2025 Wrap-Up | What Was Your Favorite Event(s)?

2025 was a great year for me personally as we started doing regular meetups and trail rides with our Arkansas Broncos group. We are also continuing on with those for 2026 and are hosting a bigger meetup in March and have invited groups from other states to join us.

For national events, my favorite was probably Super Cel East this year. I got to visit with a lot of the friends I had made the previous year at my first big Bronco event that I had attended and made some new friends as well. Also, I celebrated my birthday during Super Cel East and got to spend that day with all my friends.

For 2026, I'm looking forward to going back to Super Cel East and West again and I'm thinking of doing one other big event next year. The ones I'm considering are the Big Bear Bronco Bash in So Cal and Silver Lake Sand Dunes in Michigan.

Should be a great 2026!

Silver Lake Sand Dunes for the 60th Anniversary of Bronco was my favorite. I got to see just a tiny bit of what Michigan has to offer as far as landscape on the west coast.. Yes that lake is that big!! I enjoyed spending Friday evening on the dunes with the Bronco and Wild Fund brand ambassadors, along with 500+ other wild folks that were on the dunes. That place is crazy!!

I will say I was very very disappointed in Ford for doing a special "reveal" for the folks who showed up (from around the country) to see what they had promised as a reveal to the attendees... Only to have the Youtubers get an early look the day before and allow them to drop a video at 6am in the morning. Prior to the "reveal" to the public at the dunes at 10am. Once I seen the video, I canceled plans on the dunes, and headed home. 🤷‍♂️... Oh well such is life..
Then Mud fest, i mean Super Cel EAST in Townsend, Tennessee. It was a great show. But im a bit bias. I get to enjoy those views everyday.

Mikes2021Bronco

I will say I was very very disappointed in Ford for doing a special "reveal" for the folks who showed up (from around the country) to see what they had promised as a reveal to the attendees...

The west side is so pretty. I was surprised they didn't wait a few more hours too, especially with it being a Saturday and all. I know 6 am is their typical embargo lift time, but this was unique and could have been even more special had posts not been going up. The 60th Anniversary Package's grille and details did look better in person to me, and I changed some opinions on it once I saw it, so that was a plus.

SCE is a mud and wind fest, at least this year, but also worth going 😂

SCE was a blast with the mud and seeing everyone having some mud on their rigs
That and SCW are on my list for ‘26

615_Bronco

SCE was a blast with the mud and seeing everyone having some mud on their rigs
That and SCW are on my list for ‘26

Have you been to West or any of the others (wisconsin/nevada)? West is my favorite so far for off-roading , but I've only been to East and West.

Laura

The west side is so pretty. I was surprised they didn't wait a few more hours too, especially with it being a Saturday and all. I know 6 am is their typical embargo lift time, but this was unique and could have been even more special had posts not been going up. The 60th Anniversary Package's grille and details did look better in person to me, and I changed some opinions on it once I saw it, so that was a plus.

SCE is a mud and wind fest, at least this year, but also worth going 😂

I actually forgot about the wind damage this year. Thank goodness for those 515pm downburst. Or else the EZ-UP makers would be out of a job this year. Welcome to Tennessee, where its sunny on my side of the road, and flooding on the other side... ha

Laura

Have you been to West or any of the others (wisconsin/nevada)? West is my favorite so far for off-roading , but I've only been to East and West.

I have not. Looking forward to going out West for all the trail rides.

Mikes2021Bronco

I actually forgot about the wind damage this year. Thank goodness for those 515pm downburst. Or else the EZ-UP makers would be out of a job this year. Welcome to Tennessee, where its sunny on my side of the road, and flooding on the other side... ha

I called for help, twice 😭

615_Bronco

I have not. Looking forward to going out West for all the trail rides.

I hope you can make it out, then, for sure!

Laura

I called for help, twice 😭

I cannot deny.... I was like 500 yards away. (Probably talking) haha 🤦‍♂️

Mikes2021Bronco

I cannot deny.... I was like 500 yards away. (Probably talking) haha 🤦‍♂️

I hope you're familiar with that meme lol. I think I actually called once before I got the knife out to beat that tent down. You showed up, and I am still grateful ... before that tent took off into some early Bronco 😂

Laura

I hope you're familiar with that meme lol. I think I actually called once before I got the knife out to beat that tent down. You showed up, and I am still grateful ... before that tent took off into some early Bronco 😂

Yes...

"Not a single......... " 🤣😂

Did a number of drives with other local Bronco owners, and those are always fun - but the Bronco highlight for me this year was a road trip I did from Sacramento, CA to Killeen, TX (a little over 2000 miles each way). I was laid off from my job on 9/15, and both of my parents live in Killeen (separately, but amicable).. my mom messaged me that I should drive out to surprise my dad for his 78th birthday on 9/26. I hadn't seen him in 10 years since he moved from CA to TX - so this set the wheels in motion (pun intended). I went to Chat GPT and had it map out a drive for me, to take 3 days to drive there, with scenic stops along the way, and BLM land to camp on at night.. I averaged about 600-700 miles a day of driving (12-14 hours), slept in the back of the bronco and showered at truck stops each day. It was a beautiful drive and gave me some time to decompress after getting laid off. I spent almost a week at my mom's house, and was able to surprise my dad by being there for his birthday. I took the same approach for the drive back home, using Chat GPT to map out my drive and sleeping spots - the alone time while driving was fantastic and allowed me to take detours along the way on my own schedule.
Still looking for a job - it's a horrible job market right now (4.6% unemployment - the highest in 4 years) - I've sent out over 350 resumes and only had a few interviews as a result. Hoping the new year brings some better results.

Laura

I hope you can make it out, then, for sure!

Are you coming out West this upcoming year Laura? Missed you this year!

The late March meet up in Moab was a highlight doing some wheeling with some BN friends was great. Even ones that switched to the dark side. Lol. The ghost town tour with Melissa and Brian was a blast too.and the SPI beach run with 80 other broncos is always a blast.

Attending the Bronco Off Roadeo in Horseshoe Bay, Texas with Tim Bartz, a.k.a. the "Ford Video Guy" and attending the Overland Expo PNW in Oregon this year top my Bronco-related activities. What a blast! Nothing like exploring everything the BRONCO has to offer AND taking a road trip! Far better than just tooling down rutted forest service roads, for sure... 😝

The only official Bronco "event" I did was the Bring Your Own Bronco in Moab. Super fun. Still haven't worked out the video for that.

But if you're not referring to specific, official Bronco events, I did tons of cool stuff this year. My favorite was probably Hell's Revenge and Hell's Gate.

Best Slope Bronco

The only official Bronco "event" I did was the Bring Your Own Bronco in Moab. Super fun. Still haven't worked out the video for that.

But if you're not referring to specific, official Bronco events, I did tons of cool stuff this year. My favorite was probably Hell's Revenge and Hell's Gate.

What tires where you running on hells gate? My factory Goodyear were flawless. But I wonder if the BFG K03s I put on 10 months ago would do as well, they are stiff with a fairly hard rubber compound. But glad you made it with no damage.

Calgecko

Did a number of drives with other local Bronco owners, and those are always fun - but the Bronco highlight for me this year was a road trip I did from Sacramento, CA to Killeen, TX (a little over 2000 miles each way). I was laid off from my job on 9/15, and both of my parents live in Killeen (separately, but amicable).. my mom messaged me that I should drive out to surprise my dad for his 78th birthday on 9/26. I hadn't seen him in 10 years since he moved from CA to TX - so this set the wheels in motion (pun intended). I went to Chat GPT and had it map out a drive for me, to take 3 days to drive there, with scenic stops along the way, and BLM land to camp on at night.. I averaged about 600-700 miles a day of driving (12-14 hours), slept in the back of the bronco and showered at truck stops each day. It was a beautiful drive and gave me some time to decompress after getting laid off. I spent almost a week at my mom's house, and was able to surprise my dad by being there for his birthday. I took the same approach for the drive back home, using Chat GPT to map out my drive and sleeping spots - the alone time while driving was fantastic and allowed me to take detours along the way on my own schedule.
Still looking for a job - it's a horrible job market right now (4.6% unemployment - the highest in 4 years) - I've sent out over 350 resumes and only had a few interviews as a result. Hoping the new year brings some better results.

Excited to watch this later today -- your photography/videography is always inspiring. The layoff news sucks; what industry are you looking in, if you care to share? It would be cool if one of us has a lead.