History
The Cabo Pimp N’ Ho Ball is the most outrageous event of the year in Cabo San Lucas. On October 24th, 2009, join us for the 11th Annual Cabo Pimp N’ Ho Ball, where you can cast your inhibitions aside and party into the wee hours of the morning. Sexy, costumed revelers will drink, dance and get ridiculous until 6 am, taking advantage of an extra hour from Daylight Savings!
How Cabo’s Version of the Pimp N’ Ho Movement Got Started
Organizer Brian Balsley moved to Cabo (from Vail, Colorado) in the early 1990s to open Pazzo’s Pizza, a popular and successful restaurant in downtown Cabo San Lucas. In 1998, Balsley and his manager, Brad Baer, tooled around with the idea of throwing the first-ever Pimp N’ Ho Party in Cabo. Brian wasn’t familiar with the events, which parodied the “real” Pimp N’ Ho balls of the disco era starting in the late 90s in Huntington Beach and Vegas, but he quickly got acquainted with the idea!
Plans for the first party were finalized “in a matter of just three days,” as Balsley recalls, and a regular customer deejayed in return for free beer and pizza.
Pimp N Ho Timeline
This first “test” event was a hit, even on such a short notice, with 300 attendees. It was quickly apparent to the two Cabo expats that they had something very promising on their hands. Turns out, adults like to get dressed up too!
In 1999, they promoted their first “real” Annual Cabo Pimp N’ Ho Costume Ball in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, and the rest, as they say, is history. Within just two years, locals started using the advent of Pimp N’ Ho as a measure of the start of Cabo’s high tourist season.
Click here to view the Pimp N’ Ho Gallery
Highlights of Past Cabo Pimp N’ Ho Parties
By 2001, 400 partygoers attended the locked-down event– no one was allowed to come or leave between 10 pm and 3 am, making the 3rd Cabo Pimp N’ Ho a real night to remember! The next year, 2002, the event was so packed that they were short-staffed all night.
By 2003, the threat of cancellation by the promoter proved how popular the event had become: when news reached local partygoers, they “freaked out,” and the Cabo Pimp N’ Ho Ball was back on! From then on, the event was sold out each and every year, and by 2005, they hit a record of 800 people at Bodyshot.
Pimp N Ho Timeline
Word reached celebrities, too. In 2006, motorcross icon Carey Hart turned out for the 8th Annual event, hosted by Dennis Hoff (and the Bunny Ranch girls). In 2007, baseball superstar Pat Burrell attended in a memorably outrageous costume while burslesque deejay Portia Surreal manned the decks.
What started with 300 people had exploded by 2008, when more celebrities than ever turned out for the 10th Annual Cabo Pimp N’ Ho. Puff Daddy, Peter Safran, Crissty Hemme, leticia Cline, SoCal Val and legendary boxer Floyd Mayweather, to name a few, helped make 2008 a landmark year for the party.
The 11th Annual Cabo Pimp N’ Ho Ball
2009 will mark the 11th consecutive Cabo Pimp N’ Ho Ball, and as it has each year, the event keeps getting bigger, better, badder, and more renowned.
For the last several years now, Balsley (who now owns the trademark to “Pimp N’ Ho Ball” in Mexico and Europe) teamed up with longtime event promoter Derrick Grahn and his partner Anastasia Grahn (of Cabo Noche and Hautter.com) to promote the event more seriously. Together, this powerhouse team has turned the Cabo Pimp N’ Ho Ball into the wildest, most exciting and most memorable social event of the year in beautiful Southern Baja.
In 2009, Pimp N’ Ho will again attract some of the world’s biggest high-rollers, celebrities and A-listers. Similar costume balls are now global party traditions, but here in Mexico, aspiring pimps and hos get to do the ball Cabo-style!
To ensure your spot at this year’s must-see event, buy your tickets today. We’ll see you there!