The Elote Trailer is a 1956 Shasta ‘canned ham’. The new owners, Cynthia Phillips and Matt Gaudio, purchased the trailer from a couple in Tehachapi who had acquired it from the original owner. The yellow Shasta has an entirely original interior, a faded paint job, and permanent California trailer plates. One of the notable features is the vibrant awning, which bears a tag dated 1957 – ‘Made in Los Angeles.’ The previous owners said it was barely used, and it appears to be true.
Cynthia has a creative background working in metal sculpture and illustration, helping her add character to the trailer. One of the first trips was to a private beach camp called Playa Saldamando in Baja, California. During this adventure, the majority of the furnishings were acquired leading the inspiration for the Elote Trailer. The mix of era specific accessories, Baja decor and the original yellow paint was what lead to the name, ‘elote’ meaning ‘corn’ in Spanish.
Most of the adventures tend to focus around run down, often less traveled roads and destinations like the Salton Sea. All the trailer adventures are documented, mainly for ourselves, family and friends. The first rally we attended was the 2017 Trailerfiesta at the KOA in Petaluma, CA (Sign us up for the next one). You might randomly see the trailer in Mexico at local beaches, or in the barren deserts in southern California and even as part of a booth display at skateboarding events.
The trailer is stored at Pink Widow Distribution where Matt distributes and prints for a few different skateboard companies, one of them being Silly Girl Skateboards. The company has been around 12 years and is now a leader for promoting and encouraging female skaters world wide. As previously mentioned, the trailer is a great addition for the marketing at events and a great conversation piece. This combination is partially responsible for the fun branding of the Elote Trailer and helped us to get our foot in the door for some fun events!
