| Some ATVers stop in a canyon near where I-70 passes over the San Rafael Swell. Extreme Adventures is looking to extend its reach beyond just renting equipment, but into providing a whole range of services. |
Extreme sports are the rage across the country. And with the advent of reality television and shows that portray people in extreme conditions, many of whom appear to be having fun, the move toward a different kind of vacation or adventure is a lure to many.
Enter Extreme Adventure Rentals. (www.earentals.com).
While not a “Survivor” kind of venue, and certainly not tied in with motorcycle aerobatics, the owners of this company are trying to give people a new kind of recreation and vacation experience they may have never experienced before.
Extreme Adventure Rentals may be a rental business; one that lets people use ATV’s, snowmobiles, personal watercraft, boats and snowmobiles for a price, but they also provide ideas on how to make the best use of the machines.
The fact is that Extreme Adventure is ready and willing to serve the public in any way they can to make fun happen. And that means expanding the business into new areas, just not rentals.
“We recently purchased the Joe’s Valley Marina from the Snow family,” said Jonathon Fauver, the marketing manager for the company. “We have plans to remodel the marina and have a convenience store along with fishing and camping supplies. We will also have a kitchen where you can get burgers and fries. In the future we would like to add on a dining room and lounge where you could have a nice meal in a comfortable setting looking out over Joe’s Valley. At some point we might like to add a Friday night all you can eat dinner. We are excited to develop the marina. We want to add cabins that people can rent and a pavilion to hold family reunions or activities. We will work on remodeling the interior this year and next year we’ll work on the exterior expansion.”
Fauver says that the marina will be open four months of the year at Joe’s Valley and that they want to be open during hunting season as well.
“We are looking at getting our own water source, so we can be open more during the colder months, maybe weekends or select times during the winter,” he says.
The company is working with the BLM and U.S. Forest Service to also run an outfitter and guide service so they can take people out to see some of the wonderful attractions in the surrounding area.
“The fact is that people can see so much more as a visitor when they go with someone who knows the area,” he added.
| Scott Labrum, Darrin Hurdsman and Jonathon Fauver operate Extreme Adventure Rentals. |
But machine rentals, marina concessions and some outfitting is not all the group has in mind.
“There are so many recreational opportunities here,” stated Fauver. “We also want to cater to the niche groups. We have world class bouldering and climbing sites in Emery County. We have bouldering visitors, ice climbers and others who utilize our area and we don’t even know they’re here. We need to cater to them and bring opportunities for them to stay longer in the county. We would like to take a progressive approach to development and businesses that cater to these tourist user groups. Now they just pass through and we really can’t take advantage of their being here.”
Darrin Hurdsman and Scott Labrum are partners in Extreme Adventure. They are enthusiastic about how things can grow. “We want to give people what they want and need,” said Hurdsman. “We want to know what their interests are. With the ATV guides people can see more as opposed to just riding the roads and trails. It will be an added element to our business. We can take them to places they would never see on your own,”
Labrum pointed out that the Emery County area is unique and one-of-a-kind.
“We have sights and attractions here people just can’t find anywhere else,” he stated.
Fauver pointed out that by knowing the area, the company can provide the appropriate kinds of activities for people’s skill levels.
“We can take riders on trails for the beginners or for the advanced rider,” he said. “In some areas of the state, you are limited to foot traffic only, but here we can take people in to see things on ATV; it’s a total experience.”
The company is also contemplating renting 4×4 trucks and jeeps.
For the occasional rider, the idea of renting a machine may be superior to owning one.
“If you are only using your machines a couple of times a year then why pay a high payment every month,” said Fauver. “Just rent one when you need it. It’s a lot cheaper. Also, we rent to people who have family coming in and they need to rent more machines with trailers for the weekend. It just makes sense.”
In the winter snowmobiles are a big hit and Extreme Adventure can take care of those needs as well.
“We have Arctic Cat and Yamaha snowmobiles and trailers for hauling the snowmobiles to the mountain,” said Fauver. “Up on the Skyline there are open areas that are just fantastic and easy for the beginning rider. Or there are very technical areas up there for the advanced more experienced enthusiast. We will offer tours for the beginning riders and show you the tricks on learning to ride a snowmobile.
The owners believe there is a regional and a national market for the eastern Utah area. They recently had a group from Oregon and Pennsylvania come in and go on an ATV tour.
“There aren’t any rentals on this side of the mountain and we see the potential for this business and what it can be,” said Fauver. “We are also looking at planned events and activities to bring people to our area.”