(Editor's note: this article has been re-posted after recent stories were erased due to a problem with the Easy Reader web server). by Garth Meyer“Cruise at the Beach Legacy Car Show” has closed its two-and-a-half-decade run in Redondo Beach.Before the final event, Dec. 13, founder and organizer Darryl Boyd announced it is done. The weekly summer series became a subject of strife, according to Boyd, with new neighbor California Surf Club, coinciding with the City asking
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I feel for Mr. Boyd after so many years of dedication and offering a wonderful family friendly event. That said, he is now being petty and personal with those responsible for the parking lot. Time to let someone else sponsor and lead the next generation of car shows and follow administration policies. My best to Daryl and his personal agenda(s).
In MHO, the problem has mostly stemmed from Mr. Boyd’s aggressive attitude, inability to take criticism, and need for recognition regarding the car shows. He doesn’t seem to handle situations well and he seems to need to say he ran the car shows for 25 years when in fact, the family and he stepped away from them for 12 of those years. Larry Neville ran the car shows for those 12 years. We believe Covid happened, there was a pause in the shows, and Mr. Boyd insisted on running the shows after Covid opened back up.
We used to attend the car shows with our classic, along with a big group of friends but Mr. Boyd changed the atmosphere from the era of the oldies to loud hard rock n roll bands, became hostile towards some people and insisted that he deserved credit for all of the car show years, pushing Larry aside. When questioned about his lack of acknowledging someone who also ran the show for so long we were silenced by Mr. Boyd and unfriended on his Facebook page. Now it seems the same treatment he gave Larry is facing him down too.
We hope the car show resumes in 2026 with someone who can run the show with humbleness, patience and treat all attendees as friends. We will certainly look forward to supporting a new era of Classic Car Shows that peacefully runs itself under the new rules and fees. We will gladly pay for the privilege of parking our car in a parking space, whether the fee is $12 for parking or more, so the community can still enjoy the cars and the surrounding businesses can thrive from the attendance.
Mr. Boyd contradicts himself. First he said it’s not the permits he could afford them, then he says who in their right mind would pay up front and go in the hole. Which is it? For the record the City often negotiates payment after an event so the sponsor can generate the funds. So the operator would not have to pay all the fees at the start of the season. I’ve spoken to several who show their cars and several who are interested in running the show. When I asked what they thought of paying parking fees, they all felt that was fine. I loved the one response: “Do you know how much we spend on these cars? $2/hour to park is nothing…”
The miscommunication between City Staff and our harbor management company demonstrates exactly why there should be a permit. No “he said, she said”… all the terms written out clearly for all to see. Every other event in the harbor gets a permit. Time to formalize the agreement on the car show.
As to why none of the Council attended the last show (although I do think at least one walked through it), just read Mr. Boyd’s repeated personal attacks at Council Meetings and trolling on social media. Why would a council member walk into a potentially toxic public scene during a holiday celebration the spanned the whole pier and harbor?
In the end, I am confident we will have a car show in the harbor next summer. But it will have a proper permit.
Jim Light I’d about money, not about community.That show has been around longer than he has been in politics…. Thank you Jim for ruining a good thing.
Not sure how getting a permit and paying to park is ”ruining a good thing”. Three hours of parking costs less than two gallons of gas. Certainly that can’t be a deal breaker, can it? And while you blame it on me, perhaps you need to read the whole article. Not sure why Mr. Boyd is so opposed to getting a permit. A permit would have prevented the miscommunication between the harbor area manager and City Staff.
I am confident we will have a car show next year. Mr. Boyd is welcome to apply for a permit.
Cruise at the Beach was a signature event of Redondo Beach for a quarter of a century. That’s a community benefit and an impressive feat by anyone’s measure. It would have been great to see the Cruise continue, but Mr. Boyd just didn’t have the level of support from property owner/City government that it took to keep going. Thanks to the Boyd family, volunteers and participants over the decades for doing Redondo Beach proud!