On the way to Oerol 2023. New car memories. Part 1: “Kiek, there it is BA”

The Oerol Festival on Terschelling is coming up, and I can't wait for it to happen again. I am a regular visitor to Oerol, which has a lot to offer for everyone. You can go to performances, but you can also use the festival to immerse yourself in a casual atmosphere of holiday and celebrate big parties all over the island. It is a little less obvious to pick up car memories during Oerol. Yet it worked effortlessly. On June 15th I will return to Terschelling with my friends. And in the run-up to that, I'd like to share some great car memories with you.

Last year around this time I wrote about one of the most illustrious editions I attended, the one in 2004. My football buddies and I crossed the Wadden Sea again with the brown fleet ship, partying and all. The destination was of course again the great Wadden Island. Off to freedom, to a weekend of uncomplicated enjoyment. And on to legendary stories, to history that had to stay on the island. It had and still has something magical.

Within such a setting, few people were interested in the ups and downs of the classic. But also in 2004, the number of old-timers worth seeing on Terschelling was large. I saw that when I went around the block. I spoke to the owner of a beautiful Ami 6 Break, came into contact with Renault 4 fans, and decided there - in West Terschelling - that my first classic car would be a VW 1303. And enjoyed the little 4 x 4 Suzukis, the countless Land Rovers and the Land Cruisers. Thumbs up, thumbs back. Not continuously, but in between the companies that car love unambiguously floated to the surface, and I got it back. Everything else was all about fun, celebrating, meeting acquaintances and strangers and having fun with our club.

I also had that fun when we sat on a terrace with the entire selection. We were all hungry and waiting for what would be served to us. Suddenly we heard roaring. engine roar, loud and clear. An American V8 sound. Not much later it was bingo. A pick-up with very thick wheels and a driver of the type bouncer with a very tough head slid into the street where we were sitting.

In that street it was busy, very busy. The Pick Up with Mister Fearless behind the wheel had to wait a while. The man was certainly not someone you could make fun of. Meanwhile, we saw his impatience grow right in front of us. Within our group there was rapid anticipation, you could feel that in everything. Sun calm before the storm atmosphere. And suddenly football buddy Achille said: “Kiek, there it is BA“. We knew immediately what he meant. The bursts of laughter that followed could probably be heard as far away as Harlingen. We really didn't get any more.

And then it happened. Suddenly the hymn of The A-Team sounded from our throats down the street. It was accompanied by about fifty hands drumming on the table. Our hands. The pick-up driver's fearless look was gone. He felt uncomfortable, became the farmer with a toothache and wanted to get on with it as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, the crowds in the street got in the way. But the ambling crowd moved aside and the Pick-Up driver was able to continue. The hymn went on for a while. And the fun afterwards too. The scene was hilarious. And for us it became the performance of the Oero edition of 2004.