More than a Race: Mike Ripley & Mudslinger Events

For as long as he could remember, Mike Ripley spent most of his childhood riding his bike through the neighborhoods of Eugene, Oregon. Growing up in the 1970s, Mike rode his bike not only for transportation purposes but for the adventures.

Now, Mike and his family own an event and outdoor recreation organization, called Mudslinger Events, where their main focus is maintaining relationships with cyclists all over the nation while assisting with non-profit groups in the surrounding area.

Mike and Mudslinger Events have coordinated and hosted around 10 uniquely different events for multiple years and love using DeFeet socks as a custom swag option.

At Mudslinger, they love connecting cyclists of all levels, organizing events for competitions, working on and building trails, and showcasing the unique trails and areas in Oregon and the surrounding areas for a great day outdoors.

We recently caught up with Mike to talk about Mudslinger Events and his connection with DeFeet.

Tell us about you and your business/event.

We run a family events business called Mudslinger Events, based out of the state of Oregon. We began coordinating events in 2003. We run about 12 events annually, with them being a wide variety of events from MTB to Gravel, and road cycling.

How do you use your custom socks?

When we coordinate these events, we give the socks away as event swag, promotions and prizes, and we also retail them at certain events.

Tell us about the meaning behind your sock design.

We have quite a few sock designs for our events. Some have an image of a Sasquatch, some have other graphics, and some have the location of the current event on the side.

Why did you order custom socks?

Since coordinating these events, I’ve seen the love that people, especially cyclists of all kinds, love socks.

Why did you choose DeFeet?

I’ve worked with DeFeet for a while now, and I love their dedication to quality for each and every product. It’s incredibly important to me, as well as others, when companies use locally sourced materials to make their products.

Which sock silhouette did you choose?

We usually order the 6” Aireator socks, and sometimes we order the all-wool version. What has the response been from people who have gotten pairs of your custom socks? They truly love the socks! It’s nice to have items that showcase and represent their lifestyles!

Would you order custom socks again? Why?

Yes! My event customers love the socks! To learn more about Mike Ripley and Mudslinger Events, visit his website or Instagram.

Learn more about DeFeet custom.

All photography by Molly Bermea / FrizzStudio.com