Fun, Funds, and Flex
Every October, the Santa Cruz 4 Wheel Drive Club puts on its annual fundraiser. The concept is straightforward: have fun, push some rigs, and raise money to keep public lands open for off-road recreation. All funds raised go directly to off-road organizations and local charities.
Last One Standing 2025 was held at the Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area. Eleven contestants signed up, split across three classes: Side-by-Side, Sportsman (up to 37-inch tires), and Unlimited (37-inch or larger — mostly purpose-built buggies). I was there with a camera, and these rigs did not disappoint.
The Course
A committee sets up the obstacle course each year, balancing challenge against a strict five-minute time limit per contestant. Side-by-Side (SxS) and Sportsman classes ran one course layout. Unlimited faced a harder variant — more rocks, more articulation, more of everything that makes a photographer’s job exciting.
This year featured four obstacles, all starting from the same line before diverging by class.
The first was an articulation challenge. Everyone descended a small waterfall without much trouble, then the courses split. SxS and Sportsman rigs climbed a stepped hill back to the start line. The Unlimited rigs rolled through what we call the “small Rubicon” — a rock garden that demanded big tires and serious flex. That’s where we pulled the first winch line of the day.
Second was the blindfolded obstacle. Drivers can’t see a thing and rely entirely on their passenger calling directions. The whole thing takes place in a mud pit with standing water and a surface slippery enough to make every correction a gamble. From behind the lens, the expressions on the passengers’ faces were worth the trip alone.
Third was the speed play — wooden logs covered in water. Two strategies emerged: slow and methodical, taking each log one at a time, or full throttle and let the suspension sort it out. The Unlimited class had an extra layer: climbing over a stack of tractor tires. The full-send approaches made for the best shots of the day.
The fourth and final obstacle combined a teeter-totter with concrete pipes. The event was almost done when one of the Sportsman class participants lost their rear driveline. The distinct sound of snapped metal stopped everyone in their tracks. The time was stopped, and the support car was called. The damage wasn’t serious, but definitely eliminated the contestant from the competition.
We took a short break while the trail was cleared for other users.
The competition finished without any more accidents.
Results and Giving Back
Congratulations to the winners: Kevin Price in SxS, Mark Clark in Sportsman, and Bernie Martin in Unlimited.
The event raised $8,500. The club kicked in an additional $900, bringing the total to $9,400 — all directed toward keeping public lands open for off-road recreation. On top of that, the club allocated an extra $1,000 to Jacob’s Heart, a local charity providing children’s cancer support services.
Save the date: Last One Standing 2026 is set for October 17, 2026.
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