The Gambler 500 is an off-road auto challenge that takes place every year in Portland, Oregon. Participants must drive 500 miles through the Oregon countryside and wilderness over the course of 2 days, checking in at a series of GPS coordinates that are given out the morning of the first day. All street-legal cars are allowed to participate but drivers are encouraged to bring cars that are cool, silly or otherwise completely impractical. Costumes are encouraged too.
There is no prize for finishing first...in fact the first person to complete the race is more likely to get a bowling ball through the windshield. Prizes are given out for categories such as "Best Spirit", "Best Cleanup" and other categories that all encourage community-building and protecting and cherishing the environment.
This year's race was held on July 15th weekend in Portland and was the largest event of its kind...by a wide margin. In 2016 there were about 30 registered vehicles participating; in 2017 the number jumped to over 750! And of course not all of them finished.
Fortunately, my car was one that did finish.
A little background about me. I don't know shit about fixing cars. I don't work on my car. The last time I changed a tire on any car was 2006. I've never been off-roading. In fact, I keep my cars clean and barely even drive on gravel roads, and when I do I'm nervous that some rock is going to shred my tire and I'll be stuck.
So why would I even consider doing this race? Because it was a challenge. A challenge for me to learn new things and experience something completely outside of my comfort zone. Armed with duct tape, some bungee cords and a few tools (and some beer), would I be able to recover from a breakdown?
Fortunately I had my friend Scott. Scott is a life adventurer, much like I am trying to be. He has competed in the Mongol Rally, did the Rickshaw Run and has tons of experience thinking on his feet and making lemonade out of lemons. And when he agreed to join me on this challenge I knew things would be ok.
We decided to meet in Portland and I drove there from Las Vegas. Summers in Las Vegas are brutal, and July is typically the hottest month. When I left town, temperatures were averaging about 115F (about 41C). This kind of heat can kill most cars and older, run-down cars almost always have problems at some point. I purchased a decent 1998 Jeep Grand Cherokee at auction to be my vehicle of choice. And then dedicated it to one of my favorite wrestlers from my childhood, Ric Flair.
Thus, our vehicle was reborn as "The Flairokee".
Yes the car did make it to Portland, albeit with a few brake problems and nearly going over the edge of a cliff. The car did finish the race. And when I was done I sold the car at a charity auction to benefit Children's Cancer Association.
Participating in this race did exactly what it was supposed to do. It got me to learn new things, make new friends and travel to new places. And I got to help people in the process. These are the kinds of life events I want to do more of in the future. These kinds of experiences will be the focus of my future blog posts and videos.
A description of the race itself and the other cars won't do it justice. Check out this video I made. Let me know what you think. If you live in the USA there are Gambler races sprouting up all over the country and there is probably one close to you if you are interested in trying it out. Or drive to Portland and I'll see you in 2018!
Always be living. Always be gambling!
