Slammedenuff Gatlinburg, Tennessee 2022. We committed to Slammedenuff Gatlinburg for one of the biggest car shows in North America. Last year we had Violet around the same time, so this year, I promised my USA staff and internet friends that we would come to help run the booth and meet everyone. I shipped 10 boxes to them, and we made 200 show-exclusive shirts for the show. When it came to the show weekend, we took 4 check-in suitcases and stuffed them with 100 shirts each. All of our carry-ons were full of extra small goods and stickers.
The flights to Gatlinburg were long, with a bunch of layovers. Calgary to Toronto, Toronto to Atlanta, Atlanta to Knoxville, Knoxville to Gatlinburg. We ended up flying with Luminous Tints there, who booked the same flights as us. After about 14 hours of travel, we finally made it to Gatlinburg on Thursday, 2 days before the show. We did a few touristy things like the suspension bridge and downtown before going to our mansion to meet some of our people. It's crazy to meet people in real life that you've been talking to for years online or over the phone but never met in real life face to face. The tattoos are indeed real and permanent. The next day we did a few more touristy things like Anakeesta, the world's largest knife store, gem mining, and a few local restaurants.
Saturday, we got to the show at 8 am to set up. We got there a little late, so our staff had already set up our booth. The show itself was INSANE. 40,000 spectators and 500 of the cleanest stance cars from all over North America. We had a long lineup at the booth on both days, selling out of mostly everything. We had 8 people running around at the booth talking to people, getting sizes, working the card machine, taking in cash, or grabbing an item from the back. I signed 50+ autographs and took photos with some of my biggest supporters over the years. Without these internet friends, the brand would not be what it is today. After flying back home 14 hours the Monday, we took a few days off to recover.
Thank you so much for stopping by the booth, buying something, saying hi, taking a photo with us, getting an autograph, or simply meeting in person for the first time after knowing each other online for years. We appreciate each and every single one of you. The brand would not be what it is today without you; see you next year!
- Brandon Yuen