RIDE MUD LIKE THE PROS

— Good fun down in the bayous —

CAN-AM PRESS RELEASE: The thrill of powering through the deepest, gnarliest mud holes on earth doesn‘t come naturally to most people, but Dustin Jones isn‘t most people. Born, raised, and based in Shreveport, Louisiana, his passion for challenging himself and his machines has led not only to S3 Power Sports—but a growing trophy case as proof of all the hard work. We sat down with Dustin and asked him how it all got started—and how you can dip your toes into mud riding to have even more fun off-road.

Can-Am: So Dustin, is there a specific moment you remember getting hooked on playing with machines off-road?

Dustin Jones: You guys probably know there‘s certain memories that stand out in your mind as you‘re growing up that, really for whatever reason, make an impression.

We‘re from Louisiana so there‘s tons of swamps, tons of water, tons of mud. That‘s just part of our culture down here and part of the terrain here that I remember specifically at a very young age. There was one particular water hole and it was a natural spring in my parent‘s front yard. I remember as a child going down there with my Hot Wheels, my little, miniature monster trucks. I remember building little race courses in this one particular mud hole. I can take you to it today. We moved away from that place 10 years ago, but I remember playing with those trucks in that little hole, pretending like I was getting stuck or winching my other truck out, all the experiences that you would expect with mud riding.

Can-Am: How often does it happen where you‘re in the middle of a mud hole and you‘re starting to get shivers wondering if you’ve taken on too much?

Dustin Jones: I’ll tell you right now, it happens to me on multiple mud rides because everybody that rides with me calls me “The Depth Finder.” If it‘s a pond, if it‘s a creek, it doesn‘t matter. I‘m going to try it. I‘m usually the first one into it. You always have those “oh no” moments where you hit a hole and you realize, “I‘ve gotten into more than what I bargained for,” to where you start getting frantic.

Can-Am: Right! When you‘re going out, as well, that‘s all part of it. If it‘s not you that‘s having that ‘uh-oh‘ moment, it‘s your best friend or it‘s your teammate. It‘s someone else you‘re helping to winch.

Dustin Jones: I think that‘s why mud riding has become so popular. I mean because it‘s just as much a social event as it is a riding experience. I think that is so impactful on people to where it makes more people want to do it.

When we approach these holes, a lot of times we‘ll take turns on who‘s the first one in because our group is a little crazy…but all of us are prepared to jump in the middle of that hole and help push, help balance a vehicle, help hook up a winch line, whatever we have to do. We‘re prepared because that‘s our buddies, that‘s what we do, it‘s a social event, it‘s more than just you out there by yourself.

Thanks to Dustin Jones and S3 Power Sports for taking the time to share why riding in the mud is a key part of everything they do and enjoy about going off-road. Want to get into mud riding? Developed with riders like Dustin, our extensive mud-ready vehicle lineup and mud-specific upgrades like snorkels and arched A-Arms are available in our store and at your local dealer.