Ben (he/him) was a newbie at PATD4. He joined the Gaymmittee for PATD5 because his first experience was life changing. He never felt such a level of freedom and acceptance before by being his most authentic self. He is looking forward to meeting new people each year, reconnecting with others, and having the best of fun with his tribe. He fell in love with his plane-Jane 2019 Jetta R-line he calls Rocky at PATD4 and can't wait to love that car more! If it wasn’t the veedub, he dreams of a Pontiac G8 GXP (with 3 pedals no less), the pre-2018 Mercedes G63 and G65 AMG, and a 991 911 Targa GTS. Ben found the love of cars as most of us did playing with hand-me-down Matchbox and Hot Wheels that he got from his cousins. Originally from the mountains east of Pittsburgh, PA, Ben currently resides in Nashville, where he is a server and loves working on writing movies or TV show pilot script concepts . He loves PATD for the diversity our event displays, the people from all walks of life and backgrounds with different interests. “This community is like no other! !f you're a first timer, rest assured that you will be welcomed with open arms just like I was. I really hope that this year is as impactful for others as it was for me on my journey. There’s something so magical about our time together—come experience it yourself!”

Gunar (he/him) will make the 4000 mile round trip from Salt Lake City to his second Pride at the Dragon this April! While he was waiting for a 2024 Elantra N, he let the Hyundai ship sail and bought a 2024 GTI Autobahn in early February. His excellent time at PATD4 and relevant event organizing experience inspired him to join the Gaymmittee and help plan last year’s 2023 Finish on the Back of the Dragon event. While we’ll all see him in the new Golf, he’ll still be dreaming of the RS3 he wishes was parked in the driveway. Coming home from the hospital as a gay little baby in a Mk3 Jetta, his family has long Volkswagen roots and his car obsession started with a ride in a then-new Mk4 R32. During the day you’ll find him managing virtually everything as an Executive Assistant at an AI startup, some nights he’s keeping the rest of us focused on planning PATD5. This year he’s looking forward to having a car with tread on the tires (ask him what he thinks about Turo if you want an ear-full) and not “walking [his] ass back and forth from the lodge.” He’s a big fan of beer, keyboard shortcuts, and petting dogs, be sure to say hi when you see his tall ass around!

Tatiana was born and raised 3.5 hours away from the Tail of the Dragon in the suburbs of south Atlanta, where they live today. However, it wasn’t until the age of 32, after coming back home from some time living in California, that they were invited to a Tail event for the first time. Missing the mountain runs they used to organize throughout NorCal, they were hooked after just one day at the Tail and knew that they would be planning vacations to be near the iconic road from then on. A city slicker for the most part, the annual pilgrimage to the Tail feeds the part of Tatiana’s soul that loves being in the mountains and the challenging driving that comes with being up there. Outside of planning PatD and goofing off in the PatD Discord, Tatiana can be found doing broadcast commentary for sim racing championship GT Champions, cursing at opponents on their own gaming Twitch stream, or cuddling with their big furry cat, Magyc.

Xiek (or Jason or Jay), from Orillia Ontario, is an Aries who enjoys long walks on the beach and long road trips as well. Hailing from East York Ontario, he manages an auto repair shop. When not there, you can find him enjoying his Mini Cooper JCW and sometimes dreaming of having a Bentley with a chauffeur that he may let drive on occasion. His early love of car culture came from riding on his dad’s motorbike and riding shotgun in his Old Chevy. He joined the Gaymmittee with experience from other events and he loves The Dragon. He’s been annually with his Mini group since 2006 and has been at PATD every year too. He most looks forward to meeting new people and catching up with old friends.