Twenty-five trucks, two mud pits, one goal: keep the Tompkins rink alive

The second annual Tompkins Mud Bog drew competitors and spectators alike on Saturday, with all proceeds going toward keeping the community rink operating, according to SwiftCurrentOnline.com's coverage (photo and reporting by Violet Saretsky). Twenty-five trucks took part, racing side-by-side through two 180-foot mud pits, with winners decided by either the fastest time through the course or the greatest distance travelled before getting stuck.

The field ranged from stock trucks to heavily modified machines producing as much as 700 horsepower — enough that "getting muddy" undersells what was actually happening in those pits.

Organizer Evan Wedrick said the event exists for one straightforward reason: rinks in small towns don't pay for themselves anymore. "It's a small town and everything's hard to keep open these days," he told SwiftCurrentOnline. "Last year was the first one we did and we had great success, so now we're trying to do it again to cover the cost of keeping the rink open."

Beyond the trucks, the day rounded out with a full concession, an ice cream truck, beer gardens, and vendors selling fresh vegetables. Admission ran $10 for adults, with kids 12 and under getting in free, while truck entries cost $80 — a modest ask for an afternoon of entertainment funding a facility that would otherwise be competing for scarce municipal dollars.

For Wedrick, the value goes beyond the balance sheet. "It's great to have these small-town rinks still going, and there's not many of them around anymore, so it's nice to see them running," he said, adding that events like this one do as much to keep communities connected as they do to keep the lights on at the rink.

With a second successful year now behind it, Wedrick said organizers are hoping to turn the mud bog into an annual tradition, provided community support keeps showing up the way it has so far. He thanked the sponsors, competitors and spectators who made the event possible.