2016 UTV Invasion: 10 Reasons You Missed Out

Demo Rides
One of the many great things about off-road events is that manufacturers bring out the latest and greatest machines for the public to test. At this year’s event, Can-Am had a fleet of its Maverick X3 models on hand for attendees to try out – yep, the same one that unveiled a few weeks back. Of course we took advantage of the opportunity as well, and it was just enough of a tease to leave us hungry for more!

New Products on Vendor Row
The vendor row at this year’s UTV Invasion was almost twice the size of last year’s event, and enthusiasts had the opportunity to browse products from many of the industry’s leading aftermarket companies (that were often offered at discounted prices for the event). On hand this year was everything from tires and wheels to custom tie downs, suspension, communications systems, vehicle wraps and just about any bolt-on accessory you could think of. Of course there were lots of T-shirts and event souvenirs available for purchase as well.

Take a Drive on the Proline Wraps UTV Teeter Totter
One of the crowd favorites every year is the UTV teeter totter. The ultimate test of hand-eye coordination (or maybe foot-eye coordination), competitors inch their UTVs up the teeter totter hoping to find that magic balance point.

Watch the Drag Exhibition
New for this year, promoters held a drag racing exhibition and invited several of the leading engine builders in the industry to showcase their products and put on a show for the spectators.  Not everyone needs a 500-horsepower UTV, but it sure is exciting to watch them charge down a 300-foot drag strip in less than 4 seconds.

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Get Your Picture Taken by the Media
The UTV Invasion gets a lot of media attention by a number of different websites and magazines in addition to Off-road.com. Tagging along on group rides and entering your vehicle in the various events throughout the weekend is a great way to get yourself featured in a magazine or on a major industry website. What could be a better keepsake from an event than having your picture in a story covering the event?

Test Your Communication Skills at the Rugged Relay
As one of the premier sponsors of the event, Rugged Radios came up with an ingenious idea for a new contest called the Rugged Relay. In this event, a blindfolded driver would be coached around a predetermined course by a teammate using a two-way radio. Hitting a cone was a 10 second penalty, but competitors could make up time by running over balloons strategically placed around the course.

Win Some Amazing Raffle Prizes
Thousands of dollars in product and gifts certificates were up for grabs throughout the weekend, as event sponsors and vendors really stepped up for this year’s event. Attendees had numerous opportunities to win by either purchasing raffle tickets or having vendors punch a special raffle card that would make them eligible for the nightly prize drawing. One of the more popular items up for grabs was a full custom UTV wrap donated by Wolf Designs. Even better was the fact that they actually installed it onsite for the lucky winner. Proceeds from the raffle ticket sales went to the family of the late Art Wood, an industry friend who lost his battle with cancer barely a month ago.

Rock Out at the Concert
Attendees enjoyed a free concert on Friday night featuring local rock band Dirty Little Richards.  The band cranked out some original tunes as well as classic favorites and had the audience rocking late into the night.

Check Out Custom UTVs in the Show ‘n’ Shine
People who invest a ton of time and energy into their vehicles tend to like to show them off (and we don’t blame them). The Super ATV Show ‘n’ Shine featured some of the most outrageous custom UTVs we’ve ever seen. The contest was divided into a Weekend Warriors class for amateur builders and an Industry Professionals class for people who build custom UTVs for a living.

Go on a Group Ride
This could be the number one reason on this list, because while the events and vendors are definitely exciting the real reason everyone comes to the UTV Invasion is to ride the massive St Anthony sand dunes. A great way to enjoy the dunes is to go on a guided group ride with a dozen or so other enthusiasts. Organizers planned several group rides throughout the weekend, including an intro to the big dunes ride for first timers to St Anthony as well as a guided night ride.

MORE: 2015 Idaho Dunes UTV Invasion