The Florida Man Who’s Changing the Definition of Adventure: Mason Gravley
The places we don’t always think of as adventure destinations are precisely the places Mason likes to explore.
Mason Gravley grew up somewhere between the swamps, orange groves, and cattle ranches of central Florida.
After discovering a phenomenon called "elevation" through extensive backpacking and bikepacking trips in college, he lived in the mountains of the west for nearly a decade before starting a family and returning back to Florida with a new point of view.
Mason works as Lead Adventurer for Athletic Brewing and hosts the Adventure Sports Podcast (his words). He’s also one of the raddest dads and family guys out there (our words).
We talk about...
Mason’s own introduction to adventure
Biking from Alaska to Florida… on a shoestring budget, without knowing how to change a flat tire, and not having snow or mountain experiences!
Finding a vagabond lifestyle after college and bike touring all around the country
A 10,000 mile bike ride to every National Park west of the Mississippi River
Shifting definitions of adventure in Mason’s life
How Mason’s parents gave him the freedom to figure out his adventurous life (Jeni’s and Angie’s cool parents did, too!)
Adventure should be equal parts scary and exciting
The decision to start having kids in the middle of an adventurous life
The responsibility we hold to give back and to make the world a better place, even through adventure
Fitting in adventure when you have multiple streams of work and a family
You don’t need a week or even a weekend to have a great adventure
Lessons from over 1,000 episodes of the Adventure Sports Podcast
No matter how awesome someone’s adventure or life looks like, there’s always a trade-off made
How Mason ended up as the host of the show after being a guest
Find a creative pace that works for you: it’s a marathon, not a sprint when it comes to podcasting
Podcasting as a way to learn together
Florida is awesome
How Mason's life mission is to protect as much of wild Florida as possible
1,000 people a DAY move to Florida, and and 100,000 acres of wild land are lost to development a year
Paddling across alligator-filled Lake Okeechobee to raise awareness for conservation
Even if you can’t save the world, you can help your backyard
Forming a relationship with land instead of looking at it as a transaction
Mother Nature is Mother Nature, whether it's the Grand Canyon, the Himalaya, or a square foot of grass in your yard; nothing is more or less beautiful to Mason
The amazing opportunities with investing in a deep relationship in your local area
PSST! If you like this episode, you’ll love these two:
How a Mountaineering Accident Taught Doug Beardsley to Live Life to the Fullest
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Music: The King of Sandwich Island by Shut-ins
Thank you to The Ruins, the best wedding venue in Oregon, for supporting the show.