DRIFTING BY DIGITS
The South Island’s West Coast is associated more closely with storm clouds than those created by sustained loss of tyre traction. The area’s well known for its breathtaking natural scenery, definitely not for retina-tearing liveries clinging to acutely sculpted fibreglass bodywork. Finally, the crash of the Tasman Sea against rugged shorelines is far more prominent than the scream of an RB or SR engine bashing the limiter, backfiring while hooking gears, and blasting spent gases through an external gate on the way to the next apex.
But, for a trio of good ol’ slidey boys from Reefton, a small town just inland of Greymouth, the area is synonymous with both. Tourism New Zealand might push the grandeur and beauty of the Coast’s natural splendour, but, for Kieran Meijer, Mark Connell, and Aaron Andrews, it’s a region where an affinity for modifying cars — and, perhaps most important, doing it all alongside your good mates — was born.
“There’s, like, 1200 people at best in the town, so if you share common interests with someone, you’re pretty much going to be friends,” Kieran quips.
The bond between Kieran and Aaron began at just eight years old, as they played rugby alongside each other, while, a few years later, Mark showed up in town.
“We grew up together, chased girls together, hung around the skate park being youths, and, in the end, all got the same wallet-crippling hobby of drifting,” we were told.
The transition to sliding was natural for the trio. For all of its small-town charm, Reefton has one hell of a skate park, albeit a somewhat
