I got to meet most of these individuals at the Forbidden Fantasy Canada Show and Shine 2022 event in Blackfalds Alberta. The event now takes the place of the Battle at the Bridge event held in Lethbridge prior to the pandemic. Put on with short notice the event was a great day out on the grass with a nice break from the heat wave we had been having prior to the event. Food Trucks, Vendors, mini truckers, and clubs were in attendance with top 15 awards and Best of Show. Even though the show was held by the mini truck club, all vehicles were welcome, and respect was shown to all styles in the top 15 including muscle cars, rat rods, mini trucks, lowriders, etc. I had a blast at the event and was told that it was pretty tame compared to the usual annual show. With more time to plan the event for 2023, it should blow this one out of the water.
I’m sure everyone has spotted the infamous ‘Forbidden Fantasy’ logo or the ‘FFF’ logo in the mini truck scene and are aware of their existence but what you may not know is that they have gone worldwide with chapters all over including Canada.
In 2012, Lethbridge raised and now Innisfail Residents, Rich Shewchuk (long time mini trucker, and now Canadian Chapter President) and his wife Jilly (who in my personal opinion was very much the cool club mom) talked to Brian Goude (Club President) in SoCal about petitioning to start a Canadian Chapter and petition as the first members of the chapter. In 2013, the plan came to fruition and they began to recruit local friends in the scene including Kevin Balmer, Clint Taylor, Mark Ratkovic (Canadian Chapter Vice President), Alan Lothian, Dale Kwas, Crag Inkster, and Grant Browne.
The chapter has grown to 19 full members Including Rich and Jilly’s daughter Preston debuting her 1993 maroon Mazda b2600i (bottom of page 51). The club is full of local iconic vehicles and businesses of central Alberta including Overkill Customs (owned by Rich himself) and his wife’s 1991 S10 Blazer ‘Kandy’(page 43), Sidicate Auto Salon (part owner Kevin Balmer) and his (2008 Subaru WRX), Tomahawk Customs (Owner Mark Ratkovic) and his 2008 GMC Sierra 1500, and many more. The chapter is coming up on its 10-year anniversary next year....
Read more on the Club in the magazine, order your print now or read online for free at
https://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/2324588
