Low and Slow – The Low Riders of Española

Despite modern stereotypes, low riders are a celebrated family tradition in Española, New Mexico. The town was even nicknamed “The low rider capital of the world” decades ago. This video is a companion to the State of the Re:Union episode, Española – The Land Remembers, and explores the incredible culture of these amazing vehicles and their owners.

Discover why this pastime is as much about community as it is about cars, check out the full episode for more information on the surprising history of low riders and share your thoughts by posting your comment below.

Listen to Our Newest Episode Here!

For the first episode of our new season of shows, we spent the third week of June in the Española Valley of New Mexico, a place none of us had been to before.  It was truly eye-opening and exciting to spend time with farmers, santeros, mechanics, therapists, professors, oral historians, addicts, cashiers, musicians and poets…

The reason we ventured southwest-ward in the first place was because of water.  Specifically the way in which the people of the valley, for well over 400 years, have thought about, shared and used water.  In New Mexico, there are more than 1,000 acequias, which are not only man-made irrigation ditches, but also an entire culture and decentralized democracy in and of themselves. (more…)