Episode 21 //
Keys Reloaded

Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived, or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed? We could have stayed on shore, in the status quo, played it safe and moved on. But where is the fun in that. We wanted to wander into the storm!

The unknown breeds fear and excitement but can also spark some radical change. Change, in our case is embodied by the all new Rover project. So, we decided to make a trip to the Florida Keys with our motley crew and embark on a not-so-harrowing adventure with the main goal of putting the new Rover through it's paces.

Thanks to our pals at Mellow Ventures in Key West for dialing in the madness for us, because of them we all returned as happy men (and women).

Show Notes

• 00:00:00 Intro
  Technology is hard. The first 3 takes of podcast attempts prior to Keys Reloaded will probably end up in a dumpster somewhere, never to be heard. To anyone thinking "hey, I know how to do a podcast", contact Corey at 555-... just kidding, we got this. With the whole world raving about remote connectivity, there is something special about being in a room, sitting together, and troubleshooting to make this stuff happen. Anyway, the stories told here outweigh the technical aspects of the show, right?

  00:02:32 Upcoming Projects
  With so many big projects in the pipeline, we thought a teaser was necessary here. A lot of cool podcast collaborations are in the works plus, 12 video projects, a new film series, and a big photoshoot with MotoX superstar Ronnie Renner. Sean will be traveling down to Ronnie's South Florida compound where he'll most definitely explore the self-built track and all of his insane toys. A podcast is also sure to be born from this collaboration.

  00:04:30 Introducing Key West
  Key West set the scene for the first big BOTE branding shoot nine years ago (or so), where the team met Rob Alaverio, owner of Mellow Ventures Key West. The collab with Rob involved boats of pirate stature and a crew to match. It should be noted that to this day they continue to head back to Key West to collaborate with Rob and team. Most recently, Rob and his crew helped launch and test the Rover Micro Skiff. The squad loaded up six Rovers, complete with Sean aboard one Rover, camera equipment and all. Following the lead of the Mello Ventures crew and giant boat, they made their way 15 miles out and found the perfect spot amongst some mangroves. The Rovers were put to the test over the next few days between the shallow waters, late-night debauchery, and surprise storm in the middle of the night. They had to untangle a couple of Rovers from the Mangroves after Mother Nature did her thing, but overall they prevailed and so did the crew.

  00:13:10 Opening up the Rover
  The next day brought the inevitable calm after the storm. The flat waters would make for a quick trip back to Key West and looked enticing to be able to test out the Rover in the element it was designed for. Heading back the way they came the day before, the big boats took off, and in anywhere from 10-24 inches of water, Magda and Corey were able to run the Rover's wide open and haul-ass the 15 miles back Key West.

  00:15:13 Fishing with the Legendary Bear Holeman
  Rob hooked the team up with Bear Holeman, the nicest guy on the planet and legendary fisherman. If you don't know who Bear Holeman is, google him. The goal - to land a Tarpon on a Rover. But first, the essentials. Bear pulled through in the clutch when Corey and Sean both forgot their wallets and made a beer run before setting out. Bear knew then he was in for a long day. Harry on the Rover led Bear's boat and the team to his fishing spot, where they'd be sure to catch a tarpon. Corey and Sean immediately ruled out fly fishing, because well, it's hard and they don't catch any fish. In the first 5 minutes, like straight from a movie set, Harry set the hook and the Tarpon jumped up, Sean got the photo and wove it into the story, like something happened but in reality, it was all movie magic. This would be the first and only Tarpon spotted the entire trip. The result - ate all of Bear's chicken, drank all the beer, caught zero fish.

  00:18:44 The Keys are Sweet Though
  The Rover was invented with The Keys and South Florida in mind so the team has explored the area a lot. Aside from being a killer paddle location, it's a place where you'll find all the vibes. A lot of people think of Key West like New Orleans, because of the bars and the party vibe, and it's not a big beach town like most would think. It's all reef and rock, perfect for exploring. A sweet event to participate in and a way to see all of Key West in is the Key West Classic that happens in May every year. Take the challenge of circumnavigating the Island of Key West and paddle the 12-mile distance individually in one of the various divisions or team up with your buds for the 3-person Stand-Up Relay Race! And obviously but still needs to be mentioned - try the key lime pie. Sean had three pieces.

  00:20:50 A Future Podcast Idea?
  Tats here and tats there… tats everywhere, literally. Everywhere Sean travels he gets new ink. On this trip to Key West, it was Flamingoes by local "kuzie's" tattoo artists (you just have to listen to the podcast for that explanation). Corey tattooed Sean in Belize, and stories of the like have evolved over the years. Sean's kids, ex-girlfriends, and other people's kids are some of the past artists. All in favor of creating a podcast episode explaining Sean's body art?

  00:22:40 Outro
  A lot of cool stuff happened in the Keys, it's an awesome travel spot with rad paddle boarding, sweet treats, pirates, and debauchery. Make sure to swing by Mellow Adventures, and say hello to Warren G, Poseidon, Shane, and Rob. Oh yeah - and what's her name? Rob's ex-girlfriend. See ya next time!