There was a time when it was impossible to go anywhere in Wyoming — or the neighboring states — and not see one set after another of huge “Big Wonderful Wyoming” mud flaps.
They were glorious in appearance and rugged in function. Each set was decked out with the iconic Steamboat bucking bronco logo over a rectangle accurately depicting Wyoming’s perimeters.
And of course, in big, bold letters: “Big Wonderful Wyoming.”
It was a sublime, pure-West experience to see them flapping in the breeze. Each set lovingly attached to the rear bumper of a dusty old Jeep, thundering Ford highboy, scratched-up GM square body or some other no-nonsense rig.
It was enough to bring a tear to the eye or put a lump in the throat.
Once omnipresent, Big Wonderful Wyoming mud flaps have become a vintage novelty. One might have to drive the better part of a day to spot a mere set or two of them.
So, what happened?
Blame Those Darn Plastic Bumpers
Simply put, although the spirit of appreciation for mud flaps might not have changed, vehicle design did, Lorenzo Vigil of Laramie told Cowboy State Daily.
Those huge, heavy rubber mud flaps must be bolted to a good, old-fashioned heavy steel bumper. And, sadly, pickups, jeeps and SUVs just aren’t made that way anymore said Vigil – who has worked at automotive dealers for years.
Newer vehicles are built with plastic or composite bumpers – which are frequently molded right into the vehicle, instead of being mounted as a separate piece.
“You just can’t bolt heavy mud flaps to those newer bumpers,” he said.
New Mud Flaps Just Molded In
Mud flaps serve a practical purpose. They keep mud, pebbles and other debris flung by the rear tires from flying all over the place.
However, just like bumpers, mud flaps are, more often than not, molded into newer vehicles, Vigil said.
“They’re built in as part of the wheel wells,” he said.
That’s functional but not nearly as cool as hanging them from the rear bumper.
And along with mudflaps evolving, the state slogan has also changed. Back in the day, it used to be Big Wonderful Wyoming – old photos of signs at the state lines prove that. Nowadays, signs welcoming people to Wyoming read “Forever West.”
Prized Possessions
Big Wonderful Wyoming mud flaps might have been common, but they were never taken for granted, Vigil said.
They were prized possession, as evidenced by one story from his childhood.
When he was 12, Vigil was out hunting with his father, who had a silver 1980 Chevy square body pickup.
“It had all the usual rust patches, a typical hunting wagon,” he said.
And, of course, it had a set of Big Wonderful Wyoming mud flaps bolted to the rear bumper.
Like the truck, the mud flaps weren’t exactly in mint condition.
“The were kind of chopped up. They had been on that truck for years,” he said. “They had the wear and tear from many-a-hunting trip.”
On their way back home, they made a stop and Vigil’s father discovered, to his horror, that one of the mud flaps had fallen off.
“My dad’s like this super-chill, super-calm dude. It was just really funny to see him react to losing that mud flap,” he said.
And there was no way they were going back home without it.
“We backtracked 20 or 30 miles, on two-track roads, just to find that one damned mudflap,” Vigil said
Imagine The Perfect Truck
Vigil said he recently stumbled across a website selling custom mud flaps, including Big Wonderful Wyoming sets.
“I saw that picture of those mud flaps, and it immediately took me back” he said.
He posted the image on some social media sites, and the comment sections soon filled with comments from people remembering when. Remembering the mud flaps on their dad or grandpa’s truck or Jeep.
And there were also a few lucky souls boasting about still having vehicles with Big Wonderful Wyoming mud flaps.
Judging from the comments on his posts, Vigil said the site selling the Big Wonderful Wyoming mud-flap replicas “will probably go through their inventory pretty fast.”
And he’s also planning to customize his own perfect pickup.
“I’ve had the idea in my head of building the truck that pays perfect homage to Wyoming,” he said.
“When I build my ideal truck, I’ll put a steel bumper on it and hang those Big Wonderful Wyoming mud flaps on it,” he added.
Contact Mark Heinz at mark@cowboystatedaily.com
Mark Heinz can be reached at mark@cowboystatedaily.com.
