Changing Of The Guards

This post was supposed to be a press release with an official tone to it, but after fighting writers block for a few days, I decided to write it the way a lot of my posts are written. ..With some personality and in my own way.

You may have noticed that the Off Road Action website may have been lacking consistent updates lately. Don’t worry, I noticed it as well. It seems that a career change, managing a few other websites and the social media for them, a move across the country, and helping my father survive a second round of brain cancer has combined to this thing called burnout. In the end, I was lost and needed to rediscover what was most important to me. That is when you saw the frequency of article postings decline. I needed to concentrate on the volunteer time that would give me the network and experience for my new career, as well as more time with my family and for myself. Perhaps the last was the most important. It was time to get back to enjoying life. Running, mountain biking, kayaking, camping, hiking…it was time to rediscover who I really am and who I want to become.

During this time, I let the word out that I was interested in selling the Off Road Action website. It was not that I wanted to sell the website. It had become a very large part of my life and I met new friends from all over the world that I would have never met without our joint interest in vintage off road vehicles. In fact, I dreaded the thought of selling the website. In a way it had become an extension of me. I was known as the Off Road Action guy…the vintage 4×4 guy. When you get the PR people from Jeep and Warn emailing you for your input on vintage photos, it gives you an incredible feeling of satisfaction. The thought of selling Off Road Action made me sick, but the thought of the site dying a slow death due to lack of updates was even worse.

There were a few offers made for Off Road Action, but none that I could live with. I had a very strict set of guidelines about the person or company that bought the site and what they would do with it. Off Road Action was a big part of my life and I did not want it to go to just anybody. I would rather update the website from time to time than have it become a site that went against my own personal beliefs. I wanted the new owner to be a 4×4 enthusiast, first and foremost. I also wanted the new owner to be someone that could take the website to the next level.

It turns out that Curtis Guise is that man. Some of you may recognize Curtis as the man behind the Dezert People videos and as a partner in Race Dezert, the largest off road racing website in the world. What you may not realize is that he has been four wheeling since he was old enough to drive and that his first truck was a 1983 Toyota. He travelled the Rubicon numerous times with his 1985 Toyota 4Runner, which is the one truck that he regrets selling. He may spend most of his time flying through the desert these days, but he is a true off road enthusiast like you. He loves all forms of vintage 4×4’s and has some big plans for the website. We discussed his ideas for Off Road Action in depth before we signed the contract and I am very excited to see what the website will become in the next few years.

I will still be involved in Off Road Action to a point and will be researching and posting articles as time allows. I am not going anywhere, just slowing down a bit. Honestly, I do not think I could stop writing articles about vintage 4×4’s from all over the world. Researching the history of four wheel drive vehicles is a passion of mine. Like you, I grew up in a 4×4. However, I need to focus my time on my new career, my family, my friends and myself. We have almost lost my dad twice to brain cancer and I need to spend more time with him and my mom. Dad and I are doing a back roads exploring trip together next week. I just got back from a long weekend of camping, hiking, trail running and mountain biking with some great friends. It is all about life balance…

3 comments… add one
  • brad Jul 9, 2012 @ 18:20

    Although bummed. This site showed me pics i would have never seen otherwise. Thanks for that!

    • Wes Kibble Jul 9, 2012 @ 19:12

      Thanks Brad. I will still be around and the site will be better than ever under Curtis’s direction. We are all excited

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