DRIFTING: by Antonio Alvendia of CipherGarage

I'd like to meet:

I wanna meet all Drifters and Drifting enthusiasts! If you are down with Drifting, Show your support by adding this profile to your friends list!


Most people recognize me for my AUTOMOTIVE PHOTOGRAPHY work. I'm very thankful to say my photos have been printed worldwide - they have appeared in print magazines (in several different languages), hardcover books, globally distributed calendars, television, documentary films, advertisements, dealer brochures, trading cards, die cast toy packaging, posters, flyers, tradeshow booths, race trailers, cellphone screensavers, album covers, catalogs and more. Check out some of my youth automotive photography tearsheets on the slideshow below: Get Your Own! | View Slideshow






This is a new project I'm part of: RAFU.COM! This is a new website + print media project that will introduce all the cool, stylish, and popular aspects Japanese culture to young adults in the USA! Add us on Myspace to find out about our launch issue and get invited to our exclusive parties in Hollywood!
Find more videos at Heavy.com Check out my close friend, the incredibly gorgeous and genuine and sweet ERI MORIYAMA , rocking a "DRIFTING Changed My Life" tanktop on her Heavy.com feature interview! What an awesome surprise! Thanks for the support always, Eri!!! You're the best!


"Never trust a big butt & a smile"
For all the guys out there...Yes the first book of Drifting even has a section with your (our) favorite umbrella girls. Sunisa Kim, Joyce Lex, Courtney Day, Veronica Becerra, Mary J Castillo, even Leah Dizon!


Check out this video of my friends from Ebisu Circuit Japan!
It's the legendary Drift Xtreme crew, led by Pro D1 Driver, the "Tsuisou King" (King of Tandem Drifting) Nobushige Kumakubo of Team Orange!
Drift Xtreme is a elite group of hand-picked D1 drivers selected by Kumakubo to perform drifting demonstrations at his annual festival of extreme sports, called Big X.
Big X takes place at Ebisu Circuit's West Course, and includes demonstrations and skits by Japan's top drifters, FMX riders, street bike stunt riders, and stunt drivers! Check out the video below!

Music:

Screeching tires, air rushing through a wastegate, super sequential blowoff valves, the cheering and stomping of the crowd during the final rounds of tandem competition... a 4AG engine with individual throttle bodies screaming at wide open throttle...
It's all MUSIC to my ears.
But other than that, I really love HIP HOP, 70s/80s classic soul, funk, disco, reggae, and especially music from my boys KERO ONE , Niamaj , and Johnson & Jonson (Clockwork) .

Movies:

Watch SPIKE TV to see me and my friends on the "Birth of Pro Street" documentary film about illegal street racers who graduated to a career in professional motorsports!
This visually striking film was sponsored by EA GAMES to promote their new Need for Speed PRO STREET game, so the producer, director, and cinematographers were all top notch!
Our documentary film has been aired on cable TV networks all over the world. I am so honored that EA Games chose ME as the consultant on this project!
And of course Fast & Furious 3: Tokyo Drift because NBC Universal hired me to shoot the drifting/car action sequences in the film. =)
I appreciate the impact that Fast & Furious 3: Tokyo Drift made because it thrust DRIFTING into the limelight and introduced DRIFTING to new viewers all over the world, creating tons and tons of new fans of DRIFTING. Every time people see movies like FF3: Tokyo Drift, it sparks even more commercial interest in drifting, which translates to new opportunities for all the top professional drivers and people like me, who do alot of work "behind the scenes" to promote drifting as an industry and more importantly, the true DRIFTING culture and lifestyle.
The drifting scene absolutely needs AUTHENTIC people who are truly connected to the roots of drifting culture to help shape all the new media being created around drifting. The commercial portrayal of drifting is now blowing up in all forms of media, but we need the real experts and authorities to get involved, to make sure big business keeps things TRUE to what drifting is all about. Nowadays, there are so many "new outsiders" just trying to make a buck off the drifting industry... creating websites and blogs and videos about drifting, even when they don't understand drifting at all, nor CARE about it. I am not that person. I support real DRIFTING. Grassroots drifters and event organizers. We keep drifting in our hearts. All day every day.
ALSO: The JDM Insider DVD Series, The AE86 Club video series, Best Motoring Vol 41 and 42.
Slide America
A Nationwide Documentary on Drifting in North America.
Available now at www.slideamerica.com !

Television:

ANTONIO ALVENDIA on ABC NEWS??!?
Click on this link to check out the interview featuring me talking about DRIFTING on ABC NEWS NOW! Don't be alarmed by my nonstop rapid eye blinking and ridiculous overuse of the word "absolutely," haha! I was trippin super hard cause I drank 2 huge cans of Rockstar juice right before the interview, and it got me all shook n stuff! LOL
Also check out the REDLINE TV episode featuring me, my book, and my photography on SPEED CHANNEL!
Also, I love watching Fastlane on G4 Television, and other shows which feature drifting: DRIFTING on The Jimmy Kimmel Show, DRIFTING on the CBS Evening News, even Drifting on an episode of CSI Miami!
WATCH FORMULA D on ESPN2!!! It's awesome! The ESPN team's professional coverage helps portray DRIFTING and FORMULA DRIFT as a real professional motorsport, not like the unprofessional "dating game" for kids that the 2006 Formula D TV's production team made it out to be. The 2006 FormulaD TV show was a joke. Much RESPECT to tv producers/directors who know and understand, and most importantly, CARE about drifting's image in the media.

Books:

During the last few years, my life has been dedicated to traveling and shooting photos of drifting. Drifting has changed my life. I've put all my effort and my whole heart into this project, and it means a lot to me.
DRIFTING
by Antonio Alvendia of Cipher Garage.
The First Official Book of DRIFTING in America!
Available NOW at www.DRIFTINGBOOK.com!
Experience the captivating world of Drifting, from Japan to the West Coast to its emergence as the hottest new international action sport.
Drifting photographer and authority Antonio Alvendia gives you the inside scoop on the people, teams, techniques, and culture that have made Drifting the ultimate Youth Automotive phenomenon.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT OF DRIFTING!
Help us spread the word to other drifting enthusiasts by adding "DRIFTING Book by Antonio Alvendia" to your "Favorite Books" section of your MySpace page! Just copy the code below and paste it into your profile!
DRIFTING
by Antonio Alvendia of Cipher Garage.
The First Official Book of DRIFTING in America!
Available NOW at www.DRIFTINGBOOK.com!

Heroes:

I admire those who have come from humble beginnings and made something of themselves.
Making something out of nothing. That's real talent.

MY HEROES are the original hardcore teams of street drifters who drove their AE86s into battle night after night. They are my inspiration:
Rough World. Running Free. ICBM. Drift Ensemble. K-Style. Rapid. Hey Man. After Fire. Break. Lock On. DP2. Marionette. Bross Running Crazy. DropOut Racing. GunTama R. Response Family Sessions. Premier. Vivien. Kumakazoku. Tielaps Club. Peak. Slide Squad. Battleswing.


Click on the photo above to read my cover story on Nobushige Kumakubo's Team Orange D1 Impreza, which had its world premiere on the cover of Super Street Magazine!