On Thursday, we couldn't have asked for better weather, much like the day before. I have to say that in all of my years attending DuneFest it is pretty rare for there to be more than one day of sunny skies. Today's agenda was a little busier than the day before. Our morning kicked off with a nice ride and several photography stops to show you readers what you'd have to look forward to if you ever make the drive yourself. Some of the places we were able to ride looked as if they were straight out of a postcard. From here we headed back to the event area and passed Manufacturers Row. The Row had semi after semi from Suzuki, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Can-Am and Redline Performance Products lined up and unloaded with plenty of units available for demo rides. If you were in the market for a new ATV or UTV, this was your chance to test one out. All weekend a constant flow of demo units headed out into the dunes for people to form their opinions on which meet their needs the best. It's rare to be able to do something like this, and we were stoked that these manufacturers gave the enthusiasts this type of opportunity.
 In this region you normally...  In this region you normally need an umbrella to keep the rain off of your head. From this angle, it would serve you a totally different purpose during the event. |  The UTV races attracted not...  The UTV races attracted not only the typical modded Rhino, Teryx and RZR but also included the new high-performance buggies from Redline Performance Products. With plenty of suspension and power on tap, many drivers had their hands full. |  The barrel racing proved to...  The barrel racing proved to be a fun, challenging and entertaining contest that was enjoyed by both racers and spectators alike. This rider carves his way through one of the three turns in the attempt for the fastest time. |
This day's events were a bit more exciting than yesterday's, with side-by-side racing and barrel racing organized for the late afternoon. The side-by-side racing definitely proved to be a crowd favorite as spectators lined the course to see drivers push their machines and their nerves to the test battling each other. At times the racing was intense, and the masses loved it. Once that was done, the schedule progressed onto the barrel racing. This was just like you'd see in a rodeo but only more exciting as you could watch competitors hang it out trying to get the fastest time. This made for good entertainment as riders either blew the turns or railed them on two wheels almost looking like they were going over. No matter how slow or fast their times were, everybody came off the course with a huge white grin on their face.
Having taken in the day's action we eventually made our way back to our house to enjoy a relaxing evening, because the next two days would be packed full of some great riding. After enjoying a yummy dinner and taking in the local scenery, we headed out for a late-night drive. Now, I'm a big fan of riding in the dunes at night, but we were hotfooting for a completely different reason. Yamaha, one of the event's sponsors, was hosting a side-by-side drive-in movie at the main event area. We pulled up, killed the lights and kicked back as The World's Fastest Indian played on the big screen. This movie night tradition began quite recently and just happens to be a huge hit. For us, it was a total blast.
As I woke up early Friday morning, I looked out the window to notice two things. The first was that people had been flocking in throughout the night as the nearby campgrounds were bursting, and the second was that the coastal Oregon gloom was settling in, ready to give us a little soaking. In the past I've never been hit by a big downpour of rain, and this year was no different; what did happen was a heavy, constant drizzle that soaked everyone and everything. This didn't stop anyone from riding on their favorite trails, checking out the vendors or participating in any of the grand prix, motocross or drag racing that were held. It was as if these enthusiasts were not going to allow a little water to destroy their weekend.