couldnt agree more, the shows are supposed to be fun, but above all they should be a learning experience. there is s distinct relationship between being very competitive and possibly winning and the expereince that you have competeing, ie, presentation, system knowledge etc, stuff htat really has nothing to do with how good your car stereo sounds or is installed, althought they are very important, the best sounding car doesnt always win, its the individual who sits behing the wheel that more often that not will determine who wis and who doesnt, getting up and being an a$$hole and a poorsport will only make you look bad to all the people that will be judging your ride at the next show, and beer and crown royal should be as madatory as trophies at every car audio show

I think in most of life’s events there are casual and serious competitors. Winning is easy, loosing is easier... which do you think you should be better at... (winning and loosing gracefully is much harder).
I have seen issues in IASCA, USACi, and even MECA that illustrate poor losing (and some poor winners). The norm in MECA is fun, USACi is more serious but usually a good time, and IASCA seems easy going but there is intensity behind the veil. I think fun and games is fine but I think the old adage “winning is more fun than loosing” is not a bad one to adopt. If you compete you had better get used to loosing, you do not have to like it but you will get schooled sooner or later.

Shows are alot funner now then they were in the early and middle 90's.................everything was so new that so much of it was a secret.........people relyed on those secrets to win back in the day.....................alot of the main competitors were the worst...................The Speakerworks guys were brutal...........PJ's was rude most of the time...................CARS wasn't bad.....but they were still always locked up................

I think comps are we more open and fun then they were when I first started.......

I would agree, I got to sit in and listen to every car I wanted to at IASCA in Memphis (except for Mark Eldridge, but he was having starting difficulty). Pretty much everyone shared answers on almost any question I had.

^ would it be true to say there was more $$ awards (money makes people act funny...) and there was more bad science then (or more BS)

Oh for sure.............in 1997 I got $5000 US for my Iasca World Championship in Expert SQ+ and $1750 for my 3rd in SQ.............and all the other years I placed at finals I got money.........hell in my first year at finals in 92 I got 4th and I got $2000................

dave i like your opinion on how sound off are done. i agree completely that a SOUND OFF should be just that, now its nice to have a clean car and a good insall, but its a sound off, not install off or car shine off. at nascar no body gets first for having the best stickers on the car, i think install should be considered as well as car presentation, ie at least wash your car and vacume it out so its a little easier for the judges to get near without getting dirty, and there should be three seperate judges, throw out the highest and lowest score and add up the rest. just a thought

I don't agree with the beer and the crown though...................I have spend one....well dozens of shows WAY to hung over the next morning........and maybe still drunk...................hard to wash a car when you can't get vertical................. :D

IMO the booze should be kept until after the show. I get very agitated at individuals drinking during a show - especially officials.

With what Randy mentioned about scoring - Over the years the install judging has moved to points for safety and proper install practices with only bonus scoring (in some classes) rewarding flashy cosmetics. And the car should be clean - it IS a car show. If one loses on either then really the systems both sounded good and the person with the better install should win.

1- Booze- a legal nightmare, if there is an accident the show could be liable (liquor license?). Mouthy sober competitors turn into complete drunk jerks. A judge etc. should never drink. Now drinking at night at a multi day event... that is cool

2- Money awards- bring em back!

3- I am also a big fan of segregating SQ/ SPL/ car show from each other. An SQ contest is just that the better sounding car should win. Now IASCA and USACi include overall car appearance, level of installation, IASCA/USACi stickers on windows and so on. I competed in USACi and MECA last year. The USACi score sheet encouraged me to improve my installation and my system and car appearance and I did. I did most of my USACi shows prior to May, I then started my MECA shows and had to improve my SQ to be vaguely competitive in MECA since they only do safety inspection (pass/ fail) and extensive SQ. Both are good formats, I enjoyed MECA a lot more (I too think more of SQ than install) BUT for real pride of ownership both are important!