By Jon Crowley
DuneFest 2016 brought riders, UTV builders and aftermarket companies to the Winchester Bay dunes on the Oregon coast. This was my sixth DuneFest after missing the 2015 event. The gathering took place July 27–31 in the Winchester Bay portion of the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, with Can-Am as the presenting sponsor.
The Reedsport/Winchester Bay Chamber of Commerce organized the event. Its sand camping and staging areas on National Forest land operated under a special use permit from the Siuslaw National Forest. The event area required a wristband for entry.
Riding, racing and demos at DuneFest
There was plenty to do between dune rides: drag racing, UTV, ATV and motorcycle competition, a poker run, barrel racing, the Show & Shine, freestyle entertainment and a lighted night ride. Vendors and local food stands filled out the days. The Pepsi Main Stage hosted a screening of Star Wars: The Force Awakens; the weekend also included a Saturday auction and live music on Friday and Saturday nights.
Yamaha brought a demo fleet that included the YXZ1000R and YXZ1000R SS. Polaris displayed the new 2017 ACE 900 XC. Whenever the scheduled activities paused, the dunes were right there for another ride.
HCR Racing and Rugged Radios builds
The vendor area was a chance to see how builders were setting up UTVs for the sand. HCR Racing displayed a Polaris RZR XP 1000 and a long-travel Polaris GENERAL. For a closer look at the company’s suspension work, see our HCR RZR XP 1000 replacement suspension coverage and the GENERAL long-travel kit released later that year. These related articles provide product context; the photos below document the vehicles at DuneFest.
Rugged Radios also brought a Polaris RZR XP 4 1000 to the show. Our Rugged Radios RRV RZR XP 4 1000 feature explains the company’s four-place intercom, car-to-car radio and helmet air setup on its dune build. For a broader look at radio, intercom and helmet air choices, read our UTV communications guide.
More UTVs from the vendor area
Boondocker displayed its turbocharged UTV, while SSV Works and Alternative Offroad/Vision X showed more ways to outfit a RZR. The Show & Shine and King of Bling winner added another standout build to the weekend’s lineup.
Scenes from DuneFest 2016
More views of the vendor area and the vehicles that filled the Winchester Bay event.
