Author: Kristin Conrad
Nestled snugly between Riverside and San Diego County, is the tranquil city of Temecula. The Temecula Valley is known for its award winning wineries and scenic views. The city hosts the 15 freeway, and is part of a main corridor that leads off-road enthusiasts (and other travelers) to the diverse terrains that southern California has to offer. Many enthusiasts make their way East to the mountains, or down the backside to the desert. A brief 45 minute drive south, brings you to Mexico, where the off road challenges are unlimited. A brisk 30 minute cruise west, and you will need to install an auto snorkel to your vehicle (but that is an article for another time). Because of the vast off-road terrains within a 2 hour radius, there are many off-road minded folks around. During the summer months, the local deserts get too hot and there is an “off-season." For some folks, this leaves a temporary empty place in the soul. A few months without the smell of 2 strokes, hearing the revving of an engine, or the feeling of hitting the whoops at mock speed. This can prove downright unbearable. Although the summer heat is short lived, many enthusiasts yearn to stay connected to their passion. Don’t panic brothers and sisters of the motor-sports world….. OFF ROAD NIGHTS provides the cure for your summertime blues!
On August 5th, 2017, the Off Road Nights Dirt Lifestyle Festival took over the Promenade in Temecula, California. By mid-morning, the area was brilliantly transformed into an off-road festival fantasy land (say that 3 times fast), with a Method Race Wheels display acting as a beacon that called to the masses. From the moment you enter the ORN festivities, you begin to feel a buzzing like sensation. There is a moment of sensory overload that happens; when our mind and body don’t exactly agree in which logical order to begin an experience. The evolution of your night will all depend on what makes you tick, and ORN has enough activities and entertainment to wind ANYONE'S clock. In true off-road style, the entire area is speckled with innovative concepts and products.
The vendors were clearly having as much fun as the attendees. Some had interactive games, raffles, challenges, and lots of great “swag” for attendees to take home. Kids clutched their swag bags and seemed to embrace the “trick or treat” mentality as they brought their families to visit the different booths. Food and frosty libations were available, and there were ample choices for all tastes. Finding a place to relax and eat while enjoying the local band was effortless. The music was definitely a highlight, and the crowd was getting their groove on. The custom car show had a variety of classes that vehicles could be entered for judging. The builds were beyond impressive to look at. Hours were spent on these custom rides, and hours could have been spent ogling at them. It is hard not to dream about what you would build given the resources. The competition winners received an enviable custom fabricated trophy that visually demanded bragging rights.
Let’s talk entertainment! Off Road Nights is a family event, and it has many things to do and see for all ages. As everyone gathers their senses, you are drawn to what seems like an epicenter of fun. If you have children, you were pulled directly to the kid zone. Tempted by the many large bouncy obstacles and activities, there was not an unhappy child to be found. Sometimes events place the kid’s area (if there is one) in a corner, the ORN had the kid zone nicely located near the main stage with a view of the stunt area. That way watching the kids have a good time didn’t require missing out on the show! Show?! OH yes, there was a SHOW! The stunts were performed multiple times throughout the day. The Metal Mulisha FITZ ARMY MX freestyle stunt team performed some insane tricks which had the crowd roaring in excitement. When the dirt bikes were not flying overhead, your attention was diverted to the CAR CRUSH zone! One of the fan favorites in the car demolition event was the GRLZRK2 Jeep. The ladies were well represented throughout the festival, and are definitely a large part of the offroad community. Speaking of the ladies, there was a Miss ORN contest as well. Every lady that entered was somehow involved in the off road industry, and impressive in their own right. Keep an eye out for the 2017 winner!
With so much to do and see, it is hard not to have an initial FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). This emotion has been well considered in advance. New this year, the organizer implemented an alert system for your cell phone. Attendees could sign up to be notified when different events and activities were happening around the festival! This was a much utilized concept, and highlights the attention to detail the organizers put into planning. Attendees had FOMO NO MO’ as they were always in the know! While it is great to kick back and enjoy the fun, there is always a team of people working hard for the event to go smoothly.
The concept of Off Road Nights began as a Wednesday night local gathering of like-minded people. This meet and greet became popular, and eventually developed to what now is a much larger coordinated event! Each year the event evolves. At this rate, one can easily see it has a future as a traveling multi-day festival. The organizer and promoter of the festival is Rat Sult. Rat is a SoCal native who has dedicated most of his life to off roading. His background includes riding for Kawasaki, competing in the downhill luge in the X-Games, and when he is not raising the ORN bar each year, he announces for SCORE. This is just a small sample of his industry involvement. Rat’s passion and excitement for off-roading, the lifestyle, and community is contagious. When asked what he was most excited about when planning this year’s event, he emphatically said “the 2.5 hour block of non-stop entertainment." This proved to be an action packed block of thrills and fun, he was correct. The planning of it all was no easy task to pull off.
The Off Road Nights event was a total success and a ton of fun. On all levels, things seemed to go off seamlessly. The vendors, car show, activities, stunts, entertainment, delicious food, combined with great camaraderie made for a memorable day. This is a much recommended family event, and a great charge for those of us who love everything off-road.
Author: Kristin Conrad
