Bex and Gil stopped in Ventura on the way to Tijuana.
UK based couple, Bex Band and Gil Dori, will be bravely attempting a 1500+ mile journey travelling the full length of the USA west coast using kick scooters – stand up non-motorized scooters that are powered by leg muscles alone. The expedition, named ‘Kicking the States’ began on May 17 in Vancouver, Canada and will end 3 months later in Tijuana, Mexico. This route has never been attempted on kick scooters before so it will be a world first!
The couple are completely self-contained, carrying all their own gear in modified panniers that they adapted especially for the kick-scooters.
Band and Drori are no strangers to adventure. They both keep adventure blogs and have enjoyed getting outdoors the last couple of years, finding challenges that test them to their limits. Previously they have hiked the length of Israel, sailed across the North Sea and kayaked the width of the UK, but this will be their biggest adventure yet. They hope to inspire others to go on like changing adventures of their own.
Drori says, “We decided to do this journey on kick-scooters because it is the most fun way to travel. It allows us to really see the places we pass and is great for meeting people along the way. When people see the scooters, they want a go too!”
Band is looking forward to the journey ahead, “I’m nervous about this expedition because it has never been done before and I know it is going to be tough reaching the long distances we need to cover each day. We don’t know where we will be sleeping each night and some days will be reliant on kind strangers allowing us to camp in their years. Mostly though I’m just excited about the people we will meet along.”
Band adds, “When we tell people what we are planning, the first thing they ask is ‘are you going to use just one leg?’……We will be switching legs!”
The aim of this expedition is to raise money for Africa’s Children in Education who support some of Africa’s poorest children through school. Band, who used to be a teacher says, “We visited East Africa last year and since then have wanted to do something to give back as we feel we are so fortunate in many ways. We met many children living in extreme poverty and we believe that Education is key to them being able to change their circumstances. Our hope is to raise $10,000 which will go towards building a school which will help hundreds of children for years to come ”.
The couple will be giving free talks along the way in exchange for donations. People can follow or sponsor the couple at www.kickingthestates.com.
