The word "drift" and "drifting" nowadays...your thoughts?
 

You know, years ago when i started getting into cars i already knew what this stuff was. This is back when i had my FC RX-7 in late 2000. It was a little thing i kept to myself, this 'drifting' shit. When i got my first Miata, it was a little bit more known (circa summer of 2002), so i made the name that still kinda sticks around today. Sure, i got some flack for it at first... but after getting a few credible titles to my name i got some respect. Then the videos came. Some of you might have seen them....the ones with the white NA n/a Miata tearing up some parking lots. Apparently they became some kind internet gold among some Miata people.

But things have changed. In the past 2 yrs or so, it seems like everything that has to do with RWD cars and tuning automatically means "im a drifter". Everytime i turn around i see something about "what suspension do i need to drift?" or "i building a car for drift[ing]" or any other concoction of similar subjects. It's getting old....fast. Yes?

In my opinion, its a fad that should be over. Sure the pro events are still cool to watch, but on a amateur level... it's gone to shit. Things like that thread that got locked make me embarrassed to say i have anything to do with "drifting". Hell, even on CR. I made a comment to someone on there (long story) as retaliation for a previous attack on one of my threads, and it jsut so happened he had a picture of a bumper sticker that was like "Stop drifting, you suck" and several people made comments back telling me not to get offended by the drifting sticker.....shit, i never even said anything about it (because i agree with it lol).

Do i think i have some kinda "OG" status when it comes to drifting? Kinda, but im not running around claiming to be the first/best/only one or anything like that. I just kinda keep that knowledge to myself for the most part. I have since pretty much dropped participating in any drifting and am focusing on starting track days.

So what do you guys think when the word "drift" or any similar term is brought up now? Mostly fan boyzzzzz thinking that using the word 'drift' makes them cooler? Should the sport die away? I mostly agree with such statements.

End rant-ish like statemnt, begin discussion.


btw... can forum names be changed here?

it was old ten years ago. it's like extreme roller blading or freestyle walking.

in combination with the words "Fast and the Furious" it creates the best of the trilogy, but still not my cup of tea, cause "my pockets aint empty cuz"

people that drift and are normal are not the problem, nothing wrong with those, the ones that go around talking a big game and have no proof and tYpz lik thiiis i cant stand, i tend to just ignore them competely
drifting is interesting to watch IMO, and i do not hate on actual drifters, just the wanna beeeezzzz

watching it on ESPN is nowhere as interesting as watching a Peugeot kick ass on the Nurburgring

+65435432456742

Hell I dont even like watching the pro drifting anymore. It was interesting for about a day.

oh, and in case some of you were wondering what vids i was talking about.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Ds7H--ktfQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ff62b...eature=related


lol@Scott and free style walking... that shit was uberghey

Whaaaamx5 - you make a good point.... "those" people..... i wish i could kick them.

I also have to say that the "Americanized" version of drifting totally sucks ass. I swear, every American sport, or sport that Americans try to copy always gets turned into pure shit. I still don't mind watching some of those crazy guys in the mountains of Japan and the Pro Japanese drifting (some of the cars really car cool). But the American idea of drifting is so profoundly fucked up. Watching some of the "true drifting" videos, you can clearly see its about car control.... not always about big angle and smoke... but whatever it takes to get from turn to turn...even if its "low angle".

drifters have sweet profiles

http://forum.miata.net/vb/member.php?userid=48299

Edit: I dont really enjoy watching drifting much but when the opportunity arises, I'll lay down a patch. It's fun as hell.

I agree, spectating is... well... yawn. It's too passive for me, I'd rather watch wheel-to-wheel combat. But for that matter autoX isn't much fun to watch either. My appreciation for autoXing comes from actually participating and realizing just how difficult it is to make a respectable autoX run.

But the "OG" status, which I can lay claim to, is this:

As a "sport", it sucks. As a parking lot thrill, it's old.

But, when people can control their cars very well in a 4 wheel drift around a tight turn on the track, it's beautiful. The only people I know that can do this real well honed their skills in the parking lots in the first place:eek:

**edited post #8**

I hear ya.. i don't even really like to call it a "sport" because its WAY to subjective/political. Sports reward the best at what their doing.... and i know for a fact that NOT the case when it comes to judged drifting.

I know that when i say "OG" and have been doing it for 7yrs sounds silly, but i just see it like that for the amount of time it has been popular in the states.

those videos are at least 5 years old. the dude iirc used to actually drift in competitions. he's god. just like mr. smoke-stack-pink-hello-kitty-tandem-man-on-man-fuck-face.


fwiw, i watched a drift event at a hyperfest two years back. all the acutal racers went to watch since their events were over for the day. no one cheered until some 240 smashed his car. the most boring thing i've ever seen in my life. and i watch "how's it made" on tv.

hey don't be knockin "How its made", it kicks the shit out of "Some assembly required" :nono:

thats like comparing "Survivorman" and that wierdo Bear Grills in "Man vs. Wild"

kids these days... they wouldn't know a four wheel drift if it ran them over.

whoooaaaaa now. Whats up with all the hatred. All your guys opinions except DropTopDrifters are just opinions. You need to try it. I've only been doing it for one year and its crazy. Being in competition and being side by side while drifting next to someone is insane. I'm sorry DropTopDrifter that you lost interst, buy why are you dragging everyone else down with you. I think drifting is just now growing. There are more events that i can even fathom going to this year in my general area. And Scott! how dare you. The times that i have drifted while you are in the car you screamed like a girl! Matt and Brad, come for a ride with me at the next auto-x, i'll drift it, not hit any cones and you'll shit bricks.

i never said it wasn't fun or you weren't actually good at it. just not my cup of tea. you know that. i don't usually give a crap either way, i obviously don't despise you because you enjoy it.


however, this makes a good case for my = no love: http://forum.miata.net/vb/showthread.php?t=264326

Whoa there turbo.... i never said it sucked from the beginning or that im trying to bring anyone down. Im more or less stating that in the past couple years more and more people are getting into drifting to say that "im a drifter" and that there are a LOT of fanboys (like the above posted m.net profile) that are making it look really bad for those who do take it seriously and have been patient enough to learn the car control required to do so. I am by no means saying that everyone sucks and whatnot either. Yes, even out of the more recent crowd thats getting involve, there are people who are doing good. But still, a larger percentage of people "getting into" it now are just doing for say so i don't see them having the patience and determination to really understand drifting (the technical aspect).

I was wanting to get input on what people think of what drifting was to them when it forst got "popular"/they first knew of it to how it is now.

:blah:

no love: $10 says this guys was understeering followed by snap oversteer and called it "drifting".

Yes, years ago i did it "on the streets" but, i at least stayed off open roadways where average traffic wasn't going to be a problem. Still doen't mean what i was doing was any less "illegal" though.