Island Cup 4x4 championships coming to South Shawnigan Lake in May
Cory Hinds owns Westshore Spring & 4x4 in View Royal. On Wednesday, he was checking over one of his vehicles, one that is not a daily driver.
It has 750 horsepower, can turn on a dime, can climb a near-vertical hill and can't be bought off a car lot.
“You pretty much have to build it,” said Hinds.
It’s an extreme off-road buggy that Hinds will be driving in the upcoming 4x4 Island Cup Championships on May 12 through 14.
“It’s going to have high angles, big drops, cars flipping end over end,” said Hinds. “Explosions, cars are going to catch on fire, everything good that could happen.”
He is also putting on the event.
It’s a competition that began in 2006, out in the backcountry with no spectators.
In 2014, it became a public event, and it has been growing ever since. Last year, the event was held at Western Speedway.
“It was a great opportunity being able to be a part of the last year of Western Speedway,” said Hinds. “We had a two-day event and filled the stands both days.”
With the speedway now gone, this year's event will take place on private land in South Shawnigan Lake.
“The Island Cup is like nothing you’ve ever seen before,” said Chris Jenson, an employee at Westshore Spring & 4x4.
Jenson helps organize the event. He says it’s like watching monster trucks, but faster and more action-packed.
“The fans will lose their minds,” said Jenson. “The first time someone makes it up a crazy obstacle, the place just goes crazy.”
Drivers will be coming from Washington State, Alberta, the mainland and around the island.
“The goal in the end is to have a series where the Island Cup would be the final event of the year,” said Hinds.
He is hoping to grow the sport across the province, create a circuit and keep racing throughout the year. The series would conclude with finals on Southern Vancouver Island.
“Because that’s the best thing about these things is that they are good in the snow, they are good in the summer,” said Hinds.
It’s a show that organizers say, won’t disappoint.
Presale tickets are on sale now and can be purchased on the Island Cup website. Tickets will be more expensive at the gate.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
How many COVID-19 vaccine doses should you have by now?
Here is a summary of the current COVID-19 vaccination guidelines from NACI, for both children and adults who are at increased risk of serious illness and those who are not.

Victims identified as police reveal Nashville school shooter had drawn maps, done surveillance
The suspect in a Nashville school shooting on Monday had drawn a detailed map of the school, including potential entry points, and conducted surveillance before killing three students and three adults in the latest in a series of mass shootings in a country growing increasingly unnerved by bloodshed in schools.
From silicon to brain cells: How biology may hold the future of computers
As artificial intelligence software and advanced computers revolutionize modern technology, some researchers see a future where computer programmers leap from silicon to organic molecules.
Freeland's budget to include grocery rebate for lower income Canadians, here's what else to expect Tuesday
The 2023 federal budget will include a one-time 'grocery rebate' for Canadians with lower incomes who may be struggling with the rising cost of food, CTV News has confirmed.
Gender-affirming care bans expanding, access being cut: U.S. laws now targeting transgender adults
In some U.S. states, proponents of gender-affirming care bans have argued for the last few years that minors are too young to make these medical decisions — but in 2023, legislative attempts to limit the health-care options for transgender youth have expanded to a new age group: adults.
Getting an extra consultation before surgery might not give you a better outcome: Canadian study
A new study that looked at more than 300,000 patients found that a medical consultation prior to a routine surgery wasn’t connected to a better surgical outcome, suggesting these consultations might not be necessary.
Quebec girl, 9, dies after snow fort collapses behind residence
A nine-year-old girl has died after a snow fort collapsed in a forest behind a rural Quebec home.
Gwyneth Paltrow accuser calls Utah ski crash 'serious smack'
The man suing Gwyneth Paltrow over a 2016 skiing collision at one of the most upscale resorts in North America took the stand Monday, saying he was rammed into from behind and sent 'absolutely flying.' The trial in Utah hinges on who crashed into who.
'It's horrific': Calgary house explosion injures 10 people
The Calgary Fire Department says at least 10 people were injured in a 'sudden and devastating' explosion in the city's northeast on Monday that completely destroyed one home.