Our group decided to take a short field trip up the coast to let the weather in Winchester Bay blow over. Once we got back in the afternoon, it was back to the events, and to my surprise they were packed with competitors. The racers on the drag strip took full advantage of the dense air and the moisture in the sand to scream across the strip at blinding speeds. Row upon row of riders waited their turns to launch at the sight of the green light to see who could be the fastest on the sand for the weekend. At the opposite end of the event area, the motocross and grand prix races were kicking off, and groups of riders diced it out on the whoop-filled course. This action rolled over into Saturday with the only change being the weather. For the last day, the skies cleared up and gave everyone a gift of perfect weather. Up until this point, this has been one of the sweetest events I've attended since I've been coming.
 |  The action in the MX races...  The action in the MX races was fast and fierce as riders blazed their way through the challenging whoop-filled course. |  Forget the days of custom-painted...  Forget the days of custom-painted helmets. Grab an old weathered cowboy hat and some duct tape and you've got your own customized lid for under $10 bucks. |
As the sun died down, the festivities didn't. In the evening, the action continued with a freestyle MX show at the main stage area followed by local music bands that concluded with a DJ spinning tunes well into the dark hours. All in all, it seemed as if this year's fest went off without any hitches and exceeded expectations left behind from years past. As bonfires throughout the camping areas smoldered into nothing more than glowing embers, it signaled the end of DuneFest 2008. All of the trophies were handed out, race fuel was burned and dunes were ridden. All that was left was for people to pack up and head home.
Nevertheless, my friends and I decided to spend an extra day enjoying the dunes without the crowd, and we loved every second of it. It's awesome to see so many people converge in one area and make a great event such as this, but it's also nice to have such a special place all to yourself. As the last of the vendors pulled up stakes and exited, we returned to our house and began packing ourselves. The long drive home was nothing to look forward to, but it was inevitable.
We rolled out of Winchester Bay having experienced one of the best ATV events to be held this side of the Mississippi. We got to do it all. Great weather, people, excitement, contests and some of the best riding this region has to offer. It was now back to the baking-hot smog-filled city we call home. As I sit here writing this story today, there is only one thing on my mind. I'm counting down the days until DuneFest 2009. And you should, too!
Winchester Bay: A Place You Must Experience
I've been making the trip to Winchester Bay since 1999 and have tried to make it a yearly destination as a result of such great riding experiences. One of my favorite reasons for making this drive is the terrain that I ride on. To my knowledge, there are not many places that offer horsepower-robbing sand dunes that take skill to climb because you have to avoid downed tree limbs or turns halfway up. If you're not up to the challenge of the steep climbs these "tree shots" have to offer, there is still a huge area for you to enjoy.
Since this riding area is right on the coast, there is a good amount of vegetation which makes for some great fast worm trails. These are trails that run in between the smaller rolling dunes where it's like blasting through a series of high-speed berms. This is an absolute blast, but riders should be cautious since this is an open riding area and there could be opposing traffic coming your way. But if you're riding with common sense, you shouldn't have any problems.