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About Us

Our Mission

“We provide a program & environment that empowers and supports people of all walks-of-life to achieve their wildest adventures in the outdoors, while fostering a respect for and connection to the natural environment.”
-Cliff Hodges, Founder/CEO

Since our founding in 2004, the mission of Adventure Out has been simple: to help people fall back in love with nature. We accomplish this by providing programs of the highest quality and safety standards that get people outdoors, physically active, and adventuring in nature. By providing this time and space for people to escape the hustle-and-bustle of daily life, we accomplish what we consider to be some of the most important environmental work of all – helping people to reconnect with our natural world.

Interested in joining our team? Scroll down to see available positions.

Meet The Team

It goes without saying that the management team of Adventure Out is composed of avid outdoor enthusiasts and intrepid businesspeople. Combined, they have surfed, climbed, camped, biked and hiked their way across the globe. Their common love for empowering people and being active in the great outdoors, brought them together at Adventure Out.

Alan Yu PACIFICA SURF MANAGER at Adventure Out

Alan Yu

PACIFICA SURF MANAGER

JACK HARRISON HEAD SURVIVAL INSTRUCTOR & PROGRAM DIRECTOR at Adventure Out

JACK HARRISON

HEAD SURVIVAL INSTRUCTOR & PROGRAM DIRECTOR

MIMI FENECH HEAD CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR & GUIDE at Adventure Out

MIMI FENECH

HEAD CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR & GUIDE

Chase LaRue SANTA CRUZ SURF INSTRUCTOR MANAGER at Adventure Out

Chase LaRue

SANTA CRUZ SURF INSTRUCTOR MANAGER

Cliff Hodges CEO & Founder at Adventure Out

Cliff Hodges

CEO & Founder

Alan Yu

PACIFICA SURF MANAGER

Sharer of stoke, Student of life, Waterman at heart… As a young kid, daily lap swims (rain or shine) was his father’s way of introducing aquatic life to Alan and his brother. Ever since, exploring new ways to be in harmony with mother nature’s oceans has always been a consuming passion. While the many branches of surfing (such as Longboard, Shortboard, SUP, windsurfing, bodysurfing) take center stage; water photography, sailing, kayaking, spearfishing, and crabbing equally captivates his soul. Having been with Adventure Out since 2008, Alan will tell you that he has no plans to stop sharing his water knowledge or stoke until his body forces him to stop. ”As a merman and a fan of pedagogy, I find myself refining my teaching systems year after year; chipping it down to its core spirit and mechanics, all for the privilege of witnessing the first successful day of the rest of your lifelong aquatic journey.”

JACK HARRISON

HEAD SURVIVAL INSTRUCTOR & PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Jack has spent over 15 years teaching people how to survive with Adventure Out. As a lifelong student of nature, Jack has made conservation his priority and in his words: “there is no better way to conserve, than to educate”. Jack’s training began at age 3 with famed naturalist Elizabeth Terwilleger and by 18, Jack had spent more time in the woods than most people will in a lifetime. Jack spent a year at the renowned Wilderness Awareness School – one of the only accredited wilderness studies programs in the world. As a result, Jack has mastered a range of survival and primitive living skills and it’s that experience & passion for the natural world that helps make the survival program at Adventure Out what it is. Jack is a master tracker and holds a Track & Sign Professional and Specialist Certificate through Cyber Tracker international. When he’s not teaching, you can find Jack working on his collection of beautiful flintknapped arrowheads, hand-crafted bows and arrows, and honing his stalking and tracking skills for hunting season. Jack is also an expert fly fisherman and can be found chasing “hard to catch” species such as Pacific Steelhead, West Coast Striped Bass, Surf Perch, Halibut and those ever present Small and Largemouth Bass.

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MIMI FENECH

HEAD CLIMBING INSTRUCTOR & GUIDE

Mimi grew up in the Santa Cruz mountains which likely resulted in her lifelong love of exploring all mountains. She learned to climb in Arizona where she received her Bachelors of Science in Environmental Studies from Prescott College. She went on to teach Outdoor Education in Oregon in the winter and Natural History Interpretation in Yosemite National Park in the summer. Her love of rock climbing and teaching people how to love the natural world merged into guiding. She has completed both the Single Pitch Instructor and Rock Guide Course through the American Mountain Guide Association (AMGA). She guided in Yosemite National Park until moving back to the Santa Cruz mountains when her son was born in 2019. As a parent and rock guide she hopes to inspire people to fall in love with the natural world and defying stereotypes.

Chase LaRue

SANTA CRUZ SURF INSTRUCTOR MANAGER

Chase grew up surfing and has found a passion in sharing the experience with others. He received a bachelor’s degree in music at Humboldt State University, located in Northern California, where in his free time developed his heavy water skills in the raw surf. Along with his lifetime of surfing experience, Chase is an accomplished musician and has played music all over the West Coast in various groups. A love for big and perfect waves has brought him to reside in Santa Cruz, a short distance from Mavericks and other powerful waves. When he is not teaching people to surf, you can find him working on creative projects or training for the next big swell.

Cliff Hodges

CEO & Founder

Cliff holds Bachelors and Masters Degrees from MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) where he was a top honors collegiate scholar. He is an accomplished entrepreneur and outdoor guide; traveling the world to climb mountains, surf big waves, study with survival and primitive skills experts, and lead groups of clients ranging from school groups to corporate executives to tap in to their true potential through wilderness adventures. At the heart of his management style and mission statement is the desire to cultivate environmental stewardship. Hodges has been featured in international publications such as Outside Magazine and Popular Mechanics, and was the co-host of the hit TV show Remote Survival on the National Geographic Channel.

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JOBS at Adventure Out – Work With Us!

We are always interested in receiving job inquiries from qualified people.  The work here at Adventure Out can range from very part-time and seasonal, to nearly full-time for certain positions (especially in the summer months!).  Currently we are hiring for the below positions.  Please email a resume and cover letter to jobs@ or contact us here to inquire further.

We are not currently hiring (although always happy to hear from interested/potential instructors for future reference!) – we usually hire every 4-6 months, below are some of our expired but recent postings:

*Rock Climbing Instructor/Guide – Castle Rock State Park (Santa Cruz Mountains) – ** Now Hiring for Spring/Summer 2023 **
**Minimum requirement: First-Aid/CPR Certification (ok to acquire upon hiring)
***Desired skills: 5 years climbing experience (more preferred), experience teaching, passion for climbing, Climbing certification (SPI or greater) a huge plus!
****Logistical Needs: Transportation to/from the park in your own vehicle for daily commute

Email resume and cover letter to: jobs@adventureout.com

*Surf Instructor – Pacifica, CA – ** Now Hiring for Spring and Summer 2023 positions! **
**Minimum requirement: First-Aid/CPR Certification (ok to acquire upon hiring)
***Desired skills: Minimum 5 years surfing experience (more preferred), experience teaching, passion for the ocean!

Email resume and cover letter to: jobs@adventureout.com

 

Adventure Out Press & Media Coverage

Learn more about the history of Adventure Out and our various media appearances: click here.