Active PArticipation

What is the difference between attending and participating? 

Picture an auditorium before a concert. The band is prepping for the show, and they expect to be paid for their time. The audience bought their tickets and is ready to be entertained. That’s how it usually works: you pay the money, you get the entertainment. The audience is ‘attending.’

At the UNRally, we – all of us who’ll be there – are the entertainment. That is what we mean by ‘participation.’ We gotta’ entertain each other for a couple days. Because it’s not like we’re going to get Snoop Dog to drop in for a night, although that would be rad.

Camping off our bikes, we know what to bring to have a good experience. At the UNRally, we’d encourage you to bring a little something extra, maybe something surprising, that enhances other people’s experience as well. Entertain others, and we’ll all return the favor. That way we’ll all stay entertained through the weekend.

What does that mean? Well, if you’re riding in, there’s not much room for ‘stuff,’ so it doesn’t have to be stuff. It could be knowledge & stories. Or the ability to find a cool new route, or hike, or hot spring, and then take some other people to see it. It could be as simple as bringing some extra beer or snacks. Try cooking breakfast for the folks in the tent next to you. Share a cool GPS route or hike you found. Let inspiration be your guide.

We encourage you to bring anything that moves to the UNRally. Motorbikes, bicycles, sail cars, land-boards, one-wheels, rock crawlers, RC cars & planes, aerial drones, sandboards, buggies, rat bikes, go karts, mutated vehicles. These things will help us expand into the wide open spaces we’re surrounded by.

Have a toy collecting dust in your garage? Bring it.

Take it to the next level: light it up. After dark, the desert makes an excellent canvas for light and fire. Please get creative, while remembering Principle 3: Leave No Trace. Things like aerial lanterns and fireworks leave a scattered debris field.

If you’re riding in and don’t have space for extra stuff, don’t sweat it. Just bring your shining personality, some good stories, and a throttle hand. For sure you know something, or do something, or have something, or have done something that will fascinate others.

We’ll have a communal toothbrush available, so if you forget yours, you can use it.