A lot of work goes into the planning and execution of High Lifter Mud Nationals. Dozens of people are involved in putting together this event for thousands to enjoy. Here is a behind the scenes look at what the staff of High Lifter thought about the 2019 High Lifter Mud Nationals event at Hillarosa ATV Park. Who better to get the inside scoop from?
“My favorite part was seeing and talking to all of the first timers, those who had never been to a Mud Nationals before. They were all so happy and excited. It was amazing that we had 5 men come all the way from Iceland just to walk around and see the event.” – Tracie Engi, Event Coordinator
“After months of preparation for the largest mud event of the year changing locations, I was confident we had put just as much effort into the event as we ever have plus more, but I wasn’t sure the riders would come out. I should have never doubted this group as they showed up, showed out, and had a blast! The trails were muddy, the concerts were better than ever, and the smiles were as far as you could see.” – Nate Chandler, Sales
“My favorite part about the 2019 Mud Nationals at Hillarosa was the terrain. The park offered a good combination of trail riding, creek riding, and, of course, serious mud riding. Within a few minutes, you could go from riding in a hard bottom creek enjoying the scenery, to tight technical trail riding, and then right into some of the thickest gumbo mud you could ask for. It really allows you to put your driving skills to the test and lets you push the limits of your machine. It is really difficult to find a place to ride that can challenge every rider and setup. We want the guys on everything from stock units to huge one-off rigs to have fun, and I honestly believe that we succeeded with Hillarosa. I personally had a blast and can’t wait for next year!” – Grant Perkins, Sales
“High Five. High Gator Waders. HIGH LIFTER. That sums up my 2019 High Lifter Mud Nats! I had a close friend and female in the industry with me, Miss Mint. We had the most amazing time on the Poker Run! She commented to me, ‘Wow, people get so excited when you give them a high five on the trail.’ I told her that’s what it’s all about. The camaraderie of the people out here doing the same thing we do. It also helped that my very sweet, head strong husband got stuck in a hole in front of us, and after he was winched out, we hit it like the girl bosses we are and showed up the boys! I cannot tell you how proud I am of the entire High Lifter family! Everyone worked hard, smiled and made this the BEST MUD NATS ever! I enjoyed the concerts and the trails. You could get muddy or stay clean. It was the prefect off-road event! See y’all on the trail.” – Rachel Smith, @mrsoutlaw550
“Seeing the faces of so many new attendees, as well as the familiar faces of those coming for years! It’s all about the people – young, old, everywhere in between – there is something for everyone to enjoy. And the puppies! It’s like a family reunion for the people you only get to see once a year.” – Carrie Shaver, Sales
“My favorite part of the High Lifter Mud Nationals is the Bad 2 the Bone competition. I really enjoy looking at all the builds and how much creativity goes into these units. The amount of work, time, and money to get these units ready for the competition is unbelievable. The extreme colors, huge lift kits, ear thumping sound systems, and lights really take these ATV’s and SxS’s to the next level. This year the two BEST ATV’s, in my opinion, were the old school Honda’s. I like that they took two classic ATV’s and turned them into something that was a show stopper!” – Charles Singleton, Engineering
“My favorite part of High Lifter Mud Nationals this year was getting to see so many of my mud riding friends and family from all over the country that I usually only get to see at rides. It’s always a great time to catch up and make new memories with long-time friends, and I definitely made some new ones this year, too! MUD NATS 2019 WOO!” – Kelsey Smith, Marketing
“My favorite part of Mud Nationals Hillarosa was the game! I absolutely love meeting all the people that come play our game. I love talking to them, finding out where they are from, and then being able to give them an awesome free prize! They immediately become my friends, and when they see me throughout the event, they always tell me they will be at the next game or see you in the morning. It’s so fun to put a smile on their face as I hand them a t-shirt, hat, sunglasses, free food from the vendors, or other cool prizes. This year’s game was a version of Cornhole. It was a blast seeing people smile and laugh as they threw the bean bag in to win. The tie breakers were a blast. Having them throw under their legs made everyone laugh. This year had a bonus prize. If you didn’t get one in, you got a limited edition koozie saying ‘I couldn’t hit the hole at Mud Nats 2019.’ I had players come back to miss the board so they could get that koozie. It was fantastic!!” – Kelly Roberts, Marketing
“The best thing about Mud Nationals is the people. They came from all over: locals from Arkansas and neighboring states Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma; plenty of guests from Mississippi, Florida, South Carolina, Illinois, Indiana and Idaho; groups from Mexico, Canada and even ICELAND. The rides were just as diverse as the people – dirt bikes, 3 wheelers, 4 wheelers, SxSs and more. Working the gate gave me the opportunity to watch all of the variety roll in. It was amazing to see people from every walk of life come together and enjoy everything Mud Nationals 2019 at Hillarosa had to offer.” – Mary McDaniel, Accounting
“One of my favorite things was working the gate and getting to see everyone so excited about Mud Nats and exploring the new park. Everyone’s adrenaline and laughter made it a pleasure to work and easy to get through the day. Of course, I also enjoyed exploring Hillarosa myself, and I look forward to riding there again in the future. Mud on, mud family!” – Karla Sweeney, Accounting