Never Summer

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It has been a year since co-owners Paul Walker and Roger Rodas of Always Evolving Performance passed away in a horrific car accident. 

While you may or may not love the Fast and Furious movie franchise as much as I did, the car culture today would not have been the same without the underground car scene exposure the original movies brought forth. Now, one may argue that the most recent movies aren’t even about street racing or the modifying cars anymore, but it’s the growth and evolution of our culture crossing paths with high intensity “geared towards the general public” action movie mantra. 

Growing up with these movies with Paul Walker in his prime, this certainly strengthen my ongoing love towards cars. When it boils down to the basics, there are always going to be differences between Imports and Muscle, but there’s nothing like friendly banter between the multitudes of the automotive world. I am not telling you to love every single make or model out there, but having an appreciation to the work put in by each owner goes a long way. There are many instances that I dislike how one owner approached the “composition” of their car, where I would offer constructive criticism but ultimately, however they plan to move forward will be their own decision.

Off-screen, Paul Walker is as genuine as they come, working alongside his organization Reach Out Worldwide, lending a helping hand, experiencing first-hand the hardships some have to endure on a regular basis, and stepping up to the plate to find solutions for on-going issues. It’s rare to see a celebrity legitimately be that involved in their charities (not taking a jab at others by any means) and it was certainly refreshing and certainly heartwarming to see. For many, including myself, we can’t be that invested in these roles given our education commitments and situations but, as I have done in the past and currently, there are many local (turned global) projects out there that speak on a similar level to Paul’s work. (I am by no means forcing you to only work with Reach Out Worldwide since I linked their site on this post, nor am I singularly endorsing/non-paid promoting their organization, but rather offering a place to start if you are seriously interested in making a positive difference. I know the majority of this blog’s followers are American, so I felt that it’d be a good area to focus on. For followers who are Canadian (like me) or International, feel free to message me for more “direction” if you will about helping out and making a positive impact.

Roger Rodas and Paul Walker co-owned Always Evolving Performance (AE Performance) and their work to cater to the SoCal car enthusiast scene was greatly received by those who reside in the area and were lucky enough to experience it. For many, you have seen his “secret” car sanctuary and know that he was more than just an actor who invested money with Rodas to make a Shop/Racing Team happen but actually lived and breathed this lifestyle, one that we all can say that we share(d).

Sorry for the long-winded message and hope you all have a good one today.

[ Windells: Session 4 - Summer 2014 ]

Riders: Halldor Helgason, Louie VIto, Toby Miller, Justin Norman, Mike Gray, Jared McDaniel, Jesse Paul, Max Tokunaga, Melissa Evans, Steph Sue Feld, Ryan Lanham, Jeff Hopkins, Reid Smith, Chris Frost, Matt Chase, Erik Leon, Max Lyons, Cody Lee and Nick Visconti

Song: “Gamma Ray” by Beck