The drive to the mountainous ranges of Jasper, Georgia was tougher than I thought it’d be. I could feel the air thinning as we scaled the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I never wanted to turn around though. Slogging through those rocky roads in the Big Bad Wolf with no signal and no Wi-Fi was something I hadn’t prepared for: but it always ends up being worth it.
We arrived at the Sheriff Jeep Fest and we felt the electricity in the air as soon as we stepped out of our cars. A smile zapped my face as soon as I saw it: a charming town full of Jeepers ready to indulge themselves in everything The First Mountain City has to offer.
We had Robbie Hoey, manager of Off-Road Wholesalers, with us: he and Cookie were a huge help in promoting all the products.
The first thing that caught our eyes was the outrageous obstacle course they had set up: a steep bounty hill full of rocks that Jeeps would try to scale, a mud pit about four or five feet deep that Jeepers literally had to tow themselves out of, then they had a car crushing section that was ridiculous to witness.
One of the most impressive Jeeps I’ve ever seen participated in the car-crushing and demolished those clunkers. It was a bare-bones Jeep with tires that held the chassis at least five feet above the ground, making it look like The Grave Digger.
But at the end of the day, I was approached by a customer with a Sharpie. She wanted my autograph on some products he installed. I was speechless. There’s nothing more gratifying than being recognized for doing the thing you love and showing appreciation to the people who allow you to do it. I took the Sharpie and signed right underneath the speakers.
That was crucial for me. It always warms my heart to be a part of making someone’s dreams come true. At that point, it becomes personal for me. I’ve worked my entire life in the audio industry and I never would have imagined anyone ever asking my opinion, let alone an autograph.
Getting together with everyone in the community at these shows helps put in perspective just how much what we’re doing means to everyone.
