Community Corner
Cops and Rodders Show Their Muscles
Annual Cops N' Rodders car show revs up at Siltanen Park in Scotts Valley.
The sounds of bellowing exhaust growled from the tail pipes of more than 190 classic American muscle cars on Saturday when the annual Cops N’ Rodders car show swept into Siltanen Park in Scotts Valley.
Cars ranging from antique motor carriages to a futuristic 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 filled the park in what was one of the biggest shows in the event’s history.
There were 173 cars pre-registered, said Marty Bargas, a staff member who has been working at the show since it began in Santa Cruz 18 years ago. The show has been in Scotts Valley under the sponsorship of the Scotts Valley Peace Officers Association Charitable Foundation for eight years.
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“This is the most cars that we’ve had at this event,” Bargas said.
In addition to the profusion of cars, the show featured ambulance helicopters, a police K-9 unit demonstration, a children’s bounce house, lunch and, for the first time, a police motor skills competition—a test of motorcycle skills that saw the inclusion of police officers from across the state.
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“I’m so busy, I don’t even have a chance to look at the cars,” laughed Scotts Valley police Sgt. Mark Lopez, car show coordinator.
Cars were judged by volunteers in 31 categories. Divisions included era, make, model, stock, specialty and most violations. Awards were given to the top two cars in each category, Lopez said.
Among the cars being judged was Randy Thompson’s 1957 Chevrolet Pickup—a baby-blue emblem-less customized monster with a bed cover underlined with a mirror and a hand-welded Chevy logo tail pipe.
Thompson’s car has won more than 100 awards and has been invited to participate in the Hot August Night’s car show in Reno, he said.
“I just like to share the car with people,” Thompson said. “I don’t have to win an award to have fun.”
The event began at 8 a.m. when the cars lined up outside of the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The caravan of about 170 vehicles stretched alongside of the Giant Dipper to just beyond the Boardwalk Bowl. After a brief meeting for coffee, the caravan set off along the coast, to Highway 1, to Highway 17, and finally to Scotts Valley.
