Van Duzer spent two years in Honduras with the Peace Corps. Deciding to forgo the expense of a plane ticket, he bought a bike and cycled home, filming himself the whole way. "The Peace Corps opened my eyes to the world," Van Duzer said, "and made me want to share these stories with a broader audience." Though he's gained regional fame as the "Out There Guy" and worked with big names in the outdoor industry -- among them National Geographic, as a backpacker journalist -- Van Duzer still hadn't made the big time. After spending many years self-promoting his Internet videos and spending two years living with mom to make ends meet, his eternal optimism is paying off. "I'm a firm believer that if you do what you love and you follow your passion, the money will one day come," he said. "Things work out." Van Duzer's most recent major gig was for a Discovery Channel TV series featuring a nine-man (and woman) team of strangers dropped into an uninhabited part of Venezuela and pressed with the challenges of finding food, shelter and ultimately, civilization. With a nod to Jon Krakauer's nonfiction tale, the show was aptly named "Out of the Wild." Subsisting on insects, rotten fruit or nothing at all for much of the journey, Van Duzer calls the experience "the most difficult mental and physical challenge of my life. Everything can kill you in Venezuela."
Honduras RPCV Ryan Van Duzer lands big gig as travel show host
Boulder's Ryan Van Duzer lands big gig as travel show host
'Out There Guy' finds paradise, will get $150,000 to buy dream home
By Courtney Holden For the Camera
Posted: 03/08/2011 05:21:50 PM MST
Caption: After years of making adventure videos for the Camera and his own Web site, Ryan Van Duzer has landed a job as host of a travel-oriented TV show, "Paradise Hunter." He ll earn a $60,000 salary and be granted $150,000 to put toward a home in the paradise of his choice. ( Photo: Paul Aiken )
One year ago, Boulder's "Out There Guy" Ryan Van Duzer was living in his mom's basement. Soon he'll be relaxing in the shade of a palm tree, with loads of cash to buy his dream house.
Having landed a job as the first host for travel-oriented TV show, "Paradise Hunter," Van Duzer will explore destination getaways and ultimately choose a home in his personal Eden. Along with the host position, which he calls his "dream job," he'll earn a $60,000 salary and be granted $150,000 to put toward a home in the paradise of his choice.
"It was a moment that I'd been waiting for all my life," Van Duzer said of getting the phone call naming him the winner.
Van Duzer, who's been a freelance contributor to the Camera, was chosen from about 700 other submissions through an online voting format that attracted the input of nearly 1 million people.
Paradise Hunter CEO Dennis Kambeitz likes Van Duzer's combination of energetic flair and poise in front of the camera.
"Ryan has got a lot of presenting and hosting experience, but he's very natural at it," Kambeitz said.
The series will air in Canada, and owners are currently in discussions with American broadcasters, although Kambeitz is confident that it will be shown around the world.
Set to begin filming at the end of April and to air in the fall of 2011, Van Duzer will take viewers to Belize, Hawaii, Costa Rica and other prime living locations.
Van Duzer comes to the show with plenty of international travel and broadcasting adventures.
Equipped with internship experience from 9 News and a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Colorado, Van Duzer spent two years in Honduras with the Peace Corps. Deciding to forgo the expense of a plane ticket, he bought a bike and cycled home, filming himself the whole way.
"The Peace Corps opened my eyes to the world," Van Duzer said, "and made me want to share these stories with a broader audience."
Though he's gained regional fame as the "Out There Guy" and worked with big names in the outdoor industry -- among them National Geographic, as a backpacker journalist -- Van Duzer still hadn't made the big time. After spending many years self-promoting his Internet videos and spending two years living with mom to make ends meet, his eternal optimism is paying off.
"I'm a firm believer that if you do what you love and you follow your passion, the money will one day come," he said. "Things work out."
Van Duzer's most recent major gig was for a Discovery Channel TV series featuring a nine-man (and woman) team of strangers dropped into an uninhabited part of Venezuela and pressed with the challenges of finding food, shelter and ultimately, civilization. With a nod to Jon Krakauer's nonfiction tale, the show was aptly named "Out of the Wild."
Subsisting on insects, rotten fruit or nothing at all for much of the journey, Van Duzer calls the experience "the most difficult mental and physical challenge of my life. Everything can kill you in Venezuela."
Though he described the trip as "horrible," Van Duzer enjoyed "stretching my limits ... to the max." Still, he's excited to luxuriate in more modern amenities with "Paradise Hunter."
"There will be no more bug eating. I will not have to sleep in rainstorms. It's the complete opposite of what I did in Venezuela," he said.
