STILLWATER, OK (05.25.25) – In a first for the mobile-audio manufacturer, KICKER® provided the necessary space and played an active hosting role in the sound-quality event on May 17th. In a nod to its SQ and SPL successes during the 1990s and 2000s, the brand has collaborated with long-time league IASCA and relative newcomer MASQ, along with fellow industry authorities Alpine® and KENWOOD®, to host the “KICKER SQ@HQ” event at Stillwater Designs® global headquarters in Oklahoma on Saturday, May 17th.
“Partnering with MASQ and IASCA made perfect sense for both KICKER and the industry as a whole,” said KICKER Brand Promoter Ernie Ficklin. “The event turned out to be a Livin’Loud win-win situation for everyone involved.”
The triple-points IASCA (International Auto Sound Challenge Association) and MASQ (Mobile Audio Sound Quality) single-day events began the morning of May 17 on the large the KICKER HQ grounds. Representatives from Alpine and KENWOOD were on hand, as well as sound-quality judges, independent mobile-audio dealers and food trucks. The event was free to the public. The event wrapped Saturday evening after judging was completed with the awards ceremony.
IASCA’s Travis Chin flew in from Washington State to lead the IASCA activities. “The KICKER SQ@HQ was terrific for IASCA. There was a solid turnout of IASCA team members from the area. The KICKER crew did a super job with setup. Everything ran so smoothly. A huge thank you to KICKER” Chin stated.
MASQ’s Robert McIntosh related “Just a super event. Sure were a LOT of spectators…several hundred thru the day and that was fantastic to see people connecting with music in their rides. We had over 30 competitors overall with 20 being in the money round and 6 competing in the 2 seat. Mark Eldridge at MSE created some really classic trophies and we thank him very much. And a huge thank you to all at KICKER for making their HQ space available and their help getting the word out in Stillwater to attract attendees.”
Brian Mitchell pulled the Arc Audio trailer from California to compete in the KICKER SQ@HQ event…that’s 1461 miles.. his famous pit bull Chewy navigating. ”I have been in the lanes at competitions across the US and nothing compares – the layout at the KICKER SQ@HQ. All the grounds really spotlighted the KICKER World HQ. I arrived on Friday and had a chance to visit the Museum and studios. The sparkling bright yellow Metropolitan will be in my mind for years. Thank you to all at KICKER” Brian offered.
To add to Mitchell’s journey the Arc Audio Copper Volt competition car won the top award….The Money Round Trophy featuring an 8” Square Woofer that was autographed by KICKER founder Steve Irby. This trophy will certainly the center stage in Brian Mitchell’s large trophy collection.
KICKER opened the Visitors Center for the day, which showcases various KICKER-infused customs and the ridiculous Wall of Boom – the massive 14-by-20-foot display housing 28 subwoofers and 46 additional speakers with 18 amplifiers powering them. The KICKER XRV (Xtreme Recreational Vehicle) and other KICKER demo vehicles lined one complete side of the parking lot and were open for those who wanted to check them out. KICKER also had visits from past audio champions that propelled the brand nearly 30 years ago.
“As car-audio manufacturers, we believe we can play a crucial role in focusing more on these competitions, which we hope will help to drive the industry forward,” Ficklin continued. “Our company’s (geographical) position, located in the heart of the USA, providd us with the opportunity to make this happen.”
Stay tuned for news of future KICKER SQ@HQ events.
KICKER Performance Audio products, a division of Stillwater Designs and Audio, Inc.®, are available for the mobile- and home-audio aftermarkets at authorized retailers worldwide, and also as Original Equipment for boat and automobile manufacturers.
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