Courtenay's own Josie Boulding will make her small-screen debut Thursday when her adventure travel show premieres on CHEK TV.
Episode one of Restless Josie, featuring the surf culture of Tofino and Ucluelet, airs at 8:30 p.m. on cable channel 6. As host and director, Boulding says the show combines wanderlust with adventure sports, music and interesting interviews.
"This has been such a fun journey for me," Boulding says. "I met amazing athletes, visited some of the best events and got to try everything from wakeboarding to chuckwagon racing.
"I interviewed celebrities like Kevin Costner and Adrien Grenier. Walked the red carpet in New York. And the footage and interviews we captured ... I can't wait to see it all on TV."
Boulding, who grew up in Campbell River and now lives in Courtenay, set out to create the show after being struck with a need to travel. While watching professional surfers dare huge waves in Hawaii, she became fascinated by the passion of athletes who risk their lives pursuing their sport.
The television show will combine interviews with athletes, action footage and scenery with Boulding guiding viewers through it all.
"I'm attracted to successful people who work hard," Boulding says. "There are so many world-class athletes who are overlooked because their sport is not well-known, especially in Canada. I want to tell their stories."
That's just what she does in Restless Josie, season one. The first episode features Tofino's Rip Curl Stew, a major Canadian surf contest. Between classic west coast footage, a surf lesson and beautiful hotels, Boulding interviews the top surfers in Canada, including Noah Cohen and Peter Devries.
Other episodes include the little-known rodeo stars of the Calgary Stampede, the sand and sexiness of Kelowna's Centre of Gravity Games, Whistler's knobby, tired insanity of Crankworx, New York City's first professional surfing event, rock climbing with Canada's top climber in Squamish, and the music scene and two-wheeled acrobatics in Boulding's home town of the Comox Valley.
Restless Josie will air on Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. throughout the fall. To find out more about the show, visit www.restlessjosie.com and www.cheknews.ca.
— Restless Josie