Think your Altima has what it takes to drive on soft sand? You’ll likely end up decorating someone’s wall.
Watching foolish drivers get their cars stuck on the beach is one of life’s greatest pleasures and one that can bring people together with a common purpose. So much so, in fact, that a local bait and tackle shop in Brigantine, New Jersey has capitalized on this phenomenon to make a little extra cash. For the past few years, RipTide Bait and Tackle has been selling calendars featuring photos of all the drivers who’ve gotten stuck in Brigantine Beach.
Store owner Captain Andrew Grossman has been regularly helping drivers free their family sedans and sports cars from the nearby beach. His Facebook page is filled with photos of BMW, Lexus, Mercedes cars and SUVs buried in the sand. Drive-on permits for the beach are allowed for four-wheel drive vehicles but I’m not quite sure New Jersians understand that xDrive-equipped BMWs won’t really cut it out there.
Grossman told 6ABC Philadelphia that it all began a few years ago when he started taking photos of the beached cars and featuring them in a homemade calendar. He even boasted about the “Beached Cars of Brigantine” calendar making Car and Driver’s holiday gift guide one year, as a stocking stuffer.
“This will be our 4th year of doing it and the people love it! We ship them all over the U.S.,” Grossman told The Drive.
New Jersey beaches are known for soft sand, it’s one of the reasons why they’re so popular. However, that soft sand makes it very easy to get stuck if you don’t have a vehicle capable of handling it, especially when wet. Why do people drive their midsize sedans onto soft, loose sand? Apparently, it’s so they can look at the scenic view of the Atlantic Ocean without getting their loafers sandy. And it is scenic, so long as you don’t look south and see the grimy casinos of Atlantic City.
If you want to partake in the mockery of overly ambitious beachgoers while also supporting their rescue, you can pre-order the 2024 calendar right now for $30 from the Beached Cars of Brigantine website. The store was down at the time of publication, though Grossman expects it to be back online in the coming days. A portion of proceeds will go to the Brigantine Neighbors in Need charity.
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