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18 | March 15, 2018 | Malibu surfside news Sound Off
malibusurfsidenews.com
Ride of the Week
‘Ruby’ provides smooth ride down memory lane
Fireball Tim Lawrence
Contributing Columnist
Malibu resident
They say a smile is
worth a thousand
words.
Well, it seems fitting
when you look at the photo
accompanying this week’s
column. The smile on the
driver behind this week’s
Ride of the Week says it
all.
This is Rick White, aka
Ricardo Blanco. White is
in the construction industry,
operating in sales with
Larrabure Framing.
“We frame large multifamily
projects,” he begins
to explain. “Mostly in
DTLA and Irvine, we are
a digitizing manufacturer
of framing components
manufacturing off-site,
then assembling and building
on site.”
Families United for Recovery teaches parents and
families how to quickly regain connection with their
loved ones and become their best chance for
addiction recovery.
But in his “non-assembly”
time, White has
another job: inspiring others
with a gangbuster smile
while driving his 1950
Ford station wagon woodie
named “Ruby.”
White goes on to tell me
that “Ruby” was purchased
in original condition from
her original owner.
“When we rebuilt the
engine, we went old school
with a flat head, modified
with 3/4 cam, aluminum
heads, dual carbs, headers
and a hot ignition,” he
explains. “I bought it about
26 years ago as a family
car to raise our two kids,
Kyle and Karina, plus dogs
Nikki and Buddy.”
Even in 1992, this woodie
epitomized coolness.
“This car is a throwback
to a friend’s woodie
I used to cruise in Malibu
at 14 years old,” White
said. “We would come
to Malibu with his sticks
(surfboards for you noncarvers)
and spend the day
at the beach.”
For White, the best part
of his car is the patina of
26 years of life, cruising to
Santa Cruz in the summers,
down to Encinitas
for the woodie shows in
September, and up to Santa
Barbara for club meetings
and another woodie show
in July. “‘Ruby’ is a weekend
car and a great source
of entertainment,” White
said. “One year, my wife,
Elaine, the kids and I all
headed to Santa Cruz and
decided to take Highway
1 through Big Sur. While
navigating the curves and
the cliffs of Highway 1,
I realized that the turning
and swaying might be
leading towards some car
sickness.
“But, afraid to say anything,
I casually glanced
over my shoulder to see
the kids happily engaged in
their music and videos and
not unhappy in the least.
That’s when I knew they
were totally into the woodie
and not the inconveniences
of no A/C, stick shift, and a
car made from a tree.”
When you hear stories
like that, you appreciate
the power of the present
moment and how a car can
add to your life. White gets
it and does whatever he
can to share the feeling.
“We love the drive
through Malibu for the
scenery, our Malibu friends
and the memories of freedom
and summer’s days,”
White said. “The woodie
lifestyle has kept us together
as a family enjoying
surfing, the beach, summer
nights, and a culture of
fresh air and having fun.”
What else could you
possibly say to affirm the
power of automotive beach
life? Big thanks Rick for
helping to inspire a culture
that embodies so much
positivity. If our society
could share that sentiment
in this way more often,
there’d be a lot less suffering
in the world — and a
lot more woodies.
Want to be featured in Ride of
the Week? Send Fireball an
email at askfireball@fireball
tim.com.
WEEKLY MEETINGS
Learn alternative approaches for
families to use where connection
rather than detachment is
emphasized.
Wednesday's from 6:30PM - 8PM
VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR CALL!
familiesunitedforrecovery.com
(424) 203-4569
MEETING SPACE PROVIDED BY
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learning the most powerful tools
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28955 Pacific Coast Highway, Suite 200
Malibu, CA 90265
Rick White is all smiles behind the wheel of “Ruby,” his 1950 Ford woodie.
Photo by Elaine White