Event: Drift Union Invitational Part I

I spend a lot of time looking at cars through a lens. It has actually become a bit of an obsession. I sacrifice a lot of time, money and energy to capture a moment in time. I constantly worry if I’m getting enough pictures, or if I should be shooting video. I can’t imagine going to an event and not being able to shoot it. The issue with my plan of attack is that I often forget to stop, breathe and take in what I’m shooting.

On top of a mountain in Penticton, B.C., Shawn Browne hosted the Drift Union Invitational this past weekend. It was a two-day drift event that read like a who’s who of drifting in western Canada. From Saskatchewan to Vancouver Island, every region had representation. So many people made the trip to share the weekend’s common theme: having fun. Doors were banged, bumpers were smashed and walls were tapped with unbridled enthusiasm and pure joy.

 

I think it’s safe to say there is nothing else like this in Canada. This event truly captures the essence of grassroots drifting and the community that has formed around it.

 

Two years ago at DUI, the Hotboyz formed. They have since grown into one of western Canada’s most recognizable drift teams. Watching them drive together is maybe one of my favourite things.

 

They have landed in magazines, been featured on internationally-recognized sites and developed a totally unique style and attitude.

 

Jordan Hall finished his Miata only a few days prior to the event. I was hoping to do a photoshoot of his car, but he had different plans for it. By the end of the weekend it looked like a Raptor (the dinosaur, not the truck) had attacked it.

 

Two other Saskatchewan citizens followed in the foot steps of Jordan Hall and made the trek to Penticton with trailer and car, ready to hit the mountain. One of these folks is Jon Fiorante. Jon has been drifting pretty much since I met him years ago, but this was his first big event and he looked pretty good out there.

 

The other Saskatchewanian, who spent most of the weekend smiling, was Carter Jackson. Carter is no stranger to this site. Usually his car is pristine and the envy of many, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone so happy to scrape a wall.

 

There’s something entirely unique and awesome about the Deadbeats and their style. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but whenever I asked someone at the event about the Deadbeats, they would smile, chuckle and say, “They’re awesome.”

 

It’s no secret I’m a huge Ian Fournier fan. I was pumped when Ian and the rest of the Independent Speed Shop team took to the track for team tandem. Ian had some issues with his fuel pump that resulted in him not being able to run his blower. He said something about having to drift a slow car, but it looked anything but slow on the track.

 

Here we see the mastermind behind the entire event doing his best Mufasa impression. Perhaps he’s explaining that one day, everything the light touches will be our kingdom. But seriously — and to steal a line from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid to keep with our movie theme — Shawn’s got vision while the rest of the world is wearing bifocals. He and his team engineered an event unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Shawn also sacrificed seat time so everyone else could go big.

 

At the beginning of this article I mentioned how I often forget to stop and appreciate the moment. For the first time in a long time, I found myself putting down my camera and just enjoying where I was and what I was experiencing. There is something entirely unique and special about events like this. And if you don’t take the time to appreciate it, you might miss the point altogether.