The Story of Mudder Ducker
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Chapter One: Where It All Started
Mountain biking had always been more than just a sport for the Minnici family—it was their way of bonding. David and Dawn Minnici found that hitting the trails was the perfect way to get their two kids, Marshall and Dalaney, outside, active, and connected as a family.
Weekend rides turned into traditions, and mud-caked tires became the foundation for a shared passion that followed them everywhere. But the idea to turn that passion into a brand didn’t come from the trail—it came from a cruise ship.
Chapter Two: Ducks on Deck
To celebrate Dalaney’s graduation, the Minnici family and a group of her friends took a cruise vacation. It was there that Dawn began discovering small plastic ducks hidden around the ship—part of a popular travel game known as The Traveling Duck.
With each duck she found, her reputation grew. The family began calling her The Mother Duck Finder—eventually escalating to the title Mother of All Duck Finders. It became a running joke, one that brought plenty of laughs—but it also planted a tiny seed.
What started as a game would soon become part of a brand identity no one could have predicted.
Chapter Three: A Name is Hatched
Back home, Marshall had begun showing an interest in entrepreneurship—dabbling with business ideas and exploring what it meant to build something of his own. David, ever the supportive father and teacher, saw the opportunity to turn this interest into a real-life learning experience.
One evening, while the whole family sat in the living room, David shared a wild, clever name he had been quietly toying with:
“Mudder Ducker.”
It was goofy. It was memorable. It was perfect. And, to everyone’s surprise, the domain name—MudderDucker.com—was still available. With the push of a button, the Minnici family became the proud owners of a brand-new name and a brand-new future.
Chapter Four: Building the Brand
Within a matter of weeks, David took Marshall and Dalaney down to the bank to register the business officially. Mudder Ducker was now real.
From the start, the goal was clear: stand out, have fun, and create products that were as tough and affordable as the trails they rode. They began sourcing manufacturing partners for their first product: custom-designed mountain bike mudguards.
Marshall took the lead on designing their debut guard—what would become the iconic "Flying High" Mudguard after a few rounds of fine-tuning. Things were moving fast, and the family was eager to introduce their brand to the mountain biking world.
Chapter Five: Mud… Without the Guards
The first big event on the Mudder Ducker calendar was the Santos Fat Tire Festival, held on their local trails in Florida. The booth was ready. The brand was set. The only thing missing? The mudguards.
Shipping delays kept the team from showcasing their physical product—but that didn’t stop the buzz. The brand name, the energy, and the story drew a crowd. People remembered them. Mudder Ducker had officially entered the scene.
Chapter Six: Full Send Ahead
As the company grew, so did their presence in the biking community. Mudder Ducker partnered with Gone Riding, a prominent race promoter serving Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. They became sponsors of the Florida State Championship Race Series, offering prize money, hats, bottles, and swag bags to riders across the Southeast.
From those early events, the brand expanded into local bike shops, launched an online storefront, and established a social media presence that let fans and customers follow along from anywhere in the world.
Chapter Seven: Still Rolling
Today, Mudder Ducker remains proudly family-owned and operated. Every product, every post, and every show still carries the energy that David, Dawn, Dalaney, and Marshall poured into their brand from the very beginning.
What started with trail rides and traveling ducks has turned into a growing movement—one that’s rooted in fun, built for the ride, and designed to make riders stand out in the muddiest, wildest way possible.
Because at the end of the day, Mudder Ducker isn’t just a brand. It’s a family that believes in riding hard, laughing loud, and never taking life—or the trail—too seriously.
