Overview
Trailside: Make Your Own Adventure was a six-time Emmy-nominated series that brought the outdoors to millions of viewers each week. The series premiered in 1993 and, at its peak, was available to over 80 million households via Public Television as well as the Outdoor Life Network. Internationally, Trailside was seen on NHK in Japan, TSN in Canada and NBC's Super Channel in 32 European countries.
Episodes were originally produced by New Media, Inc., based in Westport, Connecticut (Seasons 1–3). In seasons 1 and 2, the series was partnered with Rodale Publications' Backpacker Magazine and hosted by John Viehman, Backpacker's editor. Eventually, Rodale wanted a greater ownership in the series, and failing that split off to create their own Anyplace Wild program.
Mountaineer Peter Whittaker took over hosting duties, as the series continued to team him up with guest experts providing the audience information with tips and advice on popular outdoor activities. Going into the fourth season, New Media was taken over by TLN Productions based out of West Palm Beach, Florida. Under TLN's executive producer Steven Vocino's direction, the series found new sponsorship opportunities around the world.
The series was underwritten by Chevy Trucks, L.L. Bean and Hi-Tec apparel in Seasons 1 and 2. Other sponsors over the following two years included Chevy Trucks, Weider Nutrition and Michelin Tires. Additional sponsors included local, regional, State and international tourism agencies.
Chevrolet, colloquially referred to as Chevy, is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM).
Broadcast syndication is the practice of content owners leasing the right to broadcast their content to other television stations or radio stations, without having an official broadcast network to air it on. It is common in the United States where broadcast programming is scheduled by television networks with local independent affiliates. Syndication is less widespread in the rest of the world, as most countries have centralized networks or television stations without local affiliates. Shows can be syndicated internationally, although this is less common.
Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, television personality, and the chart-topping female vocalist of the 1940s. She rose to prominence as a recording artist during the Big Band era. She achieved even greater success a decade later in television, mainly as the host of a series of variety programs for the Chevrolet automobile company.
Pimp My Ride is an American television series produced by MTV and hosted by rapper Xzibit, which ran for six seasons on MTV from 2004 to 2007. In each episode, a car in poor condition is both restored and customized. The work on the show was done by West Coast Customs until season 5 and was done by Galpin Auto Sports thereafter.
Backpacking is the outdoor recreation of carrying gear on one's back while hiking for more than a day. It is often an extended journey and may involve camping outdoors. In North America, tenting is common, where simple shelters and mountain huts, widely found in Europe, are rare. In New Zealand, hiking is called tramping, and tents are used alongside a nationwide network of huts. Hill walking is equivalent in Britain, though backpackers make use of a variety of accommodation, in addition to camping. Backpackers use simple huts in South Africa. Trekking and bushwalking are other words used to describe such multi-day trips.
Speed was an American sports-oriented cable and satellite television network that was owned by the Fox Sports Media Group division of 21st Century Fox. The network was dedicated to motorsports programming, including auto racing, as well as automotive-focused programs.
The New York State Fair, also known as the Great New York State Fair, is a 13-day showcase of agriculture, entertainment, education, and technology. With midway rides, concessionaires, exhibits, and concerts, it has become New York's largest annual event and an end-of-summer tradition for hundreds of thousands of families from all corners of the state. The first fair took place in Syracuse in 1841, and took permanent residence there in 1890. It is the oldest and one of the largest state fairs in the United States, with over one million visitors annually.
TLN is a Canadian English-language discretionary specialty channel owned by TLN Media Group. The channel primarily broadcasts lifestyle programming surrounding the cultures of Latin America and Italy, including cooking and travel-related programs, as well as coverage of international soccer, and mainstream television series and films.
Herman Marion Sadler III is an American professional stock car racing driver and broadcaster, businessman and politician.
Jack Eugene Sprague is an American former stock car racing driver who has competed in all of NASCAR's three top divisions, most notably in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he won series championships in 1997, 1999 and 2001.
Ray Browning is a fitness expert, biomechanist and former professional triathlete. He focuses on motivating and educating people to live healthy and active lifestyles.
Ken Schrader Racing was an American professional stock car racing team that last competed part-time in the ARCA Menards Series, fielding the No. 52 for Natalie Decker. The team was owned by longtime NASCAR driver Ken Schrader. Over the years, Schrader has also fielded his team in the NASCAR Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series in addition to in ARCA.
The Professional Bull Riders, Inc. (PBR) is an international professional bull riding organization headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, United States. It is the largest bull riding league in the world, sanctioning hundreds of events every year in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Australia. Over 800 bull riders from said countries, as well as others hold PBR memberships.
Backpacker is an American lifestyle magazine publication that features information on wilderness hiking and adventure. It has been published since 1973. Backpacker magazine is currently published by Outside and is based in Boulder, Colorado.
Brian Sockwell is an American professional stock car racing driver.
AXN is an pan-Asian pay television channel owned by KC Global Media Asia, which is based in Singapore. It primarily airs action, police procedural, and crime-arrested shows, mostly came from North America. The network was formerly wholly owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, but the Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa channels were sold to KC Global Media in January 2020.
On Your Own Adventures is a hunting television show in the United States produced by Randy Newberg and Will Holmes in conjunction with Warm Springs Productions and Outdoor Channel. The show airs on Outdoor Channel and CarbonTV and documents the non-guided hunting adventures of Randy Newberg and his circle of non-guided hunting friends. The show host is Marc Pierce, former host of Ducks Unlimited TV and Escape to the Wild.
Outdoor Research is a Seattle-based manufacturer of technical apparel and gear for outdoor sports, including alpinism, rock and ice climbing, backpacking, paddling, and backcountry skiing and snowboarding.
Ian Adamson is a former competitive adventure racer, television professional and president of World Obstacle, the Fédération Internationale de Sports d’Obstacles (FISO).
Karen Berger is an American writer, long-distance backpacker, and speaker. She is the author of adventure narratives, guidebooks, instructional books, and essays about the U.S. national scenic and historic trails, worldwide trails, and hiking and backpacking skills and techniques.
