Intro ORC at Moab Skyjacker Trail Ride LeDuc Antics Team Carnage Crew MasterCraft's Robicon Alcoa's Team Sisson Photo Gallery Brought to you by Off-Road.com

Moab, Utah - The Skyjacker 30th Anniversary celebratory trail ride was "the" invitation to receive at this years Easter Jeep Safari. The Skyjacker Family always hosts some of the best events in the off-road industry and this was sure to be no different.

ORC staffers were up at daybreak in preparation for the Skyjacker trail ride and as we pulled the curtains back in the hotel we saw that Moab was being soaked by a massive storm system. Not daunted by a little bit of wet weather we gathered our cameras and wet weather gear and headed to the Spanish Trail Arena for the morning meeting.

Upon our arrival to Skyjacker Headquarters at the Easter Jeep Safari we were greeted by Mr. Nice Guy - Skyjacker's Larry Conville. Tthe entire McCurry family was on hand and mingled with the crowd of industry types and media paparazzi's.

The mood was upbeat as Skyjacker Media Manager-Larry Conville announced a slight change in trail plans. Larry explained that the rain had turned some of the trail into deep mud so a change had been made, but that everyone should prepare to saddle up as we were heading out soon.

As we stood in the slow rain at the Spanish Trails Arena we saw a desert pre-runner arrive into the parking lot. Immediately we thought...boy is this guy lost? He should be running the dirt roads of the Baja Peninsula. This was a full-size Ford Bronco desert pre-runner in Moab at the Easter Jeep Safari??? We laughed it off and then the door opened and out stepped the driver. Boy...we were way WRONG!

Exiting from the Baja 1000 pre-runner was Skyjacker's one and only - Mr. Curt LeDuc. Reigning from Cherry Valley, California, LeDuc is a reknown off-road desert racing legend who has captured many trophies in his illustrious career. And rumor (from LeDuc himself) is that he's building a rock crawler to compete in the UROC Pro-National Series.

In no time the Skyjacker trail ride was underway as we headed out through town and into the hills of the Moab rocks. LeDuc was the man to watch as he drove the desert racing prerunner through rocks not meant for desert racers.

Skyjacker's Rock Crawling rigs gettin' at it in Moab, Utah

The Skyjacker trail ride was a great time in the Moab Valley. The rain stopped and the rock crawling demonstrations by the Skyjacker Team, as well as the professional rock crawlers along for the ride, was awesome. And who could ever walk away from a Curt LeDuc story. He is the king of story telling relating his years of adventure on the Baja Peninsula as well as blazing a trail throughout the United States in the off-road world.

LeDuc in his desert prerunner conquering some tough rocks at Moab, Utah

Leduc demonstrated why he is an off-road legend. He piloted the rock crawling pre-runner with finess through the big obstacles of rocks on the "SteelBender Trail." Fitted with desert style bypass racing shocks and trailing arms that can withstand the harshest punishment on the Baja Peninsula, LeDuc had his full-size Bronco fitted with BFGoodrich Krawler tires for this trail run. Hmmmmmmm, something didn't look right! But what the heck, it was Skyjacker's Curt LeDuc.

Skyjacker's Young Gun-Kyle LeDuc stuck in the sand ~ UROC's Ranch Pratt to the rescue in his modified rock buggy

Skyjacker's CORR Racer- Kyle LeDuc on the hunt with his blaze orange flatbiller hat...Where's SuperSteve when you need him?

Curt LeDuc brought along some backup for this trail ride....the other Skyjacker sponsored desert racer - Kyle LeDuc, as well as Baja Bad Boy - Todd LeDuc. It was a full LeDuc family affair. The young guns showed up in a fully-prepped desert pre-runner Jeep Cherokee.

It wasn't long before they were pulling donuts in the dirt lot in front of the Skyjacker semi-tractor trailer.

And on the trail between the rock piles, Kyle and Todd LeDuc showed ORC Staffer "Baja Britt" how desert racers rage. Pushing the prepped Jeep Cherokee fitted with King bypass shocks down the dirt road at speed was about as much fun as Kyle and Todd could find in the rocks of Moab. These LeDuc speed demons know fast and faster...the slow pace of the rocks at Moab was a sight to see as these desert racers mulled around in the Moab Valley.

Skyjacker's Todd LeDuc spotting from inside this Jeep Cherokee desert prerunner on the "SteelBender Trail."

Skyjacker's Kyle LeDuc was the "character" of the day as his antics kept us laughing.

There were a variety of vehicles involved in this trail ride. Robbie Pierce, owner of Mastercraft Seats was there in his new Jeep Rubicon and ORC staffers were set to ride along with him to test out the limits of Jeep's Rubicon. Alcoa's Matt & Garrett Sisson were set to go in their Alcoa sponsored Modified Stock rig as were the boys from Team Carnage Crew Racing, who were present and accounted for in their custom tube-framed Super Modified rock buggy.

Mastercraft's Robicon Jeep named after Mastercraft president - Robbie Pierce

UROC's Team Carnage Crew brought along their competition rig for the trail ride...aluminum seats and all!

Alcoa's Team Sisson demonstrated the abilitles of Modified Stock Championship Rig

Maxxis sponsored Alan Ball in the 011 rig showed the line

Of course the Skyjacker Family had a variety of highly-modified trick Jeeps and one that Mr. Lonnie McCurry Sr. was driving sported some serious horsepower...JR was piloting the Skyjacker Competition rig and the Skyjacker Boyz brought along the Skyjacker Search & Rescue Rig.

On the "SteelBender Trail" with Skyjacker

The rain and mud that covered the rocks of the "SteelBender Trail" were no test for the 30th Anniversary Skyjacker Trail Ride Team. The entire day on the trail with Skyjacker's Family was outrageous. Many thanks to the entire Skyjacker Family for a great day on the rocks of Moab, Utah.

Past Jeep Safari Coverage on Off-Road.com Travel back in time, and get a dose of Moab red rock. A great time capsule of how the event has evolved (and the changes in our staff and formatting!)
1996 Coverage ORC Staff first ventures to the Jeep Safari - check out the famed "Lion's Back"	1996 First Timers Blowing the dust off the Archives, it looks like Senior Staff went too - but never finished the story!
1997 Jeep Safari Back for more - come along on 6 different trails	1998 Coverage We previewed the event only - could it be that the reporter didn't make it home alive?!
1999 Event Four ORC staff beef up their rigs and take you on the trails	2000 Moab It's not just for Jeeps - Toyotas Tackle the Rocks too
2001 Jeep Safari The year of Snow and Eco-Protests	2002 Photo Gallery A quick trip to Moab nets us brief coverage, but we didn't skimp on the photos