When you grow up country, you find yourself with a need to get creative in terms of how to entertain yourself. You might not have all the luxuries of living in a downtown metropolis, and so you have to find unique ways to keep yourself occupied and challenged. A lot of times these activities stem from boredom and a fearless approach to getting seriously dirty. I’m sure that’s how mud bogging got started. Unsure what that is? Let me fill you in.
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).
Let’s begin by reiterating that mud bogging is in fact a sport. Though not as popular overall as football and baseball, mud bogging still has followers that are generally specific to their particular regions or counties. In the south, mud bogging will go on year round, as the warm weather permits year round bogs. Up north, mud bogging is exclusive to spring and summer. These are the only seasons that permit the consistency of mud required for a successful mud bog.
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, you have to complete the course. Usually this means just getting in and out of the trench without the need of assistance. Very often, few vehicles will make it through the trench, so it’s easy to determine the winner if only one truck sees the other side. If you are stuck, you are pulled from the running. Unless of course no one makes it to the other side, which means the winner is who makes it the farthest in the trench. If more than one truck makes it to the other side without assistance, the winner is determined by who did so the fastest.
If you are considering competing in a bog, you have to have the right equipment. This means you have to get a vehicle that can pull you through the trench without blowing itself up. This usually means you need a jeep or a truck; they have strong engines and high rise bodies. Most say not high enough, though, as many mud bogging specialists would encourage new comers to “jack ‘em up”. Meaning, get a lift kit and put on some oversized tires to shred through even the deepest ditches.
Often the racers will play for a community pool of funds or bragging rights, which kind of keeps the sport going in itself. There’s not like a huge market and television exposure, just some good ole’ boys and girls getting some mud on the tires and mixing it up.
Mud bogging may never be as big as football, but it has certainly cemented a place for itself among outdoor gamers. It could be the slinging mud or the roar of the engines, whatever it is, it’s not going anywhere anytime soon.
When you grow up in the country, you have to get creative when it comes to entertainment. This pasttime 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.
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