ROMO BEACH RACE 2018 - Kustomsurfers

Hi everybody, i’m Fred, the Kustomsurfer’s founder, a group of people who love surf, motos and especially Kustom Kulture. I’m not going to talk about surf trips this time but about another aspect of my passion which is beach moto.

Saint Jacques is my wetsuit patner, and yes, St Jacques likes the beautiful things that rolls to go to the beach.

About that, one of the most beautiful race takes place in Denmark at the end of August, did you already heard about ROMO? Here is the story of the adventure. If you are good in geography, you have a chance to know where it is, for others, just forget about it!

Surfers take rarely a looks on the very north of Europe but as you know you can surf there and the good point is my race is over there.

I put my Indian scoot from 1941's in the truck, my favorite striped 4/3 retro vintage wetsuit Stan 4/3 and I'm gone.

Romo is a charming and wild small peninsula facing the ocean in Denmark. That's it for the frame, take a map, otherway, Google map and it’s here!

At ROMO, iodine and salt have always mixed with the engines. Like what it is possible to tolerate the rolling on the wilderness of kilometers beach which extend in front of you without any trace of man.

An idyllic playground that sees passing cars and motorcycles since the 30’s. Mercedez Benz was doing his tests there a long time ago. It was another era but racing spirit was emerging.

The local car club, which have been run by Carsten and Thomas decided to recreate a sand acceleration race reserved for older vehicles. The rule is easy, your moto must be before 49’s and your car before 38’s. That’s it. Corvette and another modern hot rod remain around the track for the decoration and to the delight of the larg public (+ 20 000 people this year).

It is a hundred cars and motorbikes combined that have been there for the ROMO RACE FESTIVAL edition, that’s the name, and in addition to seeing all these cars in the evening, you get your pass to the Rockabilly rock festival, all vintage dressed.

They are similar events around the world like the « Race of Gentlemen » which take place to USA, where Kustomsurfers goes but here, in Europe, ROMO is absolutely different, we love it!

The quality of riders is equivalent to the USA and people coming from Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Norway are lovely. The coolitude vibe of the north is a big lesson.

This year again, we are the only French team present with 3 drivers.

The big difference with the USA is the mix of brands and models. Here you have a mix of US cars and motos with the European culture, that's really interesting. A WR HARLEY against a Rudje or an AJS, what a show, an Indian against a Nimbus, formidable Danish motorcycle or against a Hsuqvarna… everything is possible. That’s the same for cars, Ford vs Fait or Triumph, Buick vs Aston and other beauties... Americans are on the touch this year even if it’s still a Fordroasdsterwith anEdelbrock engineprepared by our English friends from Buckland who was the fastest.

On the French side, we have in our luggage a hot rod Ford of 1927 raosdster 4 baggers (4 cylinders) piloted by Greg, a Harley Knuckehead of 1947 streaked in 1300 cc piloted by Marc and the Indian scout of 1941 of Fred passed in 600 cc.

French flag planted on the beach, wearing Kustomsurfers Vintage Jersey, friends nearby, the French team have a good looking and attracts all the sympathies. Our KS 'girls, dressed with jeans, are taken for Danes ... what a reputation.

On Saturday morning, the day of the race, the weather is very nice, it will be almost 21/21 °, it’s perfect for the engines, the public and drivers, sounds good !

Unfortunately no swell announced for the next couple of days so it will be racing spirit thoroughly.

The technical control of the previous day was successfully passed by all the team and we are ready!

What else? What a pleasure to be all together in this vintage vibe. Everyone is 1920/40’s dressed, a “team capsule” as say the organizers, a parenthesis in time. Vehicles and motorcycles are all more beautiful or rusty than the others and it’s sick.

The track is hard, fast despite ruts at the start that misleads the game and allow the lowest motorcycles to compete against heavier competitors.

We hit the 200 meter standing start and the public is thrilled.

No fall, a good atmosphere is present between the pilots, no matter if you lose or win your run. Faces are illuminated and get marked hours after hours because here in Romo no car to pick you up, or '' cops '' at the end of the line, you finish the run and go straight away to the down the starting line as it starts again quickly.

Exhausted but happy, filled with noises and races, we stopped our day around 5pm.

The engines turned all day and made a good impression despite a head gasket at the end of the day for Greg’s Ford, but Greg was totally on fire.

Back to the kustomsurfers base camp within the racers camp, the atmosphere was… tropical and furious, that’s Kustomsurfers vibe and you have to come to see it.
Fred Kustomsurfers