Getting muddy at Quadna Mud Nationals

High Lifter sees attendance double in Year 2 of Minnesota event

After a somewhat disappointing Year 1 at High Lifter Quadna Mud Nationals, organizers weren’t sure what to expect for 2014. However with nine extra months to plan the second annual Hill City, Minn., event and word of mouth spreading about the fun attendees had in 2013, High Lifter was wowed by Year 2.

“It was awesome. It was a great success,” Tracie Engi, event coordinator for Mud Nationals Events LLC, told Powersports Business. “Last year we had a good show, but a lot of people didn’t know what to expect, so we went back this year, and we more than doubled the number of people that went last year. So that was our goal.”

After learning from its first foray into Minnesota, Mud Nationals made a few changes going into the second year. First, the event was cut down from four days to three, to confine more attendees into a shorter amount of time, and to save vendors an added day of expenses. Also, a day pass option was added, allowing riders to save some money if they only had one day to spare, rather than having to pay up for the full weekend pass.

“Our goal is for you to come and camp and spend the weekend. You get the most out of the event; you enjoy it more, but we know that’s also not always possible,” Engi said.

Those who bought full weekend passes were about equal to the number who purchased day passes only. The day passes were offered to stay in line with many other recreational businesses in the area. But those who bought the day passes were sometimes convinced to stay longer, as some returned for Day 2, ready to upgrade to the larger package.

Not only did Mud Nationals’ changes make a difference, but Mother Nature also played her role. Enough rain poured down Thursday to leave Quadna Mountain Park plenty muddy, but the precipitation stayed away for most of the rest of the weekend.

“I think the weather was on our side this year. Last year it was pretty bad rain for the most part,” Engi said.

With the increased attendance came increased participation in the events. More than 50 competitors took on the mud bog on Saturday, while more than 300 participated in Friday evening’s poker run. While the nightly concerts weren’t completely full due to chilly nighttime temps, the hills near the obstacle course were packed on Friday, with people lined up to watch competitors battle mud, tires and logs.

“Polaris Industries and Can-Am/BRP both did demos, and I know they both stayed busy. They did the maximum number of sessions they had planned for the weekend,” Engi said.

Reports that Powersports Business received from vendors early Friday were already mostly positive, and Engi said she heard much of the same as the weekend progressed.

“They were all very happy. I had a great group of vendors. This year a lot of them were repeats from last year, which says a lot because we didn’t have a tremendous amount of people last year, and it’s always a gamble for them,” she said. “From everyone I talked to, their sales were pretty good, and the traffic through their booths was pretty good.”

Area convenience stores, gas stations and other small businesses also reported steady traffic that boosted their sales that weekend.

“We’ve had nothing but great things to say about that whole area because they welcomed us with open arms, and the DNR has been really good at working with us as far as everyone stays in compliance and is still able to have a good time,” Engi said. The local Northwoods ATV Riding Club also offered a hand, providing volunteers to work the event.

With 2014 running so smoothly and already attracting more people than the year before, High Lifter Mud Nationals has already set dates for 2015, with the third annual event scheduled for Friday, June 12 to Sunday, June 14.

Engi said if the event continues on its current growth trajectory, Mud Nationals Events will look at adding more days to the event and including more activities as long as attendance supports those changes.

“We wanted to go back. We like the area,” she said. “We think there’s a great potential because of the number of ATVs registered in the Wisconsin and Minnesota area.”

With High Lifter’s Quadna Mud Nationals in Minnesota and ATV Mud Nationals in Texas (March 25-29) already set for 2015, there is potential for one more Mud Nationals event to be added in the near future. Engi said the plan is to continue to grow the Texas and Minnesota events and hopefully add a third annual event to the roster.