Forget about what you consider a traditional hop show to look like. This year's event in Phoenix redefined the hydraulic competition by adding a few significant rule changes designed to provide a little more excitement to one of the most unique events in all of auto sports. Those of you who were lucky enough to have attended this year's event might have noticed that it's no longer strictly a hydraulic competition. In past years' competitions we have been able to create teams from annual regional competitors. This year, however, all of the rules have been thrown out the window, and the hydraulic competition has been completely revamped. The hydraulic portion has now become an invitational, allowing us to bring you only the best of the culture's hydraulic exhibitionists.
With all the rules out the door except for the important "getting stuck" rule, the competitors could do whatever they needed to do within the confines of safety for the spectators. This was as close to a no-holds-barred hopping contest as you could ever find in an event while still maintaining a safe environment for the enthusiastic crowd. For the height portion of the event, a measuring stick is brought in to measure the ultimate height that each car clears without getting stuck. The highest car wins this portion which is very easy to judge as it typically ends in sudden death with the highest car taking home the ultimate prize and each lower car taking second, third, and fourth respectively. There are usually three competitors per class, allowing an elimination between them to decide the final bragging rights. The car dance hydraulic competition is setup to get our crowd more involved, as there is no actual judging system-the crowd decides the winner by a show of applause.
Now let us show you how the first hydraulic invitational went, with ten guys giving their all and doing their thing for the crowd.