We came. We saw. And what we saw was VW after VW
after VW, and then there was Audi after Audi
you get the idea. Despite the rainfall, which made the event literally live up to its name, the East Coasts biggest VW event drew in large crowds of water-cooled VWs and a contingent of Audis of every color and model, exceeding even last years guest count of 5,000.
The show was started by Rapid Parts of Monsey, New York, when it saw a niche in a show circuit that didnt have an event geared specifically for water-cooled VWs, and has quickly outgrown its venues in the past five years since its inception. This year, along with the vendor booths, autocross, audio sound-off competition, and swap meet, the event was also home to the Ms. Waterfest Pageant, of which MAX was gladly a part of (You go, Heidi!MAX).
The largest turnout were VWs sporting the Mk III chassis, as well as an abundance of Mk IVs featuring innovative (One guy had two fish tanks in the trunk of his Jetta.MAX) and performance-minded mods. This years Waterfest also showcased several VR6 Cabrios and 1.8T Corrados. Among the industry heavyweights present were Momentum Motorsport, Neuspeed, 1552 Design, RPI, Abt Motorsports, and Eurotech. Although VWs made up the bulk of show entrants, the late-model Audi presence was fierce with A4s, a few S4s, two TTs, and an A6. On the autocross, Chris Necevs 2000 TT came in Second in the G-Stock Class. Other Audis that placed were Michael Braces 2000 A4 in the D-Mod Class and Dan Simoes 1995 S6 wagon in the E-Mod Class, while in the Show Car contest, Scott Kapinos 1999 A4 took First Place against the rest of the Class 17 Modified MRydes.
The largest water-cooled gathering in the East can only mean one thingvendors galoreand Waterfest didnt disappoint, either. Bosal Brospeed was there, and so were Apex, Bilstein, and Hella. CEC? There. Adrenalin Motorsports? You betcha.
While the show was everything an enthusiast could expect, much of the unofficial show moments occurred in the parking lot and at the hotel parking lot the night beforeburn-outs, demonstrations of performance, and just plain hanging out with cool people and even über-cooler rides. Waterfest has grown in size for a reason, and maybe Waterfest 2001 should be held in Yankee Stadiumwithout the rain, of course.