GRINNELL, Iowa – Precision off-road driving, vehicle recovery, physical challenges, marksmanship, canoeing, overlanding; 48 missions in total. 36 Hours. No rest. That’s what competitors in the 36 Hours of Uwharrie will face on a course designed to test man, woman and machine deep in the Uwharrie National Forest on August 10-12, 2017.
Brownells will sponsor a 36 Hour of Uhwarrie Pro-Class Team made up of full-time adventurers Holly “Yolo” Freeman and Jonathan “Yeti” Norvell. The duo will compete out of their highly-customized Yeti-Built Jeep, a vehicle Jonathan built from the ground up. The rock-crawler Norvell and Freeman refer to as “The Yeti” began life as a 1997 TJ Jeep. Today, the gas gauge and grill are two of the six remaining original Jeep parts.
Not only do Norvell and Freeman compete in “The Yeti,” but the window-less, open-air quasi-Jeep is their full-time home.
“We both yearn to experience everything life has to offer,” said Freeman. “About one year ago, we sold everything but my Jeep and ‘The Yeti’. Literally everything – including our homes. Our life is on the road, camping in national forests where people haven’t likely been in years.”
“We’re used to the rugged lifestyle,” added Norvell. “Camping, hiking, shooting, and putting the Jeep in crazy situations is what we do frequently. We’re hoping that’ll give us a slight edge in the 36 Hours of Uhwarrie.”
Brownells’ relationship with Freeman and Norvell dates back nearly two years. In addition to being full-time adventurers, the pair has acted as brand ambassadors for Brownells, testing products, making appearances and advocating on behalf of the brand.
“Yeti and Yolo embody Brownells’ corporate vision,” said Brownells CEO Pete Brownell. “Brownells hopes to inspire the spirt of freedom and independence. While we understand that not everyone will take it to the extremes that Yeti and Yolo do, their lifestyle is symbolic. They inspire others to live life everyday – don’t take the gift of time for granted. They’re bold and fearless wherever they go.”
Brownells, in cooperation with Freeman and Norvell, have produced a video that highlights their lives and the motivation behind it.
Stay up to date on their “36 Hours of Uhwarrie” adventure and their unscripted life on and off the road by following Norvell (@thejeepcalledyeti) and Freeman (@thewildyolo) on Instagram.
About 36 Hours of Uhwarrie
36 Hours of Uwharrie is a “military themed” back-country endurance challenge. Two-person teams accumulate points by completing missions including precision off-road driving, vehicle recovery technique, canoeing, competitive marksmanship, competitive clay shooting. Teams must be self-sufficient as they navigate their vehicles to compete in events including Hi-Lift Jack Challenges, Extreme Degree Hill Climbs, Low Visibility Fording and Self-Recovery Winch Challenges, and much more. Teams must also complete a series of paddling and shooting objectives before teams are eligible to compete head to head in the “BFGoodrich Final Assault.”
