Extreme Vacations
By Ryan Thomas

Sitting behind a desk for months on end has its rewards, but it lacks a certain excitement. For some desk surfers, the chance to take a vacation becomes a chance to challenge themselves in new and exciting ways. That’s why in recent years, a new breed of travel companies have redefined what a vacation can be. These getaways eschew any notion that R and R means lounging poolside with a Mohito, and offer some truly memorable adventures for those seeking something different.

Many have heard of fantasy sports camps, where clients pay to spend a few days alongside their favorite players. These camps offer training sessions, lectures, and games, and certainly keep guests active. They are numerous and relatively affordable (the 2005 Red Sox camp is a mere $800), and can easily be found on the Internet. However, a bit more adventurous is playing baseball in Cuba, France, or Czechoslovakia against former professionals and Olympic athletes.

This was the brainchild of Dennis McCroskey, who runs baseballadventures.com. A carpenter by day, McCroskey sets up baseball games all over the globe with the help of former athletes who live overseas. “Playing baseball seemed a good way to see the world,” he says. “Peter O’Mally, who owned the Dodgers, had contacts in Europe and helped us get things going. We also have some players who live overseas that originally helped organize games. Now I organize the trips myself. This spring we’re going to Cuba.”

McCroskey has taken baseball enthusiasts to China, Japan, Switzerland, New Zealand, and even Russia to play against both amateurs and professionals. In fact, he says one of his goals is to play on every continent — he has South America, Africa, and Antarctica left.

“There are some 140 nations that play baseball,” he explains. “The rules are basically the same, and we usually have so much fun with the locals, partying and hanging out, that by the end of the week the baseball almost gets in the way. Sometimes they think because we’re American we’re big professionals. But it’s relaxed; everybody gets to play and have fun.”

Beyond baseball, extreme sports aficionados will want to head to the Dominican Republic and experience Extreme Hotels’ newest endeavor on Cabaret. The grand opening of the chain’s X-games-oriented tropical resort takes place this month, with other locations to open at later dates. Offering a variety of calorie-burning activities, such as kite surfing, skateboarding, surfing, snorkeling, and most other water sorts, Extreme Hotels is the first of its kind to cater solely to adrenaline junkies. Even Tony Hawk would ogle at the large sunken half pipe, dubbed Six Feet Under, designed by pro skateboarders Helmut Ludwig and Hans-Peter Hutter.

The resort was purchased and made over by Bill Lee, the former CEO of Remarq, a Benchmark Capital-backed collaboration that Lee started in his garage by maxing out credit cards. Lee did what many entrepreneurs only dream of doing. He created a business, reaped huge profits, and then quit working to become a beach bum. He settled in Jaco, Costa Rica and took up surfing for two years.

“I always wished there was a brand synonymous with world-class action sports that had instruction, gear, nightlife, and location wrapped in one,” Lee recently told the media. “So I decided to start my own — sort of how business travelers know if they stay in a Marriott Hotel around the world, they know what to expect when they get there. I wanted to create a similar brand for action sports.”

Extreme Hotels has already attracted the attention of professional surfers and skateboarders. The hotel itself is situated only feet away from its own surf break, which they call Six Feet Over. Other activities include horseback riding, motorcrossing, golfing, wakeboarding, and dancing at the hotel’s own nightclub.

Not all vacations are fun in the sun, some of them are quite cold — yet just as breathtaking. Such is the case for Eagles Cry Adventures, owned and operated by National Geographic photographer J. Robert Russell. Russell ferries clients to one of the remotest points on the globe, the North Pole, where he then entertains them with snowmobile rides across glaciers, sky diving over the Arctic, and dog sledding across frozen tundras. These excursions are complemented by local wildlife in the form of polar bears, walruses, and whales.

“More people have climbed Mount Everest than have been to the North Pole,” says Russell. “We cater to people who are older, have some money and are tired of Disneyland.”

Clients meet up in the small town of Longyearbyen, Norway, then ride in helicopters up to the choicest arctic landmass available. There, a base camp called Borneo is set up complete with heated tents, hot food, sleeping amenities, and myriad safety measures. From there, clients are helicoptered to the North Pole for pictures and joviality.

“We have a champagne celebration,” Russell explains, “then we’ll head back to base camp for three days for some dog sledding and some snowmobiling on the glaciers. We’ll even build igloos. And this year we’re bringing hot air balloons.”

How cold does it get at the North Pole? Minus 60 degrees according to Russell, who has been there without heat. But a steady supply of heated food — even the snowmobiles have heated compartments for food — and specially designed clothing ensure nobody ever gets too cold.

When Russell is not ferrying clients to the North Pole, he is taking them on three-week trips aboard Russian icebreakers. The Russians have opened themselves to the travel industry, and have converted their icebreakers into roving hotels, complete with expert chefs and comfortable guest rooms. Clients get to go ashore each day (via helicopter), as well as take in brief lectures on the local geology and wildlife.

“The cost of the trip compared to what you get to see,” says Russell, “makes it the best dollar value in expedition travel.”

On the cutting-edge of such adventurous travel deals, there exists the thrill-seeker genre. People turn to these companies to truly test their resolve and strength, involving themselves in daring situations that would make Evil Knievel cringe. From base jumping to car wrecking to mountain climbing, these vacation packages are not for the faint of heart.

Thrill Seekers Unlimited is perhaps the most well known of these companies. Based out of Las Vegas, they are a professional stunt production company that has worked on numerous film and television programs, such as the blockbuster hits 2 Fast 2 Furious and Point Break. But when they’re not wowing cameras and keeping Hollywood’s elite safe, they’re taking willing groups on extreme getaways.

President and veteran stuntman, Rich Hopkins grew up surfing in Del Mar before heading to Los Angeles and finding his calling in the stunt industry. It was while looking for his own active vacation that he got the idea for a stunt vacation company.

“My girlfriend and I wanted to go on vacation and do it all — sky diving, rock climbing, that kind of thing. We hit all the travel magazines and nobody offered what we were looking for. Some offered skydiving, and others rock climbing, but none offered everything in one package. Not knowing about the travel industry, I said, ‘let me give this a shot.’ I started the company with $5,000. Since then it’s been an overwhelming success.”

Thrill Seekers Unlimited has had featured segments on Extra and the Travel Channel. Hopkins made history soon after as the first man to successfully attempt a bungee jump while on fire. Because Hopkins knows how to be safe, clients can find themselves in some unique situations. Activities are numerous and adrenaline inducing, including mountain boarding, skydiving, fire walking, hovercraft racing, NASCAR racing, street luging, paragliding, bi-plane flying, high falling, and heavy weapons training, among a list of others.

“We just finished with a group yesterday,” says Hopkins, “a defense consulting firm. We strapped them in racecars and taught them how to flip 180s and navigate a slalom course. They said they’d never done anything like that before.”

Worry warts can relax knowing that Thrill Seekers’ 13 years of service has not had a single blemish — a record that has made them the only fully insured stunt travel company in the nation. But then again, if you’re putting your life in the hands of Hopkins’ outfit, “concern” is probably not your middle name.

A final note: a recent study conducted by professor of medical and clinical psychology at Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, William Kop, concluded that 84 percent of vacationers engage in activities that increase the risk of heart attack. That alarming statistic can certainly apply to most of the vacations mentioned here. What it doesn’t conclude is how satisfying it is to watch a Vin Diesel action film, turn to your friends, and say, “Big deal, I’ve done that.”

Like Helen Keller said, “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

The details:
Dennis McCroskey’s baseball adventure trips are usually seven days long, with a game each day, then sightseeing and hanging with locals the rest of the time. Package prices are nominal, ranging from $1,500 to $2,200 depending on location. This summer’s trips include France, Czechoslovakia, and Greece. (www.baseballadventures.com).

Extreme Hotels’ rates depend on the season, but average about $60 a night, and include locker storage and breakfasts. (www.extremehotels.com).

Prices for Eagles Cry Adventures tours to the North Pole range from $10,000-$15,000 (www.eaglescry.com).
Thrill Seekers Unlimited clients can opt for three- or five-day packages, or create a custom weekend by choosing from the long list of activities. Prices average about $2,500 per person. (www.thrillseekersunlimited.net).