H2O International is a gigantic annual car show in Maryland that’s known for three things: 1) the world’s lowest and most ridiculously built show cars all in one place, 2.) hoonage and debauchery that makes a frat party look tame, and 3.) more ticketing and impounding by Ocean City Police Department than you can ever imagine.
I had always wanted to attend as a journalist to cover what on the surface looks like a post-apocalyptic world leading up to the show itself. As long as we’re making zombie analogies, the sand bar that is Ocean City, Maryland swarms with cops who are all trying to control what many would consider to be the “Stance Virus.” After all that, an organized, self-contained, family-friendly event seems boring, no?
The city claims it’s following state laws by enforcing strict “safety regulations” on vehicle ride height, camber, lights and more. Whether it’s for safety or not, it’s hard to go to H2Oi and not get nailed.
My colleague Raphael Orlove and I went down to answer one question: Why do all these stanced car owners travel from all over the country to a place where, not only are they not welcomed, but also where they will also be ticketed, towed, and (in certain circumstances) arrested?
To help answer this pressing question, we had to pose as victims of the virus, and so we traveled down in my stanced and bagged Subaru Baja Turbo. We knew we would be at risk of punishment by the OCPD, but the facade would allow us to blend in better.
Watch us bravely report on this most pressing matter.