Meet the first 10 contestants in Philly's first parallel parking competition
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The first-ever competition to find Philadelphia's best parallel parker is on.
Twenty of the city's best will go head-to-head, sure to be a thrilling, nail-biting, quintessentially Philly face-off.
Meet the first batch of contestants.
"You got a tight spot?" asks Missy Parks Good. "I'm your gal! I'm a parallel parker to my core."
"We received just about 900 applications from all over Philadelphia," says Adam Wodka, commissioner of the PPPA, the Philadelphia Parallel Parking Association.
And the first 10 have been revealed.
"I mean, you gotta get in where you can fit in," says a finalist who goes by Tizzy.
"I park crazy in a good way," says Mary Zheng.
It's turning into a bit of a throwdown.
"You name the neighborhood, you name the spot, and I will get this car in it," boasts One-Shot Mar.
Pirate One Shot proclaims, "I am the best parallel parker here in Philadelphia."
A man who goes by Cokomo Joe says: "I've been parallel parking since I was 8 years old."
"We have Dark Transit, a SEPTA bus driver," says Wodka.
"I consider myself one of the best because I parallel park this bus every day," says Dark Transit.
"We also have Grandmom Jackie," says Wodka.
"I'm 90 years old," she says. "I never had an accident, and I parallel park perfectly."
Prizes include "bragging rights, a trophy, a piece of the curb," says Wodka. "And $76 to pay for your potential next parking ticket."
Confidence is high.
"As long as I have a few inches of clearance, I'm A-OK," says Charlton Banks.
But contestants should know, no backup cameras are allowed in the competition.
"Everything old school," says Wodka. "We think that's the right way to do this."
That's OK with a contestant named Juelz.
"Every day I park cars like I'm playing Tetris on the car lot," she says.
The final batch of contestants will be voted on by the people of Philadelphia, by neighborhood.
This week it's the northwest.
"We're just looking for it to be a celebration of parallel parking and a celebration of Philly," says Wodka.
The inaugural Parallel Parking Association Championship is Saturday, October 3 at Headhouse Plaza. Click here to learn more.
