Updated September 2026: This historical product roundup has been expanded with additional tire details, full-resolution photos, related UTV Guide tests and current product context.
The 2017 Sand Sports Super Show arrived just as cooler weather was bringing another desert-riding season to the southwestern United States. Held at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa, California, the annual show gave UTV owners an opportunity to see new vehicles, tires, wheels and accessories in person.
Tire manufacturers used the event to introduce new tread designs and larger sizes for increasingly powerful sport UTVs. Thirty-two-inch tires were becoming practical for desert racing and recreational use, while the appearance of a 35-inch UTV tire previewed where the market was heading.
We were particularly interested in tires that could survive high-speed desert terrain and the sharp rocks found at the King of the Hammers UTV race. These five tires stood out at the 2017 show.
Our 2017 King of the Hammers Tire Experience
Earlier that year, we put our Polaris RZR XP 1000 on the King of the Hammers podium using 32-inch Arisun Aftershock tires mounted on Walker Evans Racing beadlock wheels.
King of the Hammers combines high-speed desert sections with technical rock trails, creating a difficult tire-development environment. A suitable tire needs a strong carcass and sidewall to resist punctures, but excessive rotating weight can hurt acceleration, braking and suspension response.
Read our complete 2017 King of the Hammers UTV race recap for more information about the race and our podium finish.
Fuel Gripper R/T: New 32-Inch UTV Tire
The 32x10R15 Fuel Gripper R/T was developed as a rugged-terrain tire for high-speed desert driving and mixed off-road conditions. Fuel tested the tire at the Best in the Desert Vegas to Reno race before displaying it at the Sand Sports Super Show.
The tire used a steel-belted, 10-ply-rated construction and weighed approximately 40.7 pounds. Its reinforced casing was designed to support the weight and speed of turbocharged sport UTVs while resisting impacts and punctures.
A relatively continuous center tread provided a stable contact patch on firm terrain. More aggressive shoulder blocks added lateral traction and helped protect the sidewall in rocks and ruts.
Fuel Gripper R/T specifications
- Size: 32x10R15
- Overall diameter: 31.62 inches
- Width: 9.40 inches
- Construction: Steel-belted radial
- Load rating: 10-ply rated
- Weight: 40.7 pounds
- Maximum load: 1,050 pounds
- Recommended rim width: 6.5 to 8.5 inches
- Maximum pressure: 20 psi
The Gripper R/T was also DOT marked and offered in several sizes for 14- and 15-inch wheels. It does not appear to be part of Fuel Off-Road’s current tire lineup, so owners shopping for old inventory should confirm the tire’s production date before purchasing.
See our original 32-inch Fuel Gripper R/T introduction for its complete specifications.
STI Enduro XT/S Steel-Belted Radial
The STI Enduro XT/S was designed as a multi-terrain radial for owners who needed durability without moving to an excessively heavy or aggressive specialty tire.
Its dual steel belts and 8-ply-rated radial carcass were intended to improve puncture resistance and tread stability. Reinforced sidewalls and rim guards added protection against pinch flats and wheel damage when driving through rocks.
The tread placed a broad contact patch through the center of the tire for predictable handling and a smoother ride on hard surfaces. Open areas between the outer tread blocks helped the tire find traction in loose dirt, gravel and mixed trail conditions.
The Enduro XT/S was DOT marked, making it appropriate for UTV owners who encountered paved connectors where local laws permitted on-road use. DOT marking, however, does not by itself make a UTV street legal.
Read the original STI Enduro XT/S steel-belted radial announcement.
GBC Kanati Terra Master
The Kanati Terra Master was one of the most unusual UTV tires introduced in 2017. GBC gave the tire an asymmetric, non-directional tread pattern with two distinctly different sides.
Because the tire is non-directional, it can be mounted with either half of its tread positioned toward the outside. One orientation places the more aggressive portion of the tread where it can provide additional grip in soft-to-intermediate terrain. Reversing the mounting orientation emphasizes the portion designed for intermediate-to-hard surfaces.
This configuration allows owners to tailor the tire to their primary terrain without purchasing two different tread designs. It can also be useful on vehicles that encounter rocks, hardpack, sand and loose dirt during the same ride.
After its introduction, we installed 33-inch Terra Masters on a Can-Am Maverick Sport X rc. The larger tires provided nearly 18 inches of ground clearance, and we aired them down to 7 psi during technical rock testing. Read our Can-Am Maverick Sport X rc review for those real-world impressions.
Additional historical details are available in our original Kanati Terra Master introduction. The tire remains available through GBC Tires, although current sizes and specifications should be confirmed before ordering.
BFGoodrich Baja T/A KR2 in New 32- and 35-Inch Sizes
The BFGoodrich Baja T/A KR2 UTV tire was not completely new at the 2017 show, but its 32x10R15 and 35×10.50R15 sizes were. The 35-inch version was particularly noteworthy when most production sport UTVs still came with tires measuring approximately 29 to 30 inches.
BFGoodrich originally developed a 30×9.5R15 version specifically for UTV competition. The tire incorporated CoreGard sidewall technology derived from the company’s desert-racing experience and used a tread intended to provide traction in sand, mud and loose rocky terrain.
The closely supported tread blocks helped maintain stability at speed, while the large shoulder elements contributed to braking and lateral traction. The strong carcass made the KR2 attractive for desert racing, where sidewall damage and high-speed impacts can end a race.
Fitting a 35-inch tire to a 2017-era UTV often required suspension clearance, gearing or clutch changes and stronger drivetrain components. Today, several high-performance machines are engineered around 35-inch tires from the factory, illustrating how significant this new size was at the time.
Read our original BFGoodrich Baja T/A KR2 UTV tire introduction. For a modern comparison of current rock-focused options, see our 35-inch sticky UTV tire buyer’s guide.
Maxxis Liberty 32x10R15
The Maxxis Liberty brought light-truck-inspired construction and tread styling to the UTV market. Although the tire was not brand-new at the 2017 show, the 32x10R15 size caught our attention as a potential option for larger and faster sport side-by-sides.
The Liberty uses an 8-ply-rated radial carcass designed to handle the loads and speeds generated by larger UTVs. Its relatively broad contact patch provides predictable steering and braking on hardpack, while the stepped tread blocks and shoulder pattern maintain traction in rocks and loose desert terrain.
Maxxis also developed the tire with an emphasis on tread life and a smoother ride. Those characteristics make it better suited to mixed recreational and desert use than a highly specialized mud or rock-crawling tire.
The Liberty remains part of the Maxxis powersports range. See the current Maxxis Liberty tire, or read our original Maxxis Liberty UTV tire overview.
What These 2017 UTV Tires Tell Us Today
The tire market displayed at the 2017 Sand Sports Super Show marked an important transition. Thirty-two-inch radials were becoming realistic choices for racing and aggressive recreational use, while 35-inch tires were beginning to move from custom builds into the broader UTV market.
Construction was advancing along with tire size. Steel belts, reinforced sidewalls, deeper rim guards and higher ply ratings reflected the increasing weight, speed and horsepower of sport UTVs.
Choosing among these tires still depended on the intended terrain. The Fuel Gripper R/T and BFGoodrich KR2 emphasized high-speed desert durability, the STI Enduro XT/S and Maxxis Liberty targeted mixed terrain, and the Kanati Terra Master offered an unusual way to tailor the tread orientation to different surfaces.
More Sand Sports Super Show Product Coverage
This tire and wheel report is part of UTVGuide.net’s continuing event coverage. Explore the complete Sand Sports Super Show archive for more new products, custom UTV builds and annual show recaps.
