Photographer Alana Paterson's subjects have included junior women's hockey players, Norwegian cross-country skiers, and local skateboarders. What started as a casual drive down a forest road in the Fraser Valley turned into her latest project, a photo series about the 4x4 community that frequents the Stave Lake mud flats. VICE visited Paterson at her East Vancouver studio to learn about "Dirt Church" and what people get out of all that mud.
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VICE: How did you find out about the 4x4 community and start working on this project?
Alana Paterson: Me and my boyfriend Danny were in the Valley picking something up and decided to go for a drive. I looked on Google Maps and saw the forest road and a flat spot on the map and was just like, "Oh, that looks cool, let's go check it out." It was a total fluke, I'd never even heard of the mud flats before. We got there and I was like, "Woah."Did you start talking to people the next time you went there?
Yeah. I mean, if someone's stuck and you help pull or push them out, that gets you in there. You can more or less see everybody, because it's a big, flat, open space. And it's a community, so if they see you hanging out with one group of people, they're like, "Oh, she's down," or whatever.In your photos it looks like a really tight-knit community. You described different groups—are there a couple of different communities, or is it all one?
There are definitely different scenes but they all know each other. There's a rougher crowd and then the middle crowd and then the teenagers—it functions kind of like a high school.What are the hierarchies out there? What are the different sub-cultures within the subculture?
There are the dirtbike guys, the quad guys, and the truck guys. The hierarchy comes a lot from the truck you have. If you're really into it and you really know your shit, your mechanics and your bodywork, that's how you rise to the top out there—it's by being the best, just like anywhere else.
Alana Paterson: Me and my boyfriend Danny were in the Valley picking something up and decided to go for a drive. I looked on Google Maps and saw the forest road and a flat spot on the map and was just like, "Oh, that looks cool, let's go check it out." It was a total fluke, I'd never even heard of the mud flats before. We got there and I was like, "Woah."Did you start talking to people the next time you went there?
Yeah. I mean, if someone's stuck and you help pull or push them out, that gets you in there. You can more or less see everybody, because it's a big, flat, open space. And it's a community, so if they see you hanging out with one group of people, they're like, "Oh, she's down," or whatever.In your photos it looks like a really tight-knit community. You described different groups—are there a couple of different communities, or is it all one?
There are definitely different scenes but they all know each other. There's a rougher crowd and then the middle crowd and then the teenagers—it functions kind of like a high school.What are the hierarchies out there? What are the different sub-cultures within the subculture?
There are the dirtbike guys, the quad guys, and the truck guys. The hierarchy comes a lot from the truck you have. If you're really into it and you really know your shit, your mechanics and your bodywork, that's how you rise to the top out there—it's by being the best, just like anywhere else.
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And there's a pinnacle to get to?
For sure, guys are like, "Oh, this is the guy you need to talk to, he runs Dirt Church, you gotta find Carl!" or whatever his name is—What's Dirt Church?
Dirt Church is Sunday there. It's really packed every Sunday for some reason, and they call it Dirt Church.Is off-roading more of a weekend thing?
I think so, yeah. And Sunday's lit up. Like, crazy.Who's the Reverend of Dirt Church?
I'm sure there are a few guys who people think are the Reverend, but there's this one dude who everyone just loves, he trailers in his truck—you know they're legit when they trailer their truck in—he's only there on Sunday, and he's all biz. Him and his crew clean up all the garbage everyone leaves there. It costs a lot of money to have those trucks, so he probably works a lot.It seems like there are a lot of great characters in the community. Are there any standouts you've photographed?
The little girl in the pink t-shirt was really cute. After we took those photos I was like, "OK, thank you so much," and she's like, "Cool! I'm gonna go build a bathroom," and picked up a full sheet of plywood and walked off.
For sure, guys are like, "Oh, this is the guy you need to talk to, he runs Dirt Church, you gotta find Carl!" or whatever his name is—What's Dirt Church?
Dirt Church is Sunday there. It's really packed every Sunday for some reason, and they call it Dirt Church.Is off-roading more of a weekend thing?
I think so, yeah. And Sunday's lit up. Like, crazy.Who's the Reverend of Dirt Church?
I'm sure there are a few guys who people think are the Reverend, but there's this one dude who everyone just loves, he trailers in his truck—you know they're legit when they trailer their truck in—he's only there on Sunday, and he's all biz. Him and his crew clean up all the garbage everyone leaves there. It costs a lot of money to have those trucks, so he probably works a lot.It seems like there are a lot of great characters in the community. Are there any standouts you've photographed?
The little girl in the pink t-shirt was really cute. After we took those photos I was like, "OK, thank you so much," and she's like, "Cool! I'm gonna go build a bathroom," and picked up a full sheet of plywood and walked off.
In one of your photos someone wrote "I wish I had a Jeep" and "P.S. Fords suck" on a truck's muddy windows. What do people like to drive?
They really like Jeeps, they don't like Fords, they like Dodges. They really like my Land Cruiser, because it's shit-kicked. They'll be like, "Oh, that your daily driver? You gonna mud that thing?" I'm not gonna do that. I'd get fucked so fast. And then when they'd try to pull me out, which they would, 'cause they're so nice and they love pulling people out, I'd be scared that they'd rip the axle right off the truck.
They really like Jeeps, they don't like Fords, they like Dodges. They really like my Land Cruiser, because it's shit-kicked. They'll be like, "Oh, that your daily driver? You gonna mud that thing?" I'm not gonna do that. I'd get fucked so fast. And then when they'd try to pull me out, which they would, 'cause they're so nice and they love pulling people out, I'd be scared that they'd rip the axle right off the truck.
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Why would you get stuck? And how much skill is involved in not getting stuck?
Quite a bit. There are definitely some people who are more skilled than others. I think it's about knowing when to punch it and when not to. It's a timing thing. Knowing how much gas to give it and when to give the gas, when to shift.Can you tell me about the lexicon? Every community or sport has its own lexicon.
For sure. "Hydrolock" is a big buzzword out there. People will be like, "You're gonna hydrolock!!" It's when you get stuck in a hole and water goes into your engine. I guess that's how you ruin your truck. There's a photo of a girl with a truck in the water in the background. Everyone was like, "You're gonna hydrolock!!" but it didn't, I don't think.What's the goal of being out there, off-roading?
There are all these holes full of water and they want to get through the biggest hole. But ultimately the goal is really social. To go hang and be part of something. We live on the BC coast, it's a pretty liberal, leftist area, and I'm not going to speak to the politics of the people out there but they're definitely not like kayakers, for example. So they go to that place and they find their community.What are some of the challenges the community is facing?
People are trying to shut it down. I think it's an environmental thing, because people leave a lot of garbage around. It's also a safety thing. It's pretty lawless out there and there's a lot of drinking and driving on the way back out. People die drinking and driving out there quite a bit.
Quite a bit. There are definitely some people who are more skilled than others. I think it's about knowing when to punch it and when not to. It's a timing thing. Knowing how much gas to give it and when to give the gas, when to shift.Can you tell me about the lexicon? Every community or sport has its own lexicon.
For sure. "Hydrolock" is a big buzzword out there. People will be like, "You're gonna hydrolock!!" It's when you get stuck in a hole and water goes into your engine. I guess that's how you ruin your truck. There's a photo of a girl with a truck in the water in the background. Everyone was like, "You're gonna hydrolock!!" but it didn't, I don't think.What's the goal of being out there, off-roading?
There are all these holes full of water and they want to get through the biggest hole. But ultimately the goal is really social. To go hang and be part of something. We live on the BC coast, it's a pretty liberal, leftist area, and I'm not going to speak to the politics of the people out there but they're definitely not like kayakers, for example. So they go to that place and they find their community.What are some of the challenges the community is facing?
People are trying to shut it down. I think it's an environmental thing, because people leave a lot of garbage around. It's also a safety thing. It's pretty lawless out there and there's a lot of drinking and driving on the way back out. People die drinking and driving out there quite a bit.
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But it's flooded now, and they won't let the water down until grad's over. They flood it every year for grad so that kids don't go there and die.
They flood the mud flats specifically so kids won't die during grad season?
Yeah, multiple people told me that. [Note: local firefighters say it floods due to rainfall].Have you heard any other surprising stories?
There's some pretty bad stuff, but I don't want to make it sound too bad out there, because I think it's a positive thing. It's rough, and something needs to be done about the drunk driving on the road, but it's important for these kids to have somewhere to go do this.What do you think kids get out of it?
They're developing a sense of community. They have people they're looking up to. They're learning skills, they're learning mechanics and bodywork. I'm sure a lot of kids start out bogging up there not knowing what they're gonna do with their lives and end up becoming diesel mechanics. That's a really positive thing, because who knows what might have happened to that kid. The sense of community is important. It's a place for people to go and be a part of something and there are a lot of people spending family time together up there, handing down knowledge.This interview has been edited and condensed.Follow Kyla Jamieson on Twitter .Follow Alana Paterson on Instagram.
Yeah, multiple people told me that. [Note: local firefighters say it floods due to rainfall].Have you heard any other surprising stories?
There's some pretty bad stuff, but I don't want to make it sound too bad out there, because I think it's a positive thing. It's rough, and something needs to be done about the drunk driving on the road, but it's important for these kids to have somewhere to go do this.What do you think kids get out of it?
They're developing a sense of community. They have people they're looking up to. They're learning skills, they're learning mechanics and bodywork. I'm sure a lot of kids start out bogging up there not knowing what they're gonna do with their lives and end up becoming diesel mechanics. That's a really positive thing, because who knows what might have happened to that kid. The sense of community is important. It's a place for people to go and be a part of something and there are a lot of people spending family time together up there, handing down knowledge.This interview has been edited and condensed.Follow Kyla Jamieson on Twitter .Follow Alana Paterson on Instagram.
