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2023 King of the Hammers dates Feb 2 - Feb 11

06h3 said:
I’ve been going every year for the past 9 years. I’ve been a spectator, volunteer, recovery on race days, pit crew for my buddy racing the past couple years. I’ve gotten to experience it from many different angles. 2023 may be the first year my buddies and I choose to opt out of going. We may go the week after KOH. The idiot to hardcore enthusiast ratio has skyrocketed the past 2 years. Almost experienced theft on the lakebed for the first time and just too many fucking morons showing up.

We go back and forth, do we go the week before KOH and watch it grow or show up after the party.
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What is/ was your theft story? Ive always been way to relaxed about my stuff out there
 
2big bronco said:
What is/ was your theft story? Ive always been way to relaxed about my stuff out there
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Historically I was too, I haven’t been back since that incident and will take more precaution in the future.

A buddy sheered his knuckle studs after you turn right at the mailbox on sledge. We went back to get parts. When we come back our buddy in a first gen Toyota didn’t have the power to get up the sand hill so he parked it at the bottom. The rest of the rigs go up the hill, back down to the broken rig and fix the rig. As we are exiting, we come down the sand hill there’s a guy on a quad by himself examining the parked Toyota. Looking in it, looking under it, looking around. The Toyota had half doors on and was easy to steal.

He finally sees us as we approach him. Before I even say something he says is this yours?

I tell him Yes.

the tweaker starts up his quad and hauls ass outta there. Not one word, just panic and gone. We couldn’t find anything missing but if we were 10-15 min later I would have bet my buddy’s Toyota was stolen. This was Sunday after the big race so people were clearing out.

I used to live 2.5 hours from the hammers. We would spend so many weekends out there with so much crap left out in the open and no one would touch it. I think the tweakers know there’s expensive shit on the lakebed now so it’s prime hunting for them.

Last year I saw on Facebook a guy went to sleep in his camper and the next morning his buggy was gone.
 
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back and forth on going again as well. I enjoy being there for the event but the crowds and stupid stuff make it real hard to want to drive the 21 some hours.
 
I've been going since 2011 and the crowds have gotten way larger and stupider, especially in camp. I've been pretty laxed with my stuff for the most part but for the past 2 years, something in the back of my head says to lock up all my gear in my Jeep and make sure all the doors are locked (yeah anyone can break in but 5 years ago, that never would have crossed my mind).
 
SurfnSnow said:
I've been going since 2011 and the crowds have gotten way larger and stupider, especially in camp. I've been pretty laxed with my stuff for the most part but for the past 2 years, something in the back of my head says to lock up all my gear in my Jeep and make sure all the doors are locked (yeah anyone can break in but 5 years ago, that never would have crossed my mind).
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Nighttime backdoor has been getting fairly rowdy the past few years. Seeing more fights and drunk idiot behavior. If they stepped up LE presence I think that would get tamped down a bit.
 
Bonanza said:
Nighttime backdoor has been getting fairly rowdy the past few years. Seeing more fights and drunk idiot behavior. If they stepped up LE presence I think that would get tamped down a bit.
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That could be the case but to be honest they would need a huge LE presence as that spot and Chocolate Thunder at night are just jam packed with people. After that year where the guy got crushed at Backdoor, I stopped going there at night: It's just too much of a shit show.
 
SurfnSnow said:
That could be the case but to be honest they would need a huge LE presence as that spot and Chocolate Thunder at night are just jam packed with people. After that year where the guy got crushed at Backdoor, I stopped going there at night: It's just too much of a shit show.
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I was right there, literally minutes before it happened in the same spot where that kid was. The crowd from the back kept pushing forward, and we were drunk enough to know it was time to split. It's still nuts to think that 1) could have been me, and 2) thank god I decided to leave.
 
06h3 said:
I’ve been going every year for the past 9 years. I’ve been a spectator, volunteer, recovery on race days, pit crew for my buddy racing the past couple years. I’ve gotten to experience it from many different angles. 2023 may be the first year my buddies and I choose to opt out of going. We may go the week after KOH. The idiot to hardcore enthusiast ratio has skyrocketed the past 2 years. Almost experienced theft on the lakebed for the first time and just too many fucking morons showing up.

We go back and forth, do we go the week before KOH and watch it grow or show up after the party.
Click to expand...
This year, I flew in on Thursday I think, and we stayed an entire day after everybody picked up and left.

Somebody's drone has a video of me and my buddies sitting on top of that Progressive seacan by Turkey Claw smoking cigars and making fun of the exodus clusterfuck the day after the race :lmao:

Personally I like the idea of being there for EMC and 4400, then getting to chill out and wheel after the hooligans leave.
 
So before I start a new thread, looking for recommendations on getting a camper at koh.

Looking for a good rental option or falling in with someone that has room for 2 more. Buddy and I will be headed from phoenix. Willing to pay for all camping cost, water fill up’s, tank emptying, etc.
 
Also, just read that the qualifications are going to be held at Chocolate Thunder this year. That could be pretty awesome for people as in the past, there wasn't any good place for spectators to watch
 
Finally! Much excite. Now I gotta fix a 60 axle seal and do a check over.


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Honky Lips said:
Yup
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Couple of things to note-- leaving on Sunday is a shitshow if you're on the only road out of hammertown. Once you're on the 247 its cake. It's going to be both hot and cold weather-wise. Be wary where you set up camp if you're on the lakebed, try to imagine whether a drunk driver would see you. Chocolate thunder and backdoor have the most rowdiness at night, depending on whether you want to go or avoid. Navigating can be a challenge-- download a map offline, and get ideas where hammertown, chocolate thunder, and backdoor are located. Those are the most common references, as chocolate thunder can be seen from hammertown easily, and backdoor is around a corner.

Have fun, and pick your pronouns!

:flipoff2:
 
Bonanza said:
Couple of things to note-- leaving on Sunday is a shitshow if you're on the only road out of hammertown. Once you're on the 247 its cake. It's going to be both hot and cold weather-wise. Be wary where you set up camp if you're on the lakebed, try to imagine whether a drunk driver would see you. Chocolate thunder and backdoor have the most rowdiness at night, depending on whether you want to go or avoid. Navigating can be a challenge-- download a map offline, and get ideas where hammertown, chocolate thunder, and backdoor are located. Those are the most common references, as chocolate thunder can be seen from hammertown easily, and backdoor is around a corner.

Have fun, and pick your pronouns!

:flipoff2:
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And if you are at either back door or chunder you can see the other across the lakebed. It doesnt mater which side your on, the other appears to have more going on...... and they are further apart then they look.
 
2big bronco said:
And if you are at either back door or chunder you can see the other across the lakebed. It doesnt mater which side your on, the other appears to have more going on...... and they are further apart then they look.
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I’d say another thing people don’t think of us bringing motocross goggles.
 
A hat too as that sun can get pretty intense.
Also, it's fun to watch at Sledgehammer and JackHammer but the race rigs don't start hitting that portion of the course until later in the race. So there's no need to rush to get there early in the morning. I think this year they came up Sledgehammer so they might be coming down, which sometimes is better for watching.
There's also a cool little spot to watch the rigs approaching Chocolate Thunder (it's a high speed section that has them climb up a sand hill) that's a 5 min drive from Sledgehammer.
 
SurfnSnow said:
A hat too as that sun can get pretty intense.
Also, it's fun to watch at Sledgehammer and JackHammer but the race rigs don't start hitting that portion of the course until later in the race. So there's no need to rush to get there early in the morning. I think this year they came up Sledgehammer so they might be coming down, which sometimes is better for watching.
There's also a cool little spot to watch the rigs approaching Chocolate Thunder (it's a high speed section that has them climb up a sand hill) that's a 5 min drive from Sledgehammer.
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No, Jackhammer is closed. :flipoff2: There's only enough room for my orange gladiator. I will say though, the past two years we've been setting up shop at chunder. The big screen makes it soooo much better when there aren't race cars in front of you.
 
2big bronco said:
And if you are at either back door or chunder you can see the other across the lakebed. It doesnt mater which side your on, the other appears to have more going on...... and they are further apart then they look.
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Every single time I get to one place, I squint across the desert and get hit with FOMO. 100% without fail.
 
When does it turn into a nightmare to find a camper spot? Do we need to get there days early or would Friday the 3rd say be ok?
 
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Honky Lips said:
When does it turn into a nightmare to find a camper spot? Do we need to get there days early or would Friday say be ok?
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Depends how nice of a spot you want. On Friday, you are probably looking at BFE with idiots hauling ass through your camp at 2:00am. I got there on Sunday this year (stayed the whole week) and it was already pretty packed when I got there.

Although, I believe I saw something from Dave Cole that they are limiting spectator tickets to 80K, so it shouldn't be any worse than last year.
 
'84 Bronco II said:
Depends how nice of a spot you want. On Friday, you are probably looking at BFE with idiots hauling ass through your camp at 2:00am. I got there on Sunday this year (stayed the whole week) and it was already pretty packed when I got there.

Although, I believe I saw something from Dave Cole that they are limiting spectator tickets to 80K, so it shouldn't be any worse than last year.
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so like if it starts on the 2nd and you get there the 3-4th we’re gonna be in bfe? So we need to get there days before to set a camper in place?
 
Honky Lips said:
so like if it starts on the 2nd and you get there the 3-4th we’re gonna be in bfe? So we need to get there days before to set a camper in place?
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It’s been a couple years for me, but since there’s multiple Fridays, helps to specify.

Friday the 3rd is probably getting crowded, but there’s also a bit of a swap after the desert races that opening weekend.

Friday the 10th, yeah good luck.
 
'84 Bronco II said:
Depends how nice of a spot you want. On Friday, you are probably looking at BFE with idiots hauling ass through your camp at 2:00am. I got there on Sunday this year (stayed the whole week) and it was already pretty packed when I got there.

Although, I believe I saw something from Dave Cole that they are limiting spectator tickets to 80K, so it shouldn't be any worse than last year.
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He only sold sub 40k tickets last year so I wouldnt use the 80k number to compare
 
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