Tapping into growing interest in RC vehicles

Tomas Contreras 8, and Sebastian Rogers 10, catch up on the latest RC news with Elite Hobbies co-owners Daniel Contreras and Matt Spackman at the new business’s open day on Saturday. Picture by Liam Clayton

An  open day to celebrate their new premises in the Ballance Street Village was a great success for Elite Hobbies, with a great number of radio/remote controlled (RC) vehicle enthusiasts joining in the celebrations and fun.

Co-owners Daniel Contreras and Matt Spackman decided to kick- start their new premises with a sausage sizzle to raise funds for the local Gizzy RC Club, and to offer a “swap meet” where club members and members of the public had the opportunity to buy, exchange or swap anything RC vehicle related.

There was a steady stream of visitors throughout the day with plenty of conversations around the specialised hobby of RC vehicles.

While it was an opportunity for Gizzy RC members to socialise and chat RC,  it also provided members of the public with the opportunity to find out more about the enthusiastic and growing following of RC vehicle racing in Gisborne.

The Gizzy RC club was started by Spackman four years ago and interest and membership has grown steadily. They now have over 700 members in their Facebook group and hold regular meetings and race days at a custom-built track in Manutuke.

“We welcome new members to our club and we cater for all ages and we are here to help new members get started and join in the fun”, says Spackman.

The Gizzy RC club has competed in the North Island and national RC championships. Considering they are the “new club on the block”, they have placed impressively —  first place nationally in 2WD short course trucks and third place in 4WD short course trucks.

Ten-year-old Sebastian Rogers and Tomas Contreras (8) are among the younger club members.

“Mini crawlers are my favourite,” said Sebastian. “You don’t need a massive track to race them and they can go down steps and crawl over things.”

Tomas says, “It’s because of the suspension, and they are an all-wheel drive.”

The RC world provides real-life application of the STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering and maths). While some students might find these challenging at school, the ability to repair and modify your own car gives kids a way to use STEM subjects with enthusiasm.

The land for the custom-built and wheelchair-accessible track in Waingake Road, Manutuke, just south of Gisborne, was donated for use by father and son team, David and Richard Clark of Waipaoa Forests Ltd.

With an 8ha lake created from enduring wetland on the valley floor, it is also an ideal place for RC boats, planes and yachts to race.

Rick Brenchley and Wayne Sutherland, members of the Gisborne American Car Club (GACC) are strong supporters of the Gizzy RC club and were heavily involved in the building of the custom-built track.

“It’s about local clubs supporting other local clubs and we are happy to help out,” said Mr Brenchley, who is the events manager for GACC.

“We donated the BBQ for use at the open day and Wayne and I are happy to cook the sausages as a way of helping out.”