Thankfully, the Challenge's...
Thankfully, the Challenge's promoters did not forget the youth riders. They had such a blast in the bog.
After lunch it was time to kick off the most anticipated event of the weekend. The promoters designed an incredible swampcross-style mud bog track that's similar to what you might see at the High Lifter Mud Nationals or a CMR. But for most riders and spectators in attendance, they've never had a chance to experience racing like this. With a variety of classes to compete in and a stout number of sign-ups, it was apparent that the races were going to be a hit for sure. A couple of thousand spectators lined up all along the pits waiting for the action. There were so many people lining these pits that it was difficult to squeeze into the crowd just to grab some photos.
Thankfully, the promoters did not forget the youth riders. The first bogs that took place were the youth racers kicking it in their smaller scaled-down pit. These kids rocked out in that pit and had all of the rowdy adults screaming and cheering. It was obvious by the smiles on their faces that they felt bigger than life and enjoyed every minute of their 15 minutes of fame. But as they began to wrap up the youth bogs, the crowd grew even rowdier cheering to get the big boys kicked off. In the competition, there were stock quads without snorkels to gnarly fire-breathing mud monsters. It had honestly been a while since I've seen a couple of thousand people having this much fun together.
After a few hours of mud slinging and partying, the races began to wind down and everyone headed back to their campers to get cleaned up for the night's events. Apparently, Paradise Farms ATV Park had a huge concert planned with several bands performing into the wee hours. For me, though, it was time to make my exit. As much as I would have enjoyed hanging out to some live Southern music, it had been a long day and I still had my three-hour drive home. But after this full day of activities, I determined that this event was every bit worth my six hours spent in the truck. It quickly became evident to me that the Extreme Mud Challenge was the event that saved winter. Only next year, I'll be pulling a camper and staying the whole weekend.
Paradise Farms ATV Park
One of the best parts about being an editor for an ATV magazine is all of the great places we get to visit. This time, it was Paradise Farms ATV Park in Talbotton, Georgia. This great ride spot has been open for less than a year and is stacked with nearly 700 acres of everything you could possibly want. It has wooded trails, fast wide-open jeep trails, mud bogs, swamps and quite a few ponds to chill out by. And if you want to make a weekend of it, cabin rentals, camping and RV hookups turn this place into a dream spot for many. In a nutshell, this ride spot would be great for almost all off-road enthusiasts with a slight focus on those who enjoy getting a little wet and nasty. Look it up sometime, we think you'll dig it!
Location: Talbotton, Georgia
Park Hours: Friday: 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Saturday: 9 a.m.. - 10 p.m.; Sunday: 9 a.m.. - 7 p.m.
Entrance Fee: $20 for the first day per machine, $15 for each additional day;$5 per day for passengers, $10 riders under 10, passengers under 10 are free
RV Hookup: $25 per night. All other camping $10 per night.
Bunk House (sleeps 8): $60 minimum
Cabin (sleeps 8): $80 minimum
Big Trailer (sleeps 6): $60 minimum
Small Trailer (sleeps 4): $40 minimum
Contact: 770/468-6227; paradisefarmsatv.com
This Honda rider dove in deep...
This Honda rider dove in deep without the protection of a good snorkel kit! Hmmm!
We were even lucky enough...
We were even lucky enough to meet up with the Creek Bottom mud racing team from Georgia. Keep an eye out for these guys at the CMR series.