The Whitewall Nationals
Words: Anna Marco; Photos: Mike Basso & Belgium Lion Photography
Ahoy Mates, there’s a car party at the Port of Los Angeles!
Port of Los Angeles History
Established in 1907, the Port of Los Angeles (a.k.a. America’s Port) is a port complex that occupies 7,500 acres of land and water along 43 miles of waterfront and adjoins the separate Port of Long Beach. It’s located in San Pedro Bay in the San Pedro/Wilmington neighborhoods of Los Angeles, approximately 20 miles south of downtown LA. The Port employs nearly 896,000 people throughout the LA County region with $1.2 billion worth of cargo each day. It is one of the largest shipping centers in the world for automobile related products and parts.
A Port Party
There’s a lot to see and do in the Port but most folks don’t know that. Nonetheless, if you check out the area you will find Wilmington Waterfront Park, Ports O’ Call Village, the USS Iowa Museum, the USS Lane Victory Museum and more.
Development of an entertainment event for this location has been in the works for two years as a destination venue for automobile enthusiasts as well. Promoter Eddie Greenwood, an aficionado of the custom car lifestyle, works and lives in the area and thought a car show was a necessary addition to the local community. In 2015, that first event called the Port Nationals offered 64 vendors, food trucks and 396 pre-registered cars and motorcycles. It was a success despite some rain. This year, the event was rebranded as the Whitewall Nationals with 430 cars, 45 motorcycles, a pin-up contest, pedal cars, car clubs and support from Beacon House Recovery Facility and many volunteers.
Highlights
Within the overall show, there were several main attractions providing entertainment. For aficionados of the female form, Sarah Gordon and Hope Boston hosted the Whitewall Nationals Beauty Queen Contest. Gearheads enjoyed the “Warehouse of Kustoms.” Officially the world’s largest fruit terminal for the import and export of agricultural goods, this event turned it into a building chock full of colorful kustoms. Manu Muller hosted the Cycle-O-Rama, a showcase for motorcycles.
It takes a year to coordinate this shindig and plans for the July 2017 event are already underway. Check it out and see it for yourself! Anchors aweigh!
See: www.whitewallnationals.com or e-mail whitewallnationals@gmail.com.
