If you grow up in rural America, often times you will have to devise means to entertain yourself in the event of boredom. Since you aren’t living in downtown Chicago or someplace like that, you don’t have all the options of events and things to do like city folks. Many of these outlets stem from not being scared to get a little dirty if it means some good ole’ fun. I’m certain that’s how mud bogging got its start. And if you don’t know what mud bogging is, I will be proud to introduce you.
There are some things you should know if you are trying to understand this sport. The first being that yes, it is considered a sport to those who participate in it. Another thing being what all is involved in a typical mud bogging experience. I will briefly touch on set ups and how to optimize your mud pit and “mudder” (your vehicle you take to the mud bog).
I should start by saying again that this is in fact a sport that is nationwide. While perhaps less noteworthy than football or something like that, mud bogging is growing in popularity all the time. In the south, mud bogging goes on all year, since the warm weather is ideal for mud production. The more north you go, however, the more mud bogging becomes seasonal according to the fluctuation in weather patterns.
You need two things to have a successful mud bog: a good ride and good mud. I will address the vehicles later, so we’ll discuss the mud. Typically this is laid out in trench a little wider than the vehicles themselves. It spans anywhere from 1/8 of a mile to a full one depending on the location. If you have a good deal of space and time to set it up, the longer, deeper, and better all around the bog is.
In order to win a mud bog, the driver must pass through the trench of mud successfully. Seems simple enough, right? When you account for the mud being up to 4 feet deep in some cases, it gets a little tricky. Sometimes there will be several that complete the line and make it out of the other side, while alternatively there will be several bogs that see no one safe from being pulled back out. The rules state that whoever made it the farthest wins in the event that no one makes it out without help and if several make it through, the truck with the best time doing so is declared winner.
If you hope to compete in a mud bog, you have to have the right equipment. Firemen don’t show up to fires without water, and so you too should educate yourself on the necessities of victory. First and foremost you need a powerful engine inside the body of a truck or jeep. I have seen a few mudders in my day that were cars, but this rarely worked out well. Most will then advise you to jack up the truck and pop on some oversized tires. This should help you through even the deepest of trenches.
Often times, the racers will only be competing for bragging rights until the next bog. Sometimes there is a hat passed around to collect a pot among the racers and spectators for the winner of the event. This keeps the sport selective to the areas. No sponsors, no contracts, just good ole’ boys and girls pushing engines to the limit.
Truth be told, mud bogging is an exciting thing to watch as well as participate in. I know from experience. It will never be as big as baseball, but it can certainly say it has made its mark on the adventurous youth of rural America.
Sometimes when you grow up in the country, you have to be creative when it comes to entertainment. This activity is better known as mud bogging to those who do it. Mud bogging may never be as popular as football, but it has a place among outdoor gamers.. Free reprint available from: Mud Bogging: The Growing Sport Of Rural America.
categories: 4×4 videos,mud bogging,mudding trucks,autos,autos and trucks,vehicles trucks suvs,sports,outdoors,hobbies,home and family hobbies,recreation and sports,vehicles,trucks in mud,mudding video

Tags:
outdoors,
hobbies,
autos