Final Bout means so much to me.
I was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, and sometime during my middle school years (2014–2017), I stumbled across ‘Chicago street drifting’ videos on YouTube. Before long, the algorithm served me a video titled Final Bout 1: Proceed. Seeing drift cars wearing Illinois plates filled me with excitement. My immediate thought was, “Wow, we really have cars like this where I live? That’s so cool.”
One car in particular stuck with me: Simba’s (@ggsimba) Nissan Silvia S13. Little did I know that I would come face-to-face with that very car nearly a decade later, under completely different circumstances.
In 2022, I moved to Houston, Texas, graduated high school, and fell in love with automotive photography, which ultimately led me to my first Final Bout Super Stage South event. I attended as a spectator. At the time, I had no idea there was a media application process, and it honestly killed me because I wanted to get right up close to the action. Even so, I had an incredible time. The sounds of SR20s, 1JZs, 2JZs, RBs – you name it – were music to my ears. Not to mention how visually loud the cars were. Looking back at the photos and videos from the pre-meet and competition day, I knew I had to get my name on the media roster the following year.
Twelve months later, I did exactly that. I submitted my portfolio from previous events, and before I knew it, an email landed in my inbox: “We received your media application for Special Stage South, and we would like to officially approve your media application for this event.” A childhood dream had become reality: I was finally going to shoot a Final Bout event from trackside. And I was determined to go all out.
The first pre-meet I attended was held at Moon Tower Inn, a beer garden and cook shack near downtown Houston. I arrived a little late, but that made it better. Rolling in and seeing cars parked in every available space, surrounded by crowds of enthusiasts and an electric atmosphere, felt like stepping into a video game. The entire night can be summed up in a few words: all smiles, all style, and a genuinely welcoming environment.
When competition day arrived, I couldn’t have been more excited. New cars, familiar faces, returning drivers, and even friends were all part of the experience. The weather was perfect, the cars were thrashed, and I was incredibly proud to watch my friends showcase their talents both behind the wheel and behind the camera. Most importantly, I’m grateful to have the opportunity to capture these moments – and to share my coverage of Final Bout Super Stage South 2026 with you.
