About

What is the Hödag Invitational Road Rally?!

The Hödag Invitational Road Rally has been held every fall from 1977-2000 and then again from 2019-2022 as an opportunity to see old friends, relax around a bonfire, and enjoy the bright autumn weather.

The Hödag is a cryptid - a mythological creature - from the woods of Rhinelander, WI, and some doubt that he still exists. But rally participants know that the Hödag is real because Mickey J. Hödag is the mascot of the rally.

The rally is a day-long vehicular treasure hunt involving puzzling clues. The annual rally has a theme that gives it coherence.

Rule Number One: RALLIES ARE FOR FUN!

The goal of the Rally is to score the most points, but it is NOT a race of speed, knowledge, or dexterity;

it is A CONTEST OF WITS & OBSERVATION!

A packet of clues will direct participants through the rally route at low speed looking for weird-ass shit, lawn ornaments, strange collections, questionable decorations, and much more! Each team must decipher the clues, be aware of the surroundings, and think enough like Mickey J. to come up with the right answers.

Title

The rally is made up of small groups of friends forming a team.

Three team members is a practical minimum, as each team needs:

a driver
a navigator/recorder
an observer

If you are invited to participate in the Hödag Invitational Road Rally,

you may invite other friends to join your Hödag Road Rally team for that year.

You may not invite other people to form additional teams.

General Rally Information:

Rally participants gather at Rally HQ on Friday to socialize with participants ranging from novices to veterans, learn Rally lore and hear great stories, and get oriented with Rally traditions. Most Rally participants camp at Rally HQ, though a few choose to make arrangements at a local motel to spend the night.

IT IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED THAT TEAMS NEW TO THE RALLY

PARTICIPATE IN THE FRIDAY EVENING SOCIAL TIME.

The Rally starts on Saturday morning with a driver's meeting, group photo, and timed departure. The Rally is about three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon with a lunch stop in between. Participants return to Rally HQ when finished to kvetch about the clues and enjoy a refreshing beverage and each other's company.

Dinner is served, followed by dinner and the traditional awards ceremony, which features the revelation of the Rally answers and good-natured public critique. Trophies are awarded and the celebration continues as people see fit.

Breakfast is served on Sunday morning, and everyone will be on their way home by noon at the latest.

Cost?

The entry fee hovers around $80 per person. This fee includes the

Use of Rally HQ facilities (regardless of whether you camp or not)
Rally T-shirt
Continental breakfast both Saturday and Sunday
Dinner on Saturday
Production costs.

Lunch on Saturday is on the road, and on you.

How?

Registration materials will be forthcoming, but start planning your team now so

that you're ready when registration opens! While teams will be able to add members

through mid-August, the Rally is limited to the first 30 teams that register.

Questions regarding this invitation, the rally, or anything cryptid related can be directed to mickeyjhodag@gmail.com

OLD TIMERS

Mike & Jean Bury

Tom & Anna Erbes

PJ & Cheryl Kartes

Rich & Dyan Sherwood

Bob & Emily Knight

Pete "Perro" Klinger