[1] Zodiac International to exhibit and sponsor World Champs Affiliate Freestyle class at Ace Cafe ‘Ally Pally’ London Custom Show
No sooner had news about the planned first annual Ace Cafe London Motorcycle & Custom Show been made public, than the first of Europe’s aftermarket majors, Zodiac International, stepped up to announce its backing for the new show project.

Zodiac will be exhibiting with their Show Truck, and has announced cash prize fund sponsorship of some 1.500,00 euro for the World Championship Affiliate Custom Bike Show Freestyle Class that will see the Best Of Show scoop the AMD Affiliate Grand Prize, of £5,000.00 (approx US 8,000/5.000,00 euro) to represent the show at next year’s 7th annual Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building.

The event is being staged at an iconic landmark venue in London, the famed Alexandra Palace, a Victorian era hill-top facility overlooking London which was originally built in 1873.

Set in 196 acres of parkland, ‘Ally Pally’ (as the facility is affectionately and almost universally known) has many claims to fame, not least that it was the home of the BBC back in the 1930’s and was where the world’s first-ever televisions broadcasts were made.

More recently ‘Ally Pally’ is no stranger to hosting motorcycle shows. The formula for this new event is being specified from the ground-up to move the so far ’stop-go’ history of attempts to establish a custom expo for the UK market into a new era.

As a follow-up to the initial promise (but ultimate disappointment) surrounding the London International Custom Show (L.I.C.S.) when it burst onto the European custom show scene for one year only in 2008, the market reaction has been enthusiastic.

The event will run for three days, from Friday February 26th to Sunday February 28th. It will feature live-action, stage entertainment, three halls of exhibitors in total, representing all sectors of the UK’s motorcycle industry, with one entire hall given over to the Ace Cafe Custom Show and v-twin industry vendors.

Judging of the custom bike show will be independently conducted and supervised by World Championship personnel to the program’s internationally recognised standards, and in addition to the well known World Championship formula Freestyle competition for the top prizes, additional classes are slated to include Modified Harley-Davidson, ‘Old Style’ bikes, Street Fighter style customs, Custom Scooters, and, in keeping with the Ace Cafe’s heritage, ‘Brit Bikes’.

Ace Cafe London Managing Director Mark Wilsmore said that “the prestigious heritage of Alexandra Palace, a venue that has hosted so many successful motorcycle shows, combined with that of Ace Cafe London brings together two iconic London landmarks with the best that motorcycling has to offer. This is going to be an event that will strengthen the UK custom market.”

The timing of the show, at the end of February, has been well received by vendors and dealers since it avoids any direct clashes with other market events and comes just as the riding season and market’s peak cash cycle is getting underway.

For Zodiac International, Vincent Pels said that “we are delighted to be part of the Ace Cafe London Motorcycle and Custom Show. The combination of the ‘Ally Pally’ and the Ace Cafe gives this new event a solid foundation from which the industry can build a world-class show. The UK needs a big annual custom show and we really think that at last this is going to be the one.”

Zodiac International has always been a company that has heavily supported Europe’s drag racing and show scenes, with founder and General Manager Ton “Godfather” Pels widely recognised as one of the legends of the European custom market who has done much to create the industry that it has become.

The Ace Cafe London has a rich heritage going back some seventy years to pre WWII London, and is a ‘must see’ destination for bikers in the UK and international visitors for who, along with the Isle of Man TT races, it is pure pilgrimage!

In recent years the Ace Cafe has been increasingly welcomed into the custom market, staging successful ‘Harley Nights’ each month, and most recently being a big Sturgis Rally feature at the Official World Championship of Custom Bike Building.

The Ace Cafe London Custom show takes it place in the world-wide network of leading custom shows that are affiliated to the World Championship, with its winner invited to compete against many of the world’s greatest custom bikes next year at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in the United States in August 2010.