Rolling with the ladies
Sunday, February 16, 2025, Twin Peaks Sunland Park
A first in El Paso
It’s not even the crack of dawn and it’s already been a busy day for Cristina “Cristy” Casillas. She’s made breakfast for her two boys, got them ready, and loaded up “Dulce Envidia,” her 1986 Buick Regal. The Regal had plans of her own, though. On the day Cristy’s been grinding for weeks to pull off—the day she’s put her name and reputation on the line—her car decided it was the perfect time to snap a spindle, leaving her and her boys stranded on the side of the road.
Today isn’t just any day. Cristy and Rolling with the Ladies—the group of female lowriders she brought together over the last five weeks—are making history by hosting El Paso’s first all-female organized lowrider car show. But Cristy might miss it altogether.
The idea for the show came to her a couple of months earlier at a Pasadena cruise hosted by Lady Lowriders, the club she’s a member of. Walking down Colorado Boulevard, stopping at each tent to introduce herself, she felt an instant sense of belonging. Each canopy offered something different—pan dulce, hot chocolate, or maybe just warm conversation.
“It was like a family,” she remembers.
She came home determined to create that same spirit of unity in El Paso, and the best way to do it was through an all-female organized car show. It wasn’t easy. Aside from a couple of riders, Cristy didn’t know many of the local women personally. Some she’d only seen at shows; others she wasn’t even on speaking terms with. Still, she started reaching out. A few jumped in right away, others needed convincing, and some she couldn’t reach in time.
In the end, eleven ladies came together—representing clubs like Slow & Low, Brown Impressions, Estilo, Majesty, Dust II Dust, and her own, Lady Lowriders. Support also came from Hi-Low Hydraulics, Hop Life Customs, and Irene’s Embroidery.
To be legit, every role was handled by the ladies: planning, registration, judging, logistics, promotion—even coordinating the hop.
Promotion turned out to be crucial too. Early on, some people misunderstood, thinking it was a women-only show. Cristy made it clear: the show was organized by women, but open to everyone.
When she placed the trophy order, the staff at Meza Trophies couldn’t believe it.
“Pink? In our 47 years in business, nobody’s ever ordered pink trophies before,” they told her.
“Yes, pink,” Cristy replied.
The color wasn’t just for looks—it was a statement. The trophies had to stand out, just like the women behind the show.
And on the morning of February 16, 2025, those trophies were waiting at the Twin Peaks parking lot as cars rolled in—some as early as 5 a.m. And Cristy? She was still on the side of the road, figuring out how she was going to make it to the show.
A few minutes after roll-in, though, Cristy, her two boys, and her Regal arrived on a tow truck. Nothing was going to stop her from being there. First of all, it was her vision. Second, it was her rule, car and rider had to be present to participate. She set up Dulce Envidia on three, and none of the spectators ever noticed the broken spindle.
More than 200 cars filled the lot that day, with overflow spilling into nearby streets. Spectators braved traffic and scarce parking just to get in. Twin Peaks even called in extra staff from another location to handle the rush. The energy was electric.
“The highlight of that day was at 11:30 in the morning when there wasn’t any more room,” recalls Sarah Batres of Majesty Car Club, who managed registration. “The turnout and support was beyond all our expectations.”
Organized by Rachel Nuñez from Hi-Low and Muñeca from Hop Life, the hop competition was one of the day’s biggest attractions. Hoppers battled for $1,500 in cash prizes, and every detail—from staging to measuring heights—was run by the ladies.
Judging was another massive task, led by Maria from Estilo Car Club. With categories open to all makes and models, plus five special awards for female-owned rides, the workload was heavy. To keep things fair, none of the organizers entered their own cars—but they stayed present and hands-on throughout the show.
Though the organizers didn’t compete, Cristy made sure each lady walked away with a trophy of her own—a thank-you for the countless hours and effort they poured into making the show a success. For her, it was the purest symbol of carnalaismo—sisterhood—the bond that grew among them and the memory she treasures most from that day.
But the celebration didn’t end when the last car rolled out. Local news covered the event, shining a spotlight on the ladies not just as organizers but as lowriders in their own right. Cristy even got a call from her children’s school principal, congratulating her on the achievement.
For Sarah, the experience was transformative. She looks back on the show as the moment she realized her own potential—so much so that it inspired her to start building a lowrider that truly reflects who she is.
That sense of empowerment rippled through the group. Each lady walked away with a new confidence, convinced that together they could take on anything. It was a personal victory for each of them—and a collective one as well. But, none of it would’ve been possible without the community that showed up in force and stood behind them.
Months later, Rolling with the Ladies has evolved beyond what was supposed to be a single show into a social group. The ladies remain members of their respective clubs but now come together for cruises, grand openings, and charity events.
What began as a five-week project forged lasting bonds.
“Where I’m from, I’ve had people talk down on me—‘wannabe lady lowrider from Las Cruces,’” says Sandy Ontiveros of Slow & Low. “That led me to keep to myself. This group showed me a different side of ladies in lowriding. I love it.”
That was the spirit of the show. It wasn’t about proving something to the world—it was about proving it to themselves. The communication, attention to detail, and corazon that went into the show were unmatched. Plans for 2026 are already underway—and with more time to prepare, the next one promises to be even bigger.
Credits: Story and photos by J. Orozco
