Gary Glover - President I have been a VIR/PCA member for over 10 short years. My wife and I found the group almost by accident; while living in Port Alberni, our oldest son noticed a group of Porsches passing through town every spring. My brother-in-law loaned us his 911 and we ventured to Tofino for a weekend. Well the Porsche Mystique must have chewed on us; within six weeks we owned a 1982 911SC. Over the next four years we ventured to a Parade and entered all events. This even fed the addiction more and we dragged more members to another Parade and started to tour the paved roads of Western Canada and Western US. I became active in the yearly “Spring To The River” event in Campbell River and helped on the executive as Up-Island Director and newsletter print person. The 911SC has moved on to new owners and a white 964 coupe now carries us. Porsches are meant to be driven. That is what I do most of, exercise them. But as a member once told me “A clean car is a happy car” (I think he was sniffing the wax again.) Impromptu drives in the summer or going over 100km to find milk are normal. Porsche builds the cars and gives them a soul, but we as owners give them life. Drive safe!!!!
Carolyn Hoare - Vice President How did I get here? By falling in love with a little Black 2002 Porsche Boxster on August 10th, 2006. This car - fondly named "Isabella" - has become a great hobby,
with fantastic friends. Who would have thought a car would introduce one to so many wonderful people? Isabella, through her love of being on the road, may go nowhere in particular - but who cares where one goes when driving a
Porsche - what matters is that you can!
Doug Hoare - Treasurer Upon purchasing Isabella, our 2002 black Boxster, in August of 2006, we decided to actually inform ourselves as to what exactly we now owned. Fortuitously, the very next VIR-PCA Executive Meeting was scheduled to take place in Nanaimo the following month. After being introduced to a group of like-minded and fun-loving fellow Porsche enthusiasts we quickly realized that it truly is not just about the cars, it's the people. I have thoroughly enjoyed serving as your Up-Island Director for the past two years and am looking forward to my new role as Club Treasurer. Here's to more great Drives in 2009 - and an ever-expanding list of related events.
Secretary - Rajesh Rao
Brad Blaney - Membership I purchased my first Porsche way back in 1975. It was a sunshine yellow 914 with a 1.7 litre engine and only 6000 miles on the clock. I loved that car and enjoyed it 5 years. Two more 914’s and then a 1984 944 followed. While I appreciated the ride, handling, 70 more horsepower and QUIET of the 944, I soon missed not having a convertible. So I purchased my current Porsche, a 1995 968 Cabriolet. It rides and handles even better than the 944, has 86 more horses and of course, I can again drive with the wind in my hair!
My association with the Porsche club began when I joined in 1997. I served as the club Secretary in 2000 & 2001 and have been involved with membership matters since 2005. I’ve auto crossed, cruised to up island events, attended show and shines, tech nights, breakfast drives, banquets and Parade. I can be found most Sunday mornings having coffee with the gang. Come join us!
Conrad Peden - Competition I bought first Porsche in 1993, a Signal Orange 72' 914, and (as a gift from
my wife) been member since 1994.
Activities in the club are primarily Autocross and supporting some charity
events, time(family) permitting.
Over the years my corral of of 914's has grown and, like stray puppies, I
haven't been able to turn one away. I now have two more 914's both 73's
and they have a friend over to play, a 71 914 with aspirations of becoming
more 'Porsche' than its previous incarnation. Hopefully somewhere around the
low 2.? L turbo six. Ya never know, I've seen some pretty odd powerplants
shoehorned into 914's.
Ya Baby, lets autocross!!
Trevor Minta - North Island Director Although I have been a Porsche owner for 18 years, I have only spent the last 4 as a VIR. member. It has made going for a drive that much more enjoyable. I got involved with the planning of the 08 Crown Isle event, and it was that witch prompted me to become the up island director. My current car is an 89 Carrera (and yes I will fix the oil leak before the spring.) There has also been a 944 and a very modified 914.
So, I look foreword to helping plan and organize the up coming year of events for a great group people..........
Virginia MacDonald - WebMs and South Island Director I have been a website designer since 1999, with several award-winning sites in my portfolio. I enjoy being an Autocross participant and was very surprised to be named "Rookie of the Year" when I started. Before I discovered Autocross, I was involved in competitive rowing and was awarded my first gold medal by Silken Laumen. The search is on to find my Porsche.
Al Sherwood - Newsletter Hmmmm, where to start, I would have to say that my first auto experience was in junior high school in Power Mechanics class, we stripped a VW Beetle down to it's chassis and cut about a foot out of the middle then welded the 2 halves back together. Of course this was not really a 'street legal' car so we got permission from the principal to drive it around the school field. It was quite the hoot, no body, no windshield and I don't even recall seat belts! Everybody in the class got a chance behind the wheel, it was official, I had the fever (and who knew mid life started so soon?)!
Back in 1997 I saw my first Boxster, parked outside of the Thatch on Hornby Island, and I remember thinking that I could drive a car like that. It wasn't until 2005 while tooling around in my RX-7 that I decided it was time to try that open air experience and the search for a convertible was started. I looked a number of contenders, but none showed the promise and practicality of the Boxster. I searched and eventually found a 2003 model in Vancouver, a ferry ride to Vancouver was all it took to put me in the driver's seat, it was done, signed, sealed and driven home in just a matter of hours! Today I have a 2006 Boxster which Jacquie and I drove to Porsche Parade in San Diego and also to Portland International Raceway to participate in a Drivers Education session. When the weather improves we plan on going south again and log more track time, there is nothing quite like putting on the helmet, sliding behind the wheel and driving as fast (and safely) as possible around the track with a bunch of other crazies, um, err, enthusiasts!
My dream would be to take European delivery of a custom ordered Boxster S...
Rick Kroeker - Past President I have really enjoyed my years on the executive, as VP, Pres and now Past Pres........and I hope to spend lots more years working with this great group of Porsche nuts. Speaking of nuts, the new Pres is quite an enthusiast, so try and keep up with him if you can! I am on my 3rd 911 in five years, so I must be a fickle Porsche owner, or I just can't make up my mind. I do love the cars though, and I am looking forward to 2008 as a great year for Crown Isle, Autocross and many more fun drives all over the Island and maybe beyond. My greatest wish is that more members would step forward and offer to help out here and there, the executive spends many many thankless hours trying to make the club fun for all, and it would be so nice if more members would help in organizing events, drives and so on to make this club even more fun! Many thanks to all the hard working members of the exec and others who have helped out in past years, we do appreciate you!