The Sunday Mail
By Andrew Moyo
SCREECHING tyres, clouds of smoke from burning rubber, bursting tyres, deafening engine sounds, daredevil stunts, loud music and loud cheers characterised last weekend’s car-spinning exhibitions.
The Easter weekend saw adrenaline junkies and petrol-heads converging at Long Cheng Plaza for the Ultimate Easter Burnouts as well as the Easter Sunday Spinfest at Arcadia Sports Club.
Although the two events were arranged by different crews, LED collaborating with Ice Motors to host the Burnouts on Saturday while H-Town Spin-City hosted the Spinfest on the following day, the unity of purpose was evident with drivers from both camps coming through to support each other.
These thrilling car-spinning exhibitions have grown over the years and are proving to be excellent family hangout events, with thousands of revellers of varying age groups coming through to witness “life-threatening” stunts.
Of late, spinners from outside Zimbabwe have been featured on the line-ups and last weekend saw the participation of Costa Margaritis from Zambia as well as the legendary Saxton “The General” Leepile from Botswana, who usually steals the show at every event he takes part in.
Jadah, Fuzzy L, Goddy and Boss Ice, among others, who form the Ice Motors crew, thrilled thousands of people who thronged the Long Cheng Plaza with exceptional skills behind the wheel.
A line-up of DJs who included Selector Base and Legendary Sound’s Smiley kept the crowd entertained late into the night.
The centralised location of the venue played a significant role in the turnout as the event managed to establish a new fan base, as curious passersby from all walks of life ended up getting in just to see what the fuss was all about.
The gear was turned up a notch up as things got intense the following day at the Spinfest, which featured some of the most experienced spinners in the country who included Fat Cat, Spin Kid, Goofer and 15-year-old D Boy.
The General was supposed to take part at both burnouts but gearbox trouble saw him spending the greater part of Easter Saturday fixing up the car and his fans had to wait for Sunday to see him in action.
On the music front, DJ Rex and Raydizz were behind the decks unleashing hit after hit, ensuring that the Easter mood was kept on a high.
During some of the intervals, the crowd was also entertained by Flip Floppers, a dance group that is famous for their acrobatic stunts as well as their colourful suits which have earned them the nickname “Freezits” on social media.
Besides the spinning and stunts, burnouts also work as a platform for mechanical engineers to showcase their car-tuning prowess, judged by the power and handling of the modified mean machines.
Some of the cars that took part in both showpieces included Nissan Skylines, an Alteza, BMW 325s (Gusheshe), which is usually the car of choice for spinners and the legendary BMW E39 pick-up that has become a permanent feature at most spin festivals throughout the region.
The Sunday Mail caught up with The General, one of the most respected spinners in the region, on the sidelines of the Spinfest and he commended Zimbabwean spinners for the level they have reached in terms of experience.
“I believe Zimbabwean spinners are getting better and I think some of them are now surpassing South African spinners. I love coming to Zimbabwe because of the competition as well as the crowd, which is always showing me love,” he said.
With the phrase “caution this vehicle can start drifting or spinning at any time” stamped on the side of his E39, it is no surprise that The General is always getting speeding tickets.
“I used to drive every time I came here, but because I would always get in trouble with the police, I have opted to tow the car and fly instead.”
He started spinning when he was aged 15, tuning up his parents’ 4×4 truck so as to give it spinning capabilities.
He has participated in most of the major burnout events throughout the SADC region and has several accolades under his belt.
