Big Nasty Hillclimb brings out local celebrities and national champions
Nampa Mayor, Tom Dale, to compete at Idaho’s largest motorcycle event
NEW PLYMOUTH, Idaho – Idaho’s largest motorcycle event, the Big Nasty Hillclimb, returns on September 18-20, and Nampa, Idaho Mayor, Tom Dale has agreed to compete against KBCI Eyewitness 2 News Chief Meteorologist, Brian Carrington, and other local media members, to see who can climb the highest. Known as “The Big Nasty Hillclimb,” the event takes place every fall on the 1,000 acre Pence Ranch, four miles north of New Plymouth, Idaho, and is expected to draw over 12,000 spectators and hundreds of
participants. Competitors will be staged on several different hills ranging in length from 250 to 600 feet and win by either posting the fastest time, or by going the highest on the hill. The event is presented by Project Filter, and is sponsored by: Edge Performance Sports, Coors Light, Treasure Valley Motorsports, Buck’s 4x4, McAlvain Group of Companies, amp Energy Drink, and the Idaho Air National Guard.
The Big Nasty Weekend kicks off on Friday, September 18 at 9am when the venue opens to the public for camping. Friday night will include evening competition under lights, with amateur riders on stock motorcycles competing for trophies on the 260-foot trophy hill. Qualifying for pro riders will begin on Saturday at 9am, with highly-modified, bikes that have up to 250-horsepower running on exotic fuels such as nitro-methane and nitrous-oxide, and using rear paddle wheels covered with metal chains and bolts. The event will attract competitors from across the United States and Canada, including last year’s overall winner, California’s Bret Peterson, and Boise pro, Pete Treadwell.
Meteorologist Brian Carrington, will compete on a 450 Yamaha, against Mayor Tom Dale, (who will ride a 525 KTM courtesy of Edge Performance in Ontario) in a special class on Saturday night, September 19, at 10pm, and is going to highlight to television viewers just what it is like to try to climb the Big Nasty. “I’m
looking forward to it,” Carrington says. “I’ll be wearing a helmet cam, and viewers will be able to see the experience from my perspective. I’ll also be interviewing Tom Pence, the gentlemen who owns the Big Nasty property, to try to gain an understanding on why he invites thousands of strangers onto his ranch every fall. It will be exciting to compete against the Mayor to see just how high we can get on the hill.” Other media members tentatively slated to compete include Shaunna Murray from 1350 KTIK Sports Radio, MJ from Magic 93.1 radio, and an unnamed Suzuki rider from KTRV Fox 12 television.
Ron Dillon, event spokesman, said, “Many people wonder why the Big Nasty has gotten to be such a large event. It’s because a motorcycle hillclimb is a real spectacle to watch; since the riders are going up, it’s easy to see, and the bikes, some of them worth over $30,000, are exotic, fast and noisy. Because the best viewing is in the hay field at the bottom of the hill, many people bring canopies, chairs and even old couches.
We like to say that the Big Nasty is kind of a NASCAR meets Burning Man type of event because there is so much going on, it is almost like sensory overload.”
The Big Nasty allows overnight camping onsite, and entertainment will include concerts on the Jagermeister Stage on Friday and Saturday nights featuring: Half the World, Abrupt Edge, Radillac, 57 Heavy, and Aces & 8’s, Metal Mulisha Freestyle Shows featuring Mike Metzger, the debut to pro hillclimbing by former Yamaha factory motocrosser, and current US Air Force Monster Truck Racer Damon Bradshaw, 500-
horsepower airboat rides in the river, helicopter rides, and pumpkin shooting at the hill. Road riders can journey out to the Big Nasty on an overnight road bike fun run, sponsored by Bad Ass Bikes in Caldwell. Big Nasty tickets will be available online, as well as at Les Schwab Tire locations from Baker City to Twin Falls.
Tickets are discounted for children, ages 6-12, military members and seniors, and kids 5-under are free. For more information call (208) 573-4255, or visit the website at www.bignastyhillclimb.com.
