Jeepers enjoy nice weather
SLIPPERY ROCK — Terrain-tested Jeeps topped dirt hills, crawled over boulders and splashed into the mud Saturday at the sixth annual Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival at Cooper's Lake Campground.
“Watching all the Jeeps go around and everyone has their own build, it's such a cool thing,” said Kylie Concelman of Valencia.
Concelman battled the obstacles of the Jeep Playground, a popular feature of the festival. The playground featured steep dirt hills, log bridges, rows of boulder-sized rocks, and was capped off with an optional giant mud puddle.
Concelman and her father, Sam Concelman Sr., bought a red 1997 TJ Wrangler with 307,000 miles on it for $500 in 2015 and rebuilt it specifically for the festival.
They added 31-inch wheels, a bed liner on the sides, and made fenders for the Jeep.
“(We wanted) something small and easy enough to take on the trails,” Sam Concelman said.
Kylie Concelman added, “Something that was road legal at the same time.”
How did it turn out?
“It's doing awesome,” Kylie Concelman said.
Lori Concelman, Kylie's mother and Sam's wife, also rode with them, while Sam Concelman Jr., Kylie's brother, drove another 1997 TJ Wrangler, this one yellow, with his friends riding along.
“This thing's killing it,” he said. “It's doing a lot better than half the big-name Jeeps are.”
Tom Lowry, who is sponsored by Alpine USA and does shows across the country, was at the festival showing what his Alpine demo Jeep could do.
The Alpine Jeep is equipped with a camera, 40-inch tires and a supercharger.
“There's basically nothing it can't do,” he said.
Not everyone was there just for the Jeep Playground. Kevin Soergel of Mars enjoyed the playground, but said his favorite part was riding the trails.
“They're really challenging, between not hitting trees, going over roots and the rocks,” he said. “It's just great to be in the woods.'Others, like Jason Hickey of Center Township, just enjoyed being around Jeeps.“I've been a Jeeper probably for the last 30 years,” he said. “I enjoy doing it and enjoy being around others who do it.”His wife, Cheryl Hickey, is a newcomer to the scene and said Jeeps are growing on her.“I like it,” she said of the festival. “It gives you a little taste of what it's like.”The festival's history exhibit showed off classic Jeep grilles, including seven which were recreated by Tom Frank of Mars.Bill Ringeisen of Evans City, whose idea it was to show the grilles, said the display was well received. Frank was happy with how the grilles turned out.“It's a lot better than I thought it was going to be,” he said. “The backdrop makes it look neater.”Walter Moffat of Irwin served in the U.S. Army in World War II and drove an M38 Jeep during the war.“It was very nice, had a lot of traction, a lot of power,” he said. “It was a lot of fun. That's where I really enjoyed driving the Jeep.”He later bought a CJ-2A Jeep in 1950, and owned an estimated 10 to 15 Jeeps in his lifetime. Moffat said that about 1970 he and some friends drove their Jeeps up hills and through an obstacle course they set up at Plateau de Mount, a ski resort in Somerset.Now, to be at the festival and see those same people is meaningful for Moffat.
“The nostalgia and seeing old friends, it's amazing,” he said. “It's a camaraderie that you just can't believe.”Festival director Patti Jo Lambert called the crowds at the festival excellent, and she noted 2,151 Jeeps registered for this year's events — 240 more than 2014, Lamber said.For Lambert the crowning achievement of the weekend was the weather, which after five years finally gave the festival a whole weekend's worth of blue skies and dry ground. That meant festival organizers could keep all of the Coopers Lake trails and Jeep playground facilities open every day, Lamber said.“It was wonderful. Last year we set the record for the parade. This year we set a record because it didn't rain,” she said. “It was a great experience for everyone here.”Lambert said that planning for next year's festival has already begun.“Just because it's over doesn't mean we're not ready to get started on 2017,” she said. “There's already been discussions about things we want to do new or differently next year.”Eagle staff writer Phil Rau contributed to this report.
