4th Annual UTV Industry Ride – Glamis
Large UTV events are becoming more and more common, with jamborees and Polaris Camp RZR events garnishing thousands of participants every time one rolls out. Behind the scenes, we have our own industry-specific event that serves as a summit for networking, photoshoots, testing, and more- its called the UTV Industry ride. UTVGuide.net and Fullerton Sand Sports host the event once a year in late February, inviting all UTV-related companies to bring their hottest new builds and products out to Glamis to share in a bit of work and play.
This year, a record number of attendees parked their rigs near the Glamis Beach Store for the event, bringing nearly 80 custom UTVs to the Southern California sand haven. For us, the event started late on a Wednesday night, when we rolled in and set up camp. We were quickly joined by a few eager participants, and headed out to Hot Rods and Beer in nearby Holtville for a fantastic steak dinner.
The next day, as more and more rigs began to appear, we began our process of cataloging information on each build, and heading out into the sand to catch some early morning light. The entire event revolves around photoshoots, with many of them happening on some spectacular group rides. The Platinum level sponsors of the event received more photo attention, with the focus on gathering enough photography to highlight a build article on their machine(s).
Some of the rigs that rolled into Glamis were as elaborate as the UTVs they carried. Berts Mega Mall brought out couches and a projector, turning the side of their coach into an outdoor movie theater. KC HiLites rolled in with a full-sized semi, and SDR Motorsports brought a total of four different RZR builds to play with. Camp tunes were provided by SSV Works and their plethora of stereo systems, adding a little groove to the campfire gatherings. By Saturday, we had photographed over 50 vehicles, a record for the event.
On Friday, everyone came out to play. Rugged Radios brought a RZR XP4 1000 all decked out in communications gear, as well as the events only Polaris ACE 570. The Ace featured a full build that would make many UTV owners jealous, including a custom cage, doors, seat, fresh air system, radio communications, and specially-tuned Walker Evans shocks. On one of the group rides, everyone stopped near Osborne Lookout to hit the massive tabletop jump. Ronnie Renner and the TMW boys were launching the farthest, with TMWs El Diablo ZX14R- powered RZR taking the over-the-top award with a massive 140+ foot launch over that table that ended in a broken wheel. Besides the rim casualty, the car and driver drove off unscathed, becoming the hot topic of the day.
Towards the end of Fridays run, the weather turned a little windy, so all of the event participants headed over to the Glamis Beach Store for a pizza dinner sponsored by Acorn Woods Communications. The event served its purpose well, allowing companies spanning many states to meet up and network, as well as get their products into the medias view. For more information on attending next years event, please contact Jon Crowley at UTV Guide or Dave Kuskie at Fullerton Sand Sports. More Photos: Event Sponsors:
Platinum Sponsor Features: More Resources:
Photos by Jon Crowley, Cody Hooper, Doug Hill and Danny Adair |
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