Las Vegas, Nevada — Well, another SEMA Show has officially wrapped up. We may be bidding the lights of Las Vegas goodbye ’til 2022, but the events of the last five days have given us plenty to think about as an industry.
The first time attendees gathered at the SEMA Show since 2019, this year’s event will surely be one to remember for Canadian crowds as B.C. pair Chelsie Lesnoski and Cole Marten, co-owners of Throttle Thrashers Garage, each saw their builds claim a spot in the top three of the Battle of the Builds Young Guns competition. The pair marked the first time two Canadians were featured in the Top 12 Builds overall, and were also the first-ever couple to make the Top 3.
“What a wild ride,” Marten wrote on his Facebook page. “I am so grateful to be here.”
Lesnoski was also the first female Young Guns builder in history to make the top three.
“What an absolute honour,” she wrote to her Instagram followers. “I never, in a million years thought I would be here with the best of the best. Making history!!!”
In collision repair product news, Keco Body Repair Products claimed this year’s title for Best New Collision Repair/Refinish product for its Glue Pull Repair System. The two runner-ups in the Collision Repair and Refinish category were the Eagle electronic measuring system from Celette and the Drain Cleaner SR250 from Reliable Automotive Equipment Inc.
With more than 1,300 exhibiting companies and 51,000 buyers in attendance, organizers are deeming this year’s SEMA Show–the first full capacity event to take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center since pre-COVID times–a success.
“There was a lot of pent-up demand to reconnect in person,” said SEMA VP of Events Tom Gattuso. “Buyers were excited to see what’s new in the industry, and manufacturers were thrilled to showcase what they’ve been working on for the past two years. The energy and passion on the Show floor were tremendous.”
Check out Collision Repair’s exclusive photos from the SEMA Show 2021 below.
