Oregon Drift

Photo by Lou Sennick

Before ATVs, there were ‘wheelers” and dune buggies. Back then, a small group of sand-riding enthusiasts gathered on the North Spit, at what used to be a shooting range. The word-of-mouth gathering gained momentum, and the original sand festival began.

Years  later, the event has returned to the spit and increased in popularity, thanks to organization and promotion of new events.

Most of the events take place at Boxcar, where sand used to be loaded into rail cars. Tractors left steep banks that only the best riders attempted. Now Boxcar is the location for riders to race and strut. The sport is popular with die-hard riders year-round, and summer events such as SandFest bring riders by the hundreds.