Scion Life

Some newbies out there might think of Scion as just another automotive manufacturer spewing out small gas saving cars designated by variations of 2 or 3 letters with alternating cases. For those who really know, it’s much more than that. Scion owners are a breed of enthusiasts that cannot be duplicated. Their passion for Scion is unparalleled. It’s not a hobby, it’s a life. It’s the Scion Life.

When the first xB was unveiled in North America back in 2003, Toyota took a risk to start a new brand and bring over their rolling box 
into our market. The quirky styling of the first generation Scions were different from anything available at the time. Were people ready for the xB? You bet they were. In the first year, almost 100,000 Scions were sold and hit a chord with every demographic. In the blink of an eye, you would see xB’s and xA’s being represented by tuners, fabricators, racers, hip hoppers, families, old people, and young people. It was at this point that everyone recognized the Scion Life and the industry would never be the same.

Fast-forward to present day and you can’t drive one city block without seeing a Scion, either stock or fixed up. In Vancouver, Mati Ma of 604 Scion saved up his money for nearly four years in order to buy the xB that he always wanted (that’s a lot of top ramen lunches and dinners). Mati enjoys the west coast cult status of Scion but sees it spreading quickly through Canada on the eastern borders. Canadians will have no trouble customizing their rides according to Mati, “There are tons of companies making parts for Scions in a gazillion styles so it’s easy to start fixing up your car right away, customized to your own style.” His rapidly expanding group provides support, event coverage and meet-up details to BC owners and enthusiasts.

There are thousands of diehard Scion owners that devote their lives to a brand that fully embraces their supporters, which is rare in this day and age. I guarantee that if I grabbed 100 Scion owners off of the street, their descriptions of the lifestyle would have miniscule variations, if any at all. In fact, we chased down a couple more Scion owners just to prove that point.

Martin Trujillo reminisces about his first encounter with Scion as “funky, cool, and different. Like nothing I had ever seen before.” He’s met so many people by modding up his Scion that he couldn’t get out of the Scion Life if he tried, not that he wants to. When we asked Kirby Quinto what set Scion owners apart from the rest, he said “We don’t steal from each other. To me, Scion owners are how automobile enthusiasts should be. We show togetherness and embrace any new owners that introduce themselves in the scene. It’s not about how your car looks or how fast. It’s about you as a person showing love for the Scion brand.”

Scion Life is more than just a trend, it’s a worldwide movement. And if you’re lucky enough to be reading this from the front seat of your new Scion this new world will soon open up to you in time. Just remember to continue spreading the Scion Life to everyone that you come in contact with to ensure that the daisy chain will never end.

Scion Life was originally published in Issue 3 of Scion Magazine. To read more, visit scion.ca/magazine

B-Kyu Gurume

While some people dread the end of summer, we look forward to the arrival of national fairs like the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) and the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) and the culinary offerings that come with it. Last year, we discovered the Thanksgiving Waffle by Fran’s Restaurants at the CNE – a combination of Canadian tradition and comfort food. This year, we hear they’ve got Poutine Balls and a Baonana Split that reminded us of something we discovered in Japan called “B-kyu gurume.” Learn more about the inexpensive delicious trend that’s taken the world one bite at a time.

Japanese cuisine is changing. Here in Canada, long gone are the days when “Japanese cuisine” was just a synonym for sushi. And in Japan, the culinary scene seems to have finally escaped the looming shadow of Michelin stars and traditional, multi-course “kaiseki” dinners. But that doesn’t mean a country renowned for its cuisine has taken a gastronomic nosedive – quite the contrary, in fact.

The last several years have seen the rise of “B-kyu gurume” – literally, “B-grade gourmet.” The translation is a bit of a misnomer as B-kyu does not denote low quality. However, it certainly renounces fancy mood lighting and stuck-up waiters. Furthermore, a large part of the appeal of B-kyu gurume is how it counters the pretentious notions of the high-end A-kyu cuisine, liberating food lovers from the golden shackles that Japan essentially built its dining reputation on. Its popularity has grown to include dedicated magazine guides and TV shows. There are even major food festivals surrounding the movement.

So what is it, exactly?

The Japan Times defines B-kyu as “inexpensive, down-home cooking that reflects local culinary traditions.” “Everyone describes it differently, but for me B-kyu is a soulful food. It has to be delicious, cheap and made with quality ingredients,” says Koji Yamamoto, owner of Yakko Izakaya in Osaka. “My favourite thing about B-kyu is how we mix in other cultural foods with our traditional cuisine to create something new. It’s a dish made up of different countries.”

At its heart, B-kyu looks a lot like the same food craze that has swept Canada in recent years: slightly elevated, blessedly cheap, and cheerful comfort food. For Shinji Yamaguchi, who spent years eating his way through Japan and now runs Toronto’s Gushi street food stall, it’s about fun and sheer enjoyment: “B-kyu gurume is not fancy, you can eat it aggressively, and it looks good and tastes good – like junk food.”

Written by Nelson Tam. B-Kyu Gurume was featured in Issue 7 of Scion Magazine. To read more, visit scion.ca/magazine

In Pursuit of Sasquatch

Tucked away deep in the greenery of British Columbia is a hulking creature that has surprisingly won our hearts. The Sasquatch (or Bigfoot, or Grass Man, or Skunk Ape, or simply “Harry”) has been a celebrity in the west for far longer.

“He’s a contemporary cultural icon,” states Adam McGirr of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club (BCSCC), an association dedicated to the research and preservation of Sasquatch and other cryptids (unknown creatures). “Kids love him, and Quatchi’s become a representative of Canada,” McGirr enthuses.

But while Quatchi is upbeat, huggable and the life of the party, the real Sasquatch is intimidatingly large and, despite its popularity, incredibly elusive. Sasquatch sightings have grown fewer and farther between as of late, possibly due to a decrease in population.

The BCSCC isn’t deterred by Sasquatch’s recent elusiveness, though, McGirr is one of over 70 intrepid Sasquatch Investigators with the BCSCC that commit their free time to interviewing witnesses and pursuing the truth behind Bigfoot. Their location is key: the west coast of Vancouver has the highest concentration of sightings in North America, since food is plentiful for the omnivore – a feast of salmon, deer livers, and rodents is readily available.

“Bigfoot has been everywhere,” remarks John Kirk, President and Chief Investigator, who sits down with McGirr to share his personal encounters. “Sightings have been reported in every province except for Prince Edward Island. These sightings have been amidst wildlife, and in suburban areas near highways and civilization.”

Of course, Sasquatch enthusiasts are not without challengers. Sasquatch skeptics often hold campaigns against the critter, dismissing both the existence of and the expeditions in search of the creature as the stuff of crackpots. “Belief is one thing, conclusion is another,” Kirk states boldly.

The Pursuit of Sasquatch was featured in Issue 2 of Scion Magazine. To read more visit: scion.ca/magazine

Interview with Ben Woo, Vice-President of Formula D Canada

It’s hard to have a conversation about Canadian car culture without mentioning the name Ben Woo.

His current title – Vice President of Sales and Partnerships of Formula Drift Canada, doesn’t come close to explaining the impact and influence this man has had on the car scene. It would be hard to start; Ben was the man behind one of the biggest car shows in Canada - Sport Compact Performance (SCP), but he is also partly responsible for launching Drift Mania Canadian Championship (DMCC), managing the Performance Zone at the Montreal Auto Show, and then there’s his involvement with the fishing industry but we’ll save that story for another day. We tracked down the perpetually busy Ben to ask a few questions about his passion-filled career and upcoming events with Formula Drift.

Let’s rewind a little, some of us know that you’re no stranger to the car scene. But for those that don’t know, tell us a little bit about your background?

I started a show called Sport Compact Performance in 1999, which would become one of Canada’s most anticipated car shows. After years of staying at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, we set out on a cross-country tour with SCP Nights from Halifax to Vancouver. After producing over 150 custom car shows, I helped launch DMCC – the original Canadian drifting series with Alex Crepault. Building on my passion for motorsports, I moved on to the Grand Prix as the director of sponsorships. Eventually, I branched out on my own and started an agency – called WooDoo Events and consulted on programs for major automotive manufacturers. I am also still in charge of the Performance Zone at the Montreal Auto show which I have been managing since the days of SCP.

How did you get involved with Formula D and the world of drifting?

My protégé during SCP, David Da Soma was heavily involved in the grassroots drift scene of Montreal. He saw an opportunity to elevate its presence in Canada. So we held an event called SLIDE in 2012 to gauge the level of interest of drift fans locally and quickly learned that our fans were not only wanting more, they deserved something special. The only thing we needed was to find the right partner. FD was the natural choice; it's a brand that was not only thriving in the U.S. but also expanding rapidly around the world. We approached them, put together a great team to make it happen and we couldn’t be more excited.

So what can we expect for Round 1 of FD Canada?

Well we’ve committed to a competition that’s really big. It’s a full series that leads up to a grand finale in September. We have launched a 3-round qualifier series to find Canada’s top 16 drivers. Round One will be in Montreal, Round Two is going to be in Montmagny and Round 3 is in Trois Rivieres. Different from last year’s competition where we only had a few top drivers, this year’s event will be critical for the global series of FD. Canadian drivers will have the opportunity to go head to head with some of the world’s best drivers as they battle for a coveted spot in the inaugural World Championship in China.

We really didn't realize how popular this would be. We were expecting about 30 teams to register this year, but we’ve got 41 teams enrolled from 3 provinces. I guess they heard we’ve got 4 Pro-2 licenses up for grabs so they can compete in the US series.

We’ve also launched a new online ticketing system where you can purchase tickets with reserved seating with the option of an ultimate fan package with exclusive features like line bypass and early access. Early ticket sales are going well and the event looks promising.

Will you be judging the competition? What do judges look for? Any advice for competitors?

Unfortunately I will not be a judge. In order to standardize the competition, we will be using official FD judges. Our three judges are Haig Kanadjian, Kevin Grenier and Brian Eggert.

The judges base their scores on very simple criteria – they’re looking for: driving line – how close can the car stick to the driving line – the fastest way between two corners? Next is angle – how much angle can they generate while traversing the course and always staying sideways? Then there’s speed – how fast are they drifting? When we first started cars barely made 200 hp, nowadays we have people driving cars with over 800 hp! Finally, judges look at style – we call it the x factor. It’s the flair, the driver’s ability to evoke a response from the crowd, how wide you are when you lead, how close you stay to your completion?

My advice for competitors is to remember that this is FD – you can’t hold anything back. There are a lot of new challengers this year and you will be up against powerful cars with drivers who are not scared of giving everything they’ve got. So come prepared.

We’ll let Pat know! So tell us, will we ever see an FD Canada event in other cities outside Quebec?

You bet your bottom dollar! We wouldn’t call it FD Canada if we only wanted to stay here. Our main focus this year will be expanding to Ontario in 2016. We’ll continue making our way across the country so know that we are definitely heading your way.

Great news! So what’s the best part about being in motorsports?

The best part is the smell of high-octane race fuel and burnt rubber in the morning but what I love most is the look on my kids’ faces when they try to figure out what I do for a living.

Just wait until they turn 16! What’s next for Ben Woo?

SCP. That’s what’s next. After a long hiatus, I’ve decided to bring back SCP for 2016. I'm so excited and the feedback that we’ve been getting is tremendous. We’re planning to feature different genres of automotive culture, but expect the best of the best. Friends and fellow car enthusiasts from back in the day have been reaching out since we announced our return and while many of us have grown up, our shared passion still remains. I’m even planning to have a daycare on the premises. Ha!

Well we can’t wait to hear more. Thanks so much for your time Ben, is there anything else you’d like to add?

Thanks to Scion for the support and stay tuned for news about SCP and our national domination of drifting. We want to bring it everywhere and we hope to see you at one of our events this summer!

Check out the first episode of FD Canada's Inside Angle featuring Scion Racing Driver Pat Cyr and former Tuner Challenge contestant Dany "Babu" Bernier.

2015 Tokyo Auto Salon: Wide Bodies, Wheels, and Walking...Oh My.

To kick off our first post of the year, we are sharing our most recent trip to Japan for Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS).

While we love going to any car show, TAS is definitely one of our favourites. Not only because it involves a visit to Japan, but also because of the incredible cars that we find when we land.

TAS is an annual show that brings out the fastest, wildest and sometimes most curious vehicles from all across Japan. Held at Makuhari Messe, just outside of Tokyo. 879 customized cars were on display for the three-day show that attracted a record attendance of 309,649 people from all across the world.

On the way into the show, we spent some time in the parking lot and were pleasantly surprised to find a number of Scion’s including a couple tC’s (they are not available for sale in Japan), xB’s and iQ’s.

Inside, we navigated the aisles checking out the latest products and project cars from manufacturers and tuning shops alike. From wide-bodies to wheels, there was no shortage of modifications aimed to improve performance, styling or comfort. If you read our latest issue of Scion Magazine, you might recognize some of these builds from Kuhl Racing, Rocket Bunny and Weld Overdose.

We also stopped by the Area 86 booth and met Takaho Furukawa, Chief Designer of the Scion FR-S. He served us a cup of “86 blend” coffee, inspired by the legendary Hachiroku and available exclusively at the June Berry Café in Nagoya.

If 11 halls weren't enough for us, we stepped outside and braved the cold to check out the D1 Grand Prix Kick Off Drift demonstration. A select group of drivers performed synchronized drift routines and head-to-head races for the crowd.

With memory cards filled and tired feet, we returned home excited for the start of another year of great cars and exciting events. Be sure to follow us on instagram @scioncanada for more photos and behind-the-scenes coverage as show season shifts into high gear! #staytuned