Mud Bogging: The Growing Sport Of Rural America
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.
Mud bogging requires two things: powerful engines and a pit of mud. This mud usually forms a long trench for the off road trucks to try and pass through. The trenches range from anywhere from 1/8 of a mile to a mile, judging on where the bogging is actually taking place and how many people are coming out to watch it. If you have ever lived in the country enough to know what mud bogging is, you certainly know that it’s as popular of a spectator sport as it is a competitive one.
Winning a mud bog is usually as simple as getting through the trench. Very often, few engines can pull their respective vehicles through the trench to the other side. Well, without getting help that is. If you get stuck, that’s it. If everyone gets stuck, the driver who made it the farthest takes first place. If more than one person makes it out of the other side without assistance, the driver who accomplished this with the best time takes top spot.
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.
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.