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Story & photos by Jen Hill, Nova Scotia Jeep Club
Every February, the Nova Scotia Jeep Club puts on a Topless Run. To non-jeepers, this may invoke a mental image of bouncing boobies, but no, it’s a day for the bravest, most cold tolerant jeep fanatics to take their roof and doors off their jeep, drive at least 20 kilometres in sub-zero temperatures at highway speed to spend the day wheeling with both the equally insane and sane lovers of this sport. I, for one, consider myself to be moderately sane, having a deep appreciation of the heater in our JKU, which is much better than its CJ and TJ predecessors, and have no desire to experience frostbite at 95km/hr. (Let’s not kid ourselves here; we all know our rigs are staying in the right hand lane unless there’s a farm tractor in front of us.)
After letting out some air, applauding those crazy enough to willingly freeze their butts off and greeting friends we haven’t seen in days, weeks or since last month’s club run, we hit the trail. The Topless Run is always stock-friendly, meaning you can take your brand new $50K vehicle right off the lot and into the woods with low risk of damage. No need to spend thousands getting ready for this run. Don’t worry, we’ll give you advice on what you should do first, the best upgrades and how to get your jeep ready for the challenging runs.
But I digress; after spending a couple of hours wheeling, stopping to watch our jeep family make it through the odd tough spot and taking lots of pictures along the way, we arrive at a wide open spot where delicious hot dogs and hot chocolate are steaming and waiting to be devoured. The majority of people who left their doors and roof on don their hat and gloves, bracing for the cold; and those brave souls who enjoyed the open air unzip their survival suits a bit, embracing the sudden warmth, mingling with each other, eating and planning the next modification, jeep run, or visit to the garage.
Jeep runs, whether they take place in February or July, are a social event, bringing people together who share a love of the outdoors, are vested in pushing their vehicle to their own limit, whether it be mild or wild, and providing an open and welcoming environment for all. It doesn’t matter who has the biggest tires, the highest lift or where you work. What matters is your spirit, willingness to get a little dirty and being able to laugh about the misadventures as well as the inevitable break downs. Jeepers love to help fellow jeepers, share our tips and experience, and of course our stories; most of which start with “There was this one jeep run....”
Jeep runs are where strangers become friends and friends become family.