With football season underway, NBA preseason beginning and fall advertising campaigns running in full swing, September is always a time of change. But to the Southern California off-roader, it means the beginning of desert season is fast approaching. While the rest of the country is wrapping up their final weekend off-road trips of the summer, this California desert crowd is just getting started. And there’s no better way to kick off the season than the biggest annual dune and dirt sports expo in the world, the Sand Sports Super Show in Costa Mesa, California.
The 2017 Sand Sports Super Show, presented by Nitto Tire, attracted hundreds of exhibitors and thousands of attendees over the weekend, starting Friday afternoon and running through Sunday evening. The show featured manufacturer exhibitors from the top names in dune and dirt sports, aftermarket parts companies, dealerships, rider’s clubs, and even storage companies offering services near popular riding destinations.
By far, the most popular platform of this show is the UTV. Top names from Polaris, Can-Am, Yamaha, and Honda all brought their latest and greatest vehicles to the show, showcasing their newest technology and new products for the coming season. Yamaha even set up a test-drive track, complete with bumps, whoop sections, and jumps, where participants can try before they buy.
Last year, the dominant platform in this show was the Polaris XP1000, a UTV that has been the benchmark of the market for years previous. This year, however, there was a drastic change. Almost every booth featured a built or modified all new Can-Am Maverick X3, and aftermarket parts for the newly released UTV could be found around every corner. The Polaris XP1000 still had strong support, as it is the most widely owned platform at this show.
Vendors had deals on everything you’ll need for the coming desert season — LED whips, safety flags, helmets, tires, new exhaust systems, and even the newest 2018 model toy haulers and RVs were on display.
The Sand Sports Super Show brings out the best in Southern California’s riding community, whether you’re a vendor at the show, a veteran attendee, or it’s your first time attending and are looking to get into duning and off-road. From Glamis to Dumont, Pismo and beyond, the Sand Sports Super Show will always be the starting line for another fun desert season.
