André Skwortsow, founder of Mud Masters

André, what is your link with Haarlemmermeer?  

Mud Masters is my link with Haarlemmermeer. When I came up with the idea of ​​setting this up, I started looking for the right place where I could do this. Haarlemmermeer was perfect because it has a great festival site in Spaarnwoude, recreation area De Groene Weelde and the Haarlemmermeerse Bos. Here you can lay down a cool course and there is enough space for a finish area.  

In 2012 I organized the very first Mud Masters in Haarlemmermeer. The cooperation with the municipality of Haarlemmermeer and Spaarnwoude was very pleasant. What's also nice is that there are enough parking spaces here and it is easily accessible by public transport. And last but not least: the mud quality in Haarlemmermeer is excellent! 

What exactly does Mud Masters entail? 

Mud Masters is a sporting event. It is a so-called “obstacle run”: an obstacle run in which the participants complete a course with all kinds of obstacles. You can compare it to a kind of military obstacle course, but on a large scale. Some people describe it as adult outdoor play.  

The nice thing about Mud Masters is that you do it together, even if you don't know the other participants. The challenge also appeals to people. It is quite spicy, but there is also a lot of laughter along the way. People go down in the mud and you encounter crazy obstacles. There is even a 10 meter high slide! At the end of the course you can celebrate your victory at the finish festival. 
 

How exactly did you come up with the idea for Mud Masters? 

The inspiration comes from my own background in the Marine Corps. Some of my colleagues who participate in Mud Masters also come from there. In the navy there is a lot of training with obstacle courses. You can clearly see that challenge in Mud Masters.  
 

Our team consists of a hard core of 5 people. This core team is scaled up with a project team, the suppliers and our volunteers. In total about 250 people participate in one Mud Masters event.  
 

How many participants participate per Mud Masters event? 

About 15.000 people participate in each event over a weekend. These do not all participate at the same time. We divide all participants into different starting groups. A group starts every 20 minutes. This way everyone has enough space to go through the course.  

 
What are the future plans for Mud Masters? 

What started in Haarlemmermeer in 2012 has grown organically to various locations in the Netherlands. In addition, we now also have a significant expansion with events in Germany. Our challenge now is to organize 4 events in Germany, from Hamburg to Bavaria.  
 

Do you also pay attention to sustainability? 

Since our start in 2012, we have been working a lot on sustainability and are continuing to implement this. This way we use as little electricity as possible during our events. We also have as little waste as possible. It's quite a rough outdoor event. Mud Masters is not very luxurious and therefore has fewer facilities. That's part of the concept.  
 

But what we also do, for example, is that we go to the site with ecologists to check whether the course does not disturb nature here. For example, whether the obstacle course is not located near bird nests and other animal species. We are also leading in the Netherlands when it comes to consciously dealing with ecology and sustainability.  

What makes your company unique in Haarlemmermeer? 

Mud Masters is the only one with this kind of course in Haarlemmermeer. Meanwhile, similar events are also being offered by smaller parties. It's good to see the concept gaining popularity. We often hear the comparison that it looks like the local fair in other places, but that Mud Masters is more like Disneyland. We have set it up a size bigger, I mean, without being arrogant. 
 

What is also unique is that we have participants from all over the Netherlands, but also from abroad. People travel from Russia and even America to Haarlemmermeer to participate in Mud Masters. So it also attracts a lot of tourism that way. 
 

What are you proud of as an entrepreneur in Haarlemmermeer? 

I like how you see every year how much careful consultation there is between the municipality and the people. These can be the Spaarnwoude site managers, but also local residents. There is consultation with all the different parties so that everyone is involved. 
 

I am also proud that we help charities raise money at our events. We do this through sponsorships. In addition, we make a significant financial contribution to the conservation and management of the sites. 
 

When I have set up a successful event again, I often think: that has come together very nicely. All those many thousands of people who have had a top experience, are charged and have gained inspiration. I think it's a special process, to see how it comes to life and results in 15.000 beautiful experiences.  
 

I invite everyone to participate in a Mud Masters event. On our website you can see when the next event will take place in Haarlemmermeer. Here you can also register right away if you dare to take on the challenge!