Behind the Scenes at Cruise to the Pines

What’s the one thing that captures your attention when deciding which events to invest in year after year? Maybe it’s the friends who have become family or the coveted trophy you hope to hold in your hand. Whatever your choice, it most likely comes down to passion.

Perfect Poise Car Club knows this kind of passion. The guys work hard all year long to bring you Cruise to the Pines, one of the longest-running mini-truck car shows in the history of the sport. It’s been held since 2006—and, in our opinion, deserves to be a candidate for the 2020 Mini-Truck Hall of Fame!

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But what makes this custom car show so unique?

Let’s reverse back to 2006. How many of you have been to Phoenix in the summer? It’s hot. Very hot. One of the raddest things to do is take a drive up north to escape the desert heat. You can go from a cactus landscape to pine trees and forests in under two hours. Fourteen years ago, John Trevino, Mike Fetters and Brett Taylor of Perfect Poise Car Club jumped on the opportunity to gather their buddies and hang out in a much cooler environment.

“Over the years watching this show grow from Charles Armstrong’s parking lot with about 10 vehicles to 175 to 200-plus every year now is amazing,” says Fetters, a longtime member of Perfect Poise. “We couldn’t have done it without the support of all the sponsors and people who participate. We truly would like to thank all of you for keeping mini-truckin’ alive and well.”

The Cruise to the Pines adventure starts in Phoenix, just after the sun rises. Mini-truckers from all over the country bring out their custom rides to take the 75-mile cruise to Prescott, Arizona.

The show takes place at Watson Lake, a spot that includes a huge grass area where the vehicles are parked on Saturday during the show. You can reserve campsites during preregistration, and you can grab cool shots of your ride in front of some awesome views of the lake.

Every year, trophies are custom-made skate decks from artists and businesses in the automotive community from around the country. All the “Best of” awards have their own unique touch. Businesses like iKandy Paintworks, Bitchin’ Inc. Designs, Rick the Dutch and ChecM8 contribute to this authentic event.

CTTP 2019 brought well over 200 vehicles to the park, hundreds of custom automotive enthusiasts and vendors like Low Rider Depot, Frame & Glory and Grinder TV.