Even with milestones tumbling in the cricket crowds were out in force to see the Summernats SuperCruise / CityCruise rumble through town.
Everyone seemed very happy and well behaved Here’s a couple of shots I got through the throng.
Feel free to send yours in to images@the-riotact.com .
KB1971 has sent in a swag of pix, including this one:
Here’s one from MJay’s set:
Curleylocks was in the action outside Fenner Hall:
Gungahliner has sent in the long awaited pictures of strippers on a stretched hummer:
Damien Haas took this video:
Here’s the full slideshow:
That Capital Men’s Club has nothing to do with the Nats. Their vehicle was knocked back from entering the Event so they obviously took the opportunity to get some free advertising.
LSWCHP said :
1993 was not caused by Summernats entrants persay, that year was a great event & there was many great things going on inside Natex.
That was the year of the hanger on. I can remember driving down Northbourne that year & there was an exceptional amont of people lining the road. So many more than in previous years, I would say double. These people were not really “car enthusiasts” but people out for a party, a bit like the “rent a crowd” that turn up to protests & cause trouble.
I dont actually know what caused the crap but it had been simmering away on Nourthbourne for a couple of nights as the crowd were spraying cars with water pistols, encouraging burnouts ect that it would not have taken much to ignight the fuel.Inside Natex, security were keeping a reasonably tight lid on things.
No doubt the event attracted this attention & back then it was a free for all in the partying department (as all events were from the PM’s 11 to local football).
Yep, it has a certain level of people behaving badly but then so does 1/2 of Canberra going to Batemans Bay for their holidays. Growing up in a tourist area myself (the Sapphire Coast) we used to see this behavoir all the time, people being rude lo locals, letting their hair down & getting out of control ect. There used to be a NYE party every year at Bar Beach in Merimbula until 1988 when there was a mass influx of people which finished with the town being trashed & the beach closed the next year.
Anyway, that is in the past & I dont really know why people dont let it go as it was nearly 20 years ago. The media dredge this old chestnut up every year, obviously there is nothing else bad to report about the event it seems.
poetix said :
Waiting For Godot said :
I was living in Hackett in 1993, and that tainted my view of Summernats until quite recently. The current gig isn’t too bad, but back in those days it was utterly disgraceful crap.
gladbag said :
Um, some middle aged (or practically, almost, perhaps, nearly middle aged in several more years) women quite like hot cars. And those happy men who actually like women AND hot cars. Fresh air I’m not so sure about in regard to les Nats, but I see what you mean.
And why do you keep your children in a bucket?
Pandy said :
So glad you got to clear that up! Terrible that people might have thought you were gay.
‘I have always worried about men who rely too heavily upon exclamation marks.’ Jane Austen.
I have no interest in Summernats or cars. I am a middle aged lady (public servant, bucket of kids) and not in the target demographic. However, I think it is great to see so many happy men walking around town at this time of year. If it makes people happy, then it is cool. The extra holiday feel that this event brings to this town is a breath of fresh air.
OMG!!!!
No, no it was not what I meant!!!!
Not that there is anything wrong with it.
devils_advocate said :
cantdance said :
I prefer the Shannons Wheels format where they park the cars on the lawns of Old Parliament House. You get more time to look at the cars. Take some decent pics. Chat with the owners (if they’re up for that). The “super cruise” is not as good IMO.
BelcoMan said :
I think you will find the Capital Mens Club is a strip joint, not a brothel.
BelcoMan said :
Actually, since it seemed to have gone straight over your head it’s a suggestions of how your obvious needs could be met. That’s as long as you’re not in too much pain from having that bug removed from your arse.
Seriously, it’s one weekend a year out of your precious life. It’s not the downfall of Canberra society as we know it. If it concerns you that much, stay inside for the weekend where it’s safe and everything is beige.
what_the said :
It is interesting to note that people keep referring to the brothels like they show the biggest increase in business during Summernats. Their increase is second to the Porn shops which really just confirms what most people think about Summernats Attendees…………
Amanda Hugankis said :
No more fireworks 🙁
devils_advocate said :
I hearthe Capital Mens Club is good for that! See, Summernats boosts the economy once again!
http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3252252
Jim Jones said :
My recall is that it was killed by a mafioso who wanted to start up a “slick” (actuallydismal) bar/brasserie on the London Circuit/East Row corner and didn’t want the competition. Said business lasted about 18 months. Such a shame.
joeyjojojuniorshabadoo said :
Bunch of pansies…
Growling Ferret said :
Second that. It’s not everyone’s cup of tea, in fact, not mine, but so what?
I’m disappointed I couldn’t make it to the SuperCruise. My parents in their 60’s and half a dozen other family and friends from 20-70 got together and raved about it.
I was out in 93 – had my car tipped on two wheels (and if I had not accelerated, it would have been over) by the rioting crowd, and escaped by driving down the wrong side of Northbourne Avenue for 300m. Wrong place, wrong time.
I last went to Summernats 2 years ago, and its a vastly changed event. Professional, cleaned up, and the local d***head strap-on contingent has been excluded.
As a tourism event, its a great way to get 10,000 visitors to Canberra in Summer. Half the town is still on holidays this week anyway. What else could be held here in the first week of January that would get 10,000 high spending tourists into town?
Long live the new supercruise, and long live Summernats in Canberra
johnboy said :
As someone who was involved in the live music scene some time ago, I can say that the anti-noise wowsers had a good whinge about the Gypsy, Zorro’s, and the Terminus bar, despite their events being held a) in civic and b) after hours on weekends. I mean seriously, when are you supposed to have a live music event, between noon and 7pm?
Whether these complaints ultimately were the end of any or all of these venues, I don’t know. But it certainly made life tough for musos and more generally people that wanted to have any kind of fun.
[/end off topic rant]