FEAT Comes To Canada!

For the past year you've heard me mention FEAT on multiple occasions. It's the adventure version of TED Talks during which speakers get just seven minutes to share some aspect of their expeditions, giving them a limited time to convey their message. To date, there have been three editions of FEAT, all of which have taken place in South Africa. That's about to change however, as FEAT Canada is scheduled to take place at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival.

FEAT Canada will take place on Tuesday November 15 and will feature nine top Canadian adventurers and athletes. The line-up includes Gary Robbins, Jen Olson, Kevin Vallely, Megan Rose, Nicki Rehn, Paul Gleeson, Philip McKernan, Scott Frandsen and Sebastian Salas. They'll speak on topics that will include mountain climbing, long distance running, cycling, mountain biking, and more.

Tickets are now available for the event, which will take place at The Centennial Theatre in Lonsdale, North Vancouver, BC. The price of admission is just $15 and can be obtained by calling (604) 984-4484.

If you're interested in attending, I'd suggest ordering tickets soon. FEAT Canada is only two weeks off and it will make a perfect opening for the film festival itself. Demand is likely to be high and $15 is a pretty inexpensive night out. Especially considering you'll have the opportunity to have some great adventurers share their wisdom with you.

Hopefully FEAT Canada is just the start for this concept to go international.

A Night Of Nine Feats

Last week, while I was off playing in the Costa Rican rainforest, my friend Lisa de Speville was hosting the third edition of the Fascinating Expedition & Adventure Talks, better known as FEAT, in Johannesburg, South Africa.

For those that aren't familiar with FEAT, it is an event that brings a group of South African adventurers together for one night to share insights into their expeditions. The format is simple, they each have exactly seven minutes to discuss a certain aspect of their adventure, making it very important that they convey their message in a succinct and coherent manner.

This was the third FEAT event so far, and more are in the works. To get a taste of what FEAT is all about, check out the video below of Kobus Bresler, who came up with the idea of creating a "microadventure" for himself, in which he would climb nine local peaks in nine days.

Third Edition of FEAT Takes Place October 6

The next edition of FEAT, the fantastic mash-up of an adventure film festival and TED Talks, featuring some of the top adventurers from South Africa is set to take place on October 6th in the the Alexander Theatre in Johannesburg. The format for the latest FEAT, which stands for Fascinating Expedition & Adventure Talks, remains the same. All speakers are given exactly seven minutes to convey some message about their experiences and the lessons they've learned on their adventures.

You'll find a complete list of the speakers for the Braamfontein event by clicking here. Amongst those scheduled to appear are big wave surfer Grant ‘Twig’ Baker, climber Andy de Klerk, and adventure meteorologist Simon Gear. The entire program is expected to last about 2.5 hours and promises to be "The Ultimate Armchair Adventure Experience."

Tickets for the event are still available through Computicket and are selling for R140.00.

One of these days I'm going to get the opportunity to attend FEAT. I was in South Africa this past spring when the Cape Town edition of FEAT took place, but my schedule didn't allow me to attend the event. I love the format and it sounds like it would be a fun evening with a lot of like minded people. Congratulations to my friend Lisa de Speville for not only coming up with the concept, but also finding a way to make it such a big success. Well done!

And just how inspiring are the FEAT talks? After watching one of the videos from FEAT Cape Town, Lisa's 59-year old mother decided to go on an adventure of her own. Not only did she start training right away, she flew off to Spain to hike the El Camino de Santiago trail. That should be an inspiration to us all that it is never too late to add some adventure into our own lives.

FEAT Announces First Ever FEAT Awards

Regular readers have heard me mention FEAT multiple times on this blog.  It is the fantastic new program that launched last fall in Johannesburg, South Africa with a second event held in Cape Town this past February. FEAT stands for Fascinating Expedition and Adventure Talks, and true to its name, both shows featured South African adventurers given exactly seven minutes to share their experiences with the audience. FEAT was such a success in its inaugural season that there are already plans afoot to expand it in the future, but organizers for the event have made an exciting new announcement that will sure to please other aspiring South African adventurers.

A few days ago FEAT announced the first ever FEAT Awards which are designed to help allow recipients to chase after their adventurous dream, no matter what it is. The application is open to adventurers of all ages and their expedition can be of any length or go to any location. The one stipulation is that they must be South African (Sorry everyone else!) and the adventure must be undertaken by non-motorized means. The award winners will receive R10,000 (About $1500) to help fund their adventure.

FEAT founder Lisa de Speville says, “There are some really good adventurous concepts out there but cash is often a major limitation and so these adventures go un-attempted.” She wants to help change that through the FEAT awards, and some lucky South African is going to get a nice boost to help fund their plans.

It seems that FEAT is just continuing to expand and grow. When I first heard about the concept last year, I thought it was brilliant, and was excited to hear that the first event went so well. That was followed up with another successful show in Cape Town a few months ago, and it seems that FEAT has a lot of momentum going for it right now. The awards are just another great way to tap into an already thriving adventure community that exists in South Africa, and perhaps someone will get an opportunity they wouldn't normally have thanks to some funding from FEAT.

Major congratulations to my friend Lisa for launching this fantastic program and turning it into a resounding success so quickly. Hopefully I'll get the opportunity to see you at a future FEAT event! :)