but she ended up with a traditional MINI that he found after it was restored in Canada. The rally is great fun.
“It’s a good time,” he said of the event, recognizing that he came up with the idea 11 years ago and the rally is enjoyed by the participants. “People enjoy it, and anybody that has a car, especially the Charterises, they come out every year.”
Each year the rally has a theme and this year the theme was Austin Powers. Keith said it was a harder theme for people wanting to dress up, but Dave and Wyatt Lagasse of Coleville won the prize for best costume as Dr. Evil and Mini Me. Past themes have included the Dukes of Hazard and Smokey and the Bandit, according to Keith.
The rally’s head organizer said a majority of the participants come every year, but the event gets newcomers and organizers would welcome anyone and everyone at Gumball rallies in the future. He added that he wanted to thank Charteris and Jan Phillips for all of their help with the event.
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