Jackson Hole Rendezvous
Hoodlums gear up for annual Jackson Hole Rendezvous!
Old MacDonald had a modified, '54 Bel Air hard top, EIEIO...
Actually, the Bel Air belongs to Larry Houx, run coordinator for the Eastern Idaho Early Iron Organization (EIEIO). Come June he and 200 other motorheads will roll into Jackson Hole for their annual rod run.
The EIEIO's Jackson Hole Rendezvous, headquartered at the Virginian Lodge in downtown Jackson, Wyoming, draws auto enthusiasts from across the Rocky Mountain West. Modest compared to other regional rod runs, the Jackson Hole event is more than a gang of greasy, grimy gearheads coming together in this Western town to reek havoc and drink beer.
Houx says they also plan to eat a lot of hot dogs.
"This is a chance for family and friends to get together for some good, clean fun," says Houx, 48, who's been fiddling with cars since his high-school days. "The common bond for all of us is the cars."
Call it what you will - street rods, hot rods or classic/custom cars - Houx says the sport has been puttering around since the post-WWII era. Some soldiers returning from the war settled down, got married and began to raise families; others had time on their hands and enjoyed being behind the wheel - or under the hood - of an American auto.
And except for a minor decrease during the late '60s, Houx says the sport has grown steadily over the years. Regionally, different car clubs hold rod runs throughout the summer months: Pocatello, Idaho, and West Yellowstone, Montana, just celebrated their 25th annual events; Ashton, Idaho, holds a popular run every 4th of July; and Utah clubs feature get-togethers almost every weekend across the state.
Judging from the number of automotive magazines covering convenient store racks, it's a sub-culture that's come a long way. Houx says one of the biggest misconceptions is that rod runs like the one in Jackson Hole are nothing more than a bunch of "hoodlums" (from being under the hood) motoring into town to frazzle the locals.
On the contrary, the Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce welcomes the event. Houx says the annual run is usually the third-largest weekend for local businesses, behind only the World Championship Snowmobile Hillclimb and Old West Days.
And more times than not, classic car enthusiasts are family folk; the rod runs are closer to a reunion for most of them, letting them catch up with family and friends, as well as a giving them chance to show off their handy work.
Motorheads also typically have some financial backing. They need to, as the average value for a restored vehicle can easily climb into the $40,000 range. Their hobby also serves as an investment. As the popularity of the sport has grown over the years, the demand for the vintage vehicles has remained higher than the supply, thus making them very liquid assets.
"I've always liked to know where my money has been," says Houx. "And it's always been sitting right out back in my shop."
The Houx household is a family of motorheads. Larry lays claim to a '53 Chevy - restored as a '50 custom - and also the '54 Bel Air hard top, while his wife drives a '66 Mustang coup (the "family" car). The newest car the family owns is a '70 Chevy pick-up.
His two children also spend a lot time under the hood, but the financial nature of the sport has them starting out the way many newcomers do - working with whatever they can get their hands on and trading "down" to older cars when money permits.
"That's how most people get into it," he says. "You have to start somewhere and work your way up."
A street rod, by a strict definition, is anything manufactured prior to 1949. For the Jackson Hole Rendezvous, the EIEIO has a cutoff of 200 vehicles to keep the event "low-key," but selective. In comparison, "The National," the National Street Rod Association's equivalent of a Super Bowl, draws upward of 12,000 cars every year.
Houx says the Jackson Hole run is unique not only because of the close-knit atmosphere, but because Jackson and its surroundings have so much to offer as vacation spot beyond the rod run's activities.
"That's one thing about Jackson -- it has that draw," he says. "The run is really laid back. We don't have to offer that much."
The Rendezvous agenda starts on Friday, June 7th. The roadsters will roll into town, followed by a dance that night at the Virginian. Saturday features the bulk of the event, starting with a parade around Jackson's famed Town Square, a Poker Run (where drivers cruise to five different locations and draw a card from a deck, trying to compose the best poker hand after the last stop), and a "Show and Shine" open to public in the afternoon on the Virginian front lawn.
The "Show and Shine" will also offer some games for kids, while Houx and his cohorts will catch up over some cold beer and hot dogs. Saturday concludes with a live band at a second dance. The weekend closes out on Sunday after an awards ceremony.
For more information, please call the Virginian Lodge at (800)262-4999.
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