Photo by Andrew Barron
Flickr Creative Commons
I’ll begin this with a caveat: I’ve never actually been mud riding. But I do know folks who have.
If you’ve never heard of mud riding, it’s a fairly simple concept: take one pick-up truck, add people, find some mud, drive around in it. Isn’t that messy? Heck, yeah. But some of the best things in life are – ribs, for example. I, myself don’t see the fun in slinging mud into every nook and cranny of my vehicle. Especially knowing that I’d eventually have to clean up the mess. I’m pretty sure the folks who were eager to pile in the pickup on Saturday night are none too keen on pitching in at the car wash on Sunday morning. But somehow the trucks do get clean. Sure, you’ll see an occasional truck-shaped mound of mud on the road, but they’re really the exception.
Photo by lostinthesparks86 Flickr Creative Commons
I couldn’t tell you how mud riding got started. I reckon it just took one person to get their truck stuck in the mud and think, “hey, this is cool.” And they told their friends, and they told their friends, and so on.
Probably girls have been known to go mud riding, but I think it’s mainly a boy sport (and I use the word “sport” very loosely). Call me sexist, but I think the desire to revel in filth rests on the Y chromosome.
If you’re tempted to try mud riding but don’t actually own a pick up, I reckon an SUV would do. I would not, however, try it with a Volkswagen Beetle (old or new) or any sort of four-door family cruiser. And whatever you do, resist the urge to take someone else’s vehicle out for a quick trip through the local mud pit. If you’d like to remain on speaking terms with them, anyway.
In fact, if you’d like to try mud riding, the best thing to do is find someone who’s already going and tag along. That’s what most people do, which I reckon is why they call it “mud riding” and not “mud driving.”
Have you ever been mud riding? Would you do it again?
stuff southern people like 
we called it muddin’ where i come from. and yes it is a y chromosome thing for sure, lol
i thought so!
Love your blog!
Just “mudding” for me, too. And I did do it one time in my truck…although, I wasn’t driving (a boy was), and it was kind of an accident (at least, he claims it was). But when my dad saw it (I was 16 at the time), he acted all mad, but I could tell he was kind of proud!
LOL!
Have you seen cyclocross yet? Exact same thing done on a bicycle. It is pretty popular here in Seattle so you can get that muddin’ fix without ever leaving the city. And yeah- even girls do this one. The more mud the better.
You’ll never catch me jonesing for a muddin’ fix. Especially if it involves actually getting myself (or worse – my cute shoes) muddy.
We called it mud-bogging–and I just had a discussion with another southern transplant friend about this phrasing. 🙂
We go mudding in a Polaris Ranger — an ATV with seats and a bed that tips up for easy unloading. Sort of a small Willie’s Jeep. Living in the desert, the summer rains arrive fast, drop a lot of water, and leave in a hurry, in the middle there’s amazing lightening, deep rolling thunder, and lots of wind. The aftermath turns parts of the desert into muddy patches and bogs. I just tell myself everything’s fine, a little soap and water and I’ll be clean and shiney once again. There’s something to be said for moving forward on a slant and getting stuck is a whole another event.
I went mud boggin’ one time when I was… 19 or 20?… I went to visit a friend of mine who lived in a one-stoplight-town. This was her suggested entertainment for the night. I was scared out of my mind and have happily never engaged in the act since.
There is nothing more therapeutic than taking a vehicle getting it windows deep in some southern red clay then letting it dry to a crisp terra cotta finish then grabbing a case of beer and some friends and washing it all off. Ah the memories….
I’m with the others, it is mudding not “mud riding.” ATVs {also known as four-wheelers} are also commonly used for this activity.
Thanks great blogg