Bright blue skies and sunlight shined in Long Beach on Saturday at the Formula Drift 2011 Season Opener. Aside from all of the brand new race cars sliding sideways at speeds of 80+ MPH through a tight and narrow race track with less than forgiving concrete walls; there was plenty of action in the pit area that also included the Slammed Society Car Show presented by Fatlace.
The 2011 Season of the Formula Drift began the 8th season of the premier North American professional drifting championships at the famed Streets of Long Beach. Utilizing a section of the actual race circuit for the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, the season got off to an exciting start with 2010 Champion, J.R. Gittin failing to qualify in the Top 32 and the chance for the season opening win. Not be outdone, the Top 32 qualifiers were determined to stand on the podium at the end of the day.
Many new cars were debuted for the 2011 season, including Chris Forsberg and his 2011 NOS Energy Nissan 370Z, Rhys Millen and his 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe, Fredric Aasbo and his 2011 Team Need for Speed Scion TC.
2011 Round 1 Final Results
1st Place - Justin Pawlak - Team Falken
2nd Place - Matt Powers - Team Deal With It/Team Need for Speed Nitto Tires
3rd Place - Daijiro Yoshihara - Team Falken Tire/Discount Tire
For everyone that have visited the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, whether it was their first time or 20th time, they have stepped foot into the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens area. This area is features seasonal displays throughout the year to represent the seasons (Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.) This year, they have a special display greeting the visitors, and that is a representation to celebrate the Chinese Lunar New Year, The Year of the Rabbit.
On a personal note, I have been lucky enough to view many of the different displays during my many visits and every time I see the seasonal displays at the Bellagio, I am in awe of the attention to detail and the creativity that goes into sculpting the landscape into the beauty it displays. During our visit to Las Vegas in February for the annual WPPI Trade Show, we had the chance to meet up with great friends and have lunch at The Bellagio. Before lunch though, there was just enough time to check out the Conservatory for the Chinese New Year display...Gung Hay Fat Choy!!
2011 The Year of the Rabbit.
Another year, and another WPPI has come and gone. Each year when reflecting back, the saying "this year was so much better than last years" is mentioned by the majority. Well this year certainly did not disappoint and it was certainly "so much better than last year!"
The main hall was filled to the limit with power hitting manufacturers and companies such as Canon, Nikon, Sony, Epson, Kodak, Fuji, B&H Photo Video, Adorama, Pictage, Think Tank Photo, and Unique Photo to name the least. Attendance was reported to be significantly higher than 2010 - some 3-5k more attendees this year. The highlight of the show had to be the $10,000 giveaway from Pictage. One lucky winner had their business card drawn from the bag containing over 2,000 entries to win $10,000 CASH!!!
With so many attendees, it can be very overwhelming when looking at everything there is for the photography industry, but it is also a great time to connect with new friends, and certainly catch up with many other friends that you rarely get to see because of geographic locations.
Here are a few pictures from the WPPI Trade Show floor.
Happy New Year everyone...to say that is has been a long time since the last blog post would be an understatement! It literally has been TOO LONG since the last blog post, so to get things started for the new year, we will begin with the 2011 Trump Bridal Show hosted by Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA on Sunday, January 23, 2011.
The event featured a wide variety of vendors, from florists, photographers, party planners, venues, and even some chiropractic services. Here are a few pictures from the event, which also included a mini runway show featuring some wedding dresses from Jobyna's Bridal by Ines di Santo.
To view additional photos from the event, please click here.
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