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August 17, 2007

Mudfest to offer clean-dirty fun

By Kelly Young

news@jacksonvilleprogress.com

Organizers of this weekend’s Summer Mudfest 2007 claim their event will have all the fun and excitement of the Redneck Games but with none of the drunken nudity.

Robert Eitel and Michael Adkins are avid four-wheeler riders who were forced to create their own family-friendly mud festival because they didn’t feel comfortable taking their wives and children along with them to any of the area’s existing rides.

“The kind of events that happened at the Redneck Games a few weeks ago give both mudding and East Texas a bad name. A lot of the rides are like that now, so we decided, as both riders and family men, to start Mudfest,” Eitel said. “We just thought that there needed to be a different type of ride out there for people to go to. We want the public to know that most people who ride ATVs (All-Terrian Vehicles) don’t do it naked.”

The festivities started Thursday at noon at Mudcreek Off-road Park, although most of the events and races kicked off this morning. The weekend’s complete schedule of events is adjacent to this story.

“This year’s theme is Splash Fest. We made a waterfall on the powerline in Mudcreek. You can go down the powerline now and just get drenched. We’ve got mud truck racing, competition rides, mud bogs and a lot more,” Eitel said.

Water trucks and extra security will be on-hand to ensure the safety of the event’s patrons.

Eitel and Adkins have worked to ensure that Mudfest is a venue suitable for all ages. Events for children will include 50cc and 90cc mud races and a Kiddie bog. A brand-new Honda TRX90 kid’s ATV will be one of approximately 25 items raffled off, worth a combined $10,000.

“Making this ride family-friendly was the big thing for us this time. We’re not going to have any trouble this weekend — no Mardi Gras beads, no under-aged drinking and no weapons are allowed in the park,” Eitel said. “We would like one day to try a dry ride, but we know we have to take small steps in order to get there. We’re just trying to get this back to being a positive sport.”

The duos’ previous Mudfest, held at Gator Run Park in Easton, back in May, attracted thousands of mudders from around the area. After advertising on 10 regional radio stations and countless on-line forums, Eitel and Adkins expect the Summer Mudfest to be even more successful than their previous attempt.

“Mudcreek is known as the elite four-wheeler park in the South. There will be thousands of people. They are coming from as far as Florida, Colorado, Georgia and Mississippi to participate. This is going to be a huge ride,” Eitel said.

Eitel and Adkins have been very impressed with Mudcreek Park, and hope to continue hosting the festival there in the future.

“We would absolutely like to keep this event at Mudcreek, they have been great to deal with. Cary (Carr) and Royce (Fletcher) have bent over backwards to help us, and they are after the same things that we are in holding this,” Eitel said. “The Redneck Games have tried to go to Mudcreek before and they were told no, and I respect that.”

Major sponsors for Summer Mudfest 2007 include Classic Toyota, Bayou Snorkels, H&W; Honda and High Lifter. Admission costs $25 per person, $15 per ATV, $45 for RV hookups with electric and water, $15 for RV camping without hookups and $5 per vehicle. Children under 6-years-old are admitted free of charge. Tent camping is also available for free.

Eitel is proud that wholesomeness is the hallmark of Mudfest.

“Sure, we could put up a poster that says “Hey, let’s all get naked” — and we would get rich real quick, but that’s the kind of stuff that brings cities down and it brings East Texas down. Any way you look at it, it’s pornography, and we don’t need that around here.”



Summer Mudfest 2007 Schedule



Friday

• 8 a.m.: Geo-tracking for prizes starts (Geo-tracking ends at 9 p.m. Saturday night)

• 8 p.m. - Midnight: Karaoke under the stars



Saturday

• 8 - 9:30 a.m.: High lifter Mudbog (signup at the Classic Toyota Truck display in the vending area)

• 10:30 a.m.: High lifter ATV Products Kiddie Bog

• 11 a.m.: High lifter ATV Products (Mudbog $5000 added to the purse)

• 4:30 - 6:30p.m.: Kids Honda TRX90 four-wheeler.

• 7 p.m.: Drawing for the Honda TRX90 (Kids and parents have to be present to win)

• 9 p.m.: Saturday Night Concert in the camping area near the highline featuring Mark Cooke and The Cooke County Line Band.

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