For those of you who live in Portland, Oregon, you know we’ve had a pretty rough winter this year. Now, I know what the rest of you are thinking. “You live in the Pacific Northwest and you should be used to it.” But I can assure you that out of the seven winter seasons I’ve spent in Portland, this winter has been particularly hard for your friends on the Upper Left Side. So when we got a call from Teva to join them on a trip to explore their beautiful backyard of Santa Barbara, we dropped everything we were doing and packed our bags. Spring break had come early for the RANGE team.
With just three days in town and an adventure-filled itinerary, there was much to do and see in Santa Barbara. Joining the likes of Who What Wear, the Los Angeles Times, She Explores and Backpacker Magazine, we set out for the California coastline and mountain trails to break in Teva’s S17 collection. Beginning at Saddle Rock, we got better acquainted with our new friends through hiking, scrambling over rocks, and chasing lizards. We took some time to relax at the top of the hike and enjoy the 360-degree views of wilderness and the Pacific Ocean. To beat the heat from our morning hike, we made a quick switch from our Arrowood Swifts to Flatform Universals and went to the Harbor for a paddle boarding and kayaking session. Of course, we couldn’t just stick to one water sport for the day. We began with a quick lap around the harbor in a kayak to catch some seal sightings, and then we paddled right back in to grab a SUP board and did it all over again. This was the Spring Escape we’d been waiting for. After a long day of outdoor activities, a few of us ventured out to take in the city’s sites and Spanish-infused architecture. We spent as much time as we could getting lost in brightly colored tiles, red-clay rooftops and white stucco walls.
Perhaps our favorite part of our Santa Barbara visit was the opportunity to connect with the creative people behind Teva in unique and honest ways. Sure, we took a field trip to the Teva offices where we toured the showcase room and work spaces, but it was during a leather koozie craft class where we got to know Senior Graphic Designer, Erin Tsukashima. Erin wasn’t just joining the class with us, she was teaching it! At an intimate dinner with Hy Rosario, Director of Product, we were inspired by the passion he had for the art, details and stories that are woven into each Teva collection. Before her morning conference calls, Laura DuSchane, Senior Product Line Manager, helped us set intentions for the day by leading a yoga class in Mission Park. It was meeting the adventurous and creative spirits behind Teva that turned our Spring Break trip into a thought provoking look at what makes Teva the footwear icon that it is.
Images by Lisa Dougherty.
xx Lisa