Paddling out of their comfort
zone
The broad grins of a harbor full of kayaking women was a good
gauge of the success of Women’s Health Magazine’s challenge to its readers to
get out of their comfort zone.
Suzanne Neubauer and Marketing Manager Sarah Williams of the New
York magazine traveled to Santa Barbara’s Sea Landing to meet 30 readers for a
sea-and-sand adventure during the second annual “Are You Game? Road Trip.”
The Are You Game? participants turned out at the Santa Barbara
harbor to meet the challenge, and paddled out into the channel with otters and
sea lions with the help of Jessica Gray, Jennifer Baker and Simon O’Brien of
the Santa Barbara Adventure Company.
“Readers from each destination area signed up to be part of the
Are You Game? Road Trip,” said Newbauer. “We have had about 30 to 35 women sign
up for each event, and readers all over are following along with the trip by
reading our blog online.”
Women on the Central Coast are surrounded by the most beautiful
country in the world, and know it, but the East Coast magazine gals seemed
equally at ease on sand and sea.
Are Central Coast women stuck in a comfort zone? The answer is
yes.
So, who met the challenge?
Amanda Jones, Alison Sweeney and Andrea Tao of Santa Barbara all
work together, and came at Tao’s urging.
“We all look at the ocean from work all day, but we never go.
Andrea kept plugging us by putting Women’s Health magazines all over the place.
I am glad we came, because I’m ready to do it again, and next time, I want to
see dolphins,” said Sweeney, now an official subscriber herself.
Tracy Zindell of Los Angles and Megan Driscoll of Santa Monica
said, “This is the perfect day.” They were playing hooky from their job
producing E! True Hollywood Story. Driscoll said it was just an hour an a half
away for them, but that they are not timid when it comes to trying things. They
like getting away from their daily routines.
“We are outdoor adventurers; I like to be outside my comfort zone —
like right now, my pants are soaking wet — and I’m really happy,” she
laughed. Judging by the smiles, all 32 women were happy, too.
The Women’s Health Are You Game? Road Trip was a 100-percent fun
excursion that featured a daily blog with videos and notes of the ladies’ daily
West Coast adventures. Seven destinations were selected to take their readers
away from their desks and living rooms and out into the real world of
ecotourism and adventure. Destinations included snorkeling in La Jolla,
kiteboarding in Los Angeles, kayaking in Santa Barbara, poker in San Francisco,
trail biking in Folsom beside the American River, stargazing at Mt. Shasta, and
indoor skydiving in Las Vegas.
The Are You
Game? Road Trip sponsors were Subaru, Oakley, State Farm, and Teva, a division
of Decker Outdoor Corporation. Teva
happens to be headquartered in nearby Carpinteria, so was at the harbor
with a display of its popular outdoor sport sandals to greet the women when
they paddled in to shore, with one lucky lady winning a pair of Oakley
sunglasses. Read more about the Are You Game? Road Trip and its daily blog at
http://www.whroadtrip.info/road_trip_tracker.asp.