Charlene Bower from Bower Motorsports Media is looking for a female co-driver to join her for ONE of three major off-road events this year (three co-drivers total): RallyVenture, BFGoodrich Tires 36 Hours of Uwharrie, and the all girls Rebelle Rally. Partnering with BFGoodrich Tires, each of these events will offer a unique competition experience alongside Charlene, as well as a behind the scenes look at the actual events themselves.
The Ladies Co-Driver Challenge received entries from girls across the country, and used social media and Bower Power Hour interviews to help narrow down the search. The Top 10 Finalists were announced during the Ladies Meet & Greet at Jeep Beach 2016 in Daytona, FL. You can watch the live announcement here. These 10 finalists are attending off-road training in Mesa, AZ on May 12-15, 2016. This phase includes challenging activities designed to teach the finalists what is needed to compete in these off-road events as well as test their ability to adapt to stressful environments. The ladies arrive on Thursday and are unaware of what they will be doing. You can follow along with the weekend’s adventures on the Bower Media Facebook page as well as I’mNotJustAGirl.com and BowerMediaTours.com.
You can learn more about the 10 finalists participating in this weekend’s training session on www.BowerMediaTours.com. Or by visiting their Facebook photo: Alice Gerst, Kaleigh Hotchkiss, Kristen Endres, Kristie Moore, Lauren Martin, Leigh Singleton, Makayla Holstein, Marcie Hricziscse, Teralin Petereit, Trisha Glezen. The top 3 challenge winners will be notified following completed training. The top 30+3 finalists are featured on a special episode of Bower Power Hour.
Follow the Action
Thursday, May 12th
The Ladies Co-Driver Challenge training weekend began with a little bit of tourist history. Charlene and the finalists headed underground to check out the Goldfield Mine and then performed a photo scavenger hunt at the Goldfield Ghost Town in Apache Junction, AZ.
Back in the 1890’s Goldfield boasted 3 saloons, a boarding house, general store, blacksmith shop, brewery, meat market and a school house. Just when it looked like the town would outgrow Mesa, the vein faulted, the grade of ore dropped and the town died a slow painful death. After several unsuccessful attempts to reopen the mines, the town did come to life again from 1910 on and off until 1926. After more than 115 years, travelers from all over the world still visit this gold mining town located on the historic Apache Trail and enjoy the excitement and grandeur of Arizona’s wild west!
For more information on the Goldfield Ghost Town, visit their website or Facebook page.
Friday, May 13th
The ladies were up dark and early for a 5:30am conference call with Mike from BFGoodrich 36 Hours of Uwharrie. Then, they rolled out at 6:00am to another mystery location.
For more information on 36 Hours of Uwharrie, visit their website.
That mystery location was Sedona, AZ where they will get to learn how to get out of some serious recovery situations from one of the best in the business: Nena Barlow, from Barlow Adventures.
Barlow Adventure's owner, Nena Barlow, grew up in the Southwest, exploring the back roads by Jeep, horse, and hiking boots. She has been in the Jeep business since 1996, providing tours, 4wd instruction, location scouting, offroad event planning, trail mapping & photography, and recovery. Nena has logged thousands of hours in the backcountry behind the wheel of a Jeep, with additional off-road experience in Hummers, Unimogs, Fords, Toyotas, and Nissans. She says, “The most important things about four-wheeling are to let the vehicle do the work—don’t overdrive it; and never take any trail for granted—go slow, pay attention, and never be ashamed to turn around and go home.” Nena is a 4x4 trainer certified by the International 4wd Trainer Association.
For more information on Barlow Adventures, click here.
See the pictures here.
After returning from Sedona, the finalists headed to Shooter's World in Phoenix for another challenge. Two of the three events on the docket include shooting challenges, so the ladies hit the range to test their skills. They attended classroom training and then followed it up with some practice.
View the photos here.
Saturday, May 14th
Day 3 started with a 4:15am wake up and a 5am departure time. This will be typical of the Rebelle Rally, which some of the ladies are preparing to compete for. The group decorated the van and traveled to California for another unexpected series of activities. There, they met Emily Miller, host of the Rebelle, at the Raspy Roost for some traditional navigation training using maps and compasses.
The Rebelle Rally is the first women’s off-road navigation rally raid in the United States. Blending the love of driving with the ultimate challenge of precise navigation, the Rebelle tests your skills over 7 days of competition. It is not a race for speed, but a unique and demanding event based on the elements of headings, hidden checkpoints, time, and distance using maps, compass, and roadbook.
For more information on the Rebelle Rally, click here.
See the photos here.
It was a long 21 hour day, with the finalists returning to Mesa at 2:30am. See the photos here.
Sunday, May 15th
Day 4 started with another conference call. The ladies talked to Jeff Knoll, the founder of RallyVenture.
RallyVenture is not a race, it's an Event! The social media integrated navigational challenge is open to street legal vehicles. Use your smart phone, and social media accounts to earn points and see historic locations, or points of interest. The speed controlled navigation charts require use of GPS to find check points and record predetermined coordinates. Compass, map reading and tulip chart navigation is required as well as a prepared vehicle and engaged social following.
For more information on RallyVenture, visit the website.
After speaking with Jeff, the finalists visited the Salt River for some morning kayaking. The head wind was tough, and the ladies worked hard to complete the final segment of training. Then, they returned to base camp for a BBQ and pool party to celebrate the end of the training weekend. Ten more participants from the Ladies Co-Driver Challenge were there to celebrate, too.
View the photos here.
Sunday, May 15th
IMPORTANT SCHEDULE CHANGE: Unfortunately, RallyVenture has been cancelled due to BLM permitting issues. Charlene is working on a replacement event, and will have details soon! Therefore, the top 3 will be announced at Bantam Jeep Heritage Festival.
Press Release
MESA, AZ MAY 11, 2015: The highly anticipated Ladies Co-Driver Challenge final 10 women will be base camping out of Mesa, Arizona this weekend to train and participate in a number of activities alongside Charlene Bower. The ladies arrive on Thursday to an undisclosed location and will be taken to a series of activities, all of which they are not aware of. Fans will be able to follow along with the weekend’s adventures on the Bower Media Facebook page as well as I’mNotJustAGirl.com and BowerMediaTours.com. The Facebook Live schedule for this weekend is as follows (PST): Thursday May 12th at 5:30 pm; Friday May 13th at 9:00 am and 6:15 pm; Saturday May 14th at 11:00 am and 7:30 pm; Sunday May 15th at 7:45 am and 4:00 pm; Monday May 16th at 6:30 am. Pictures will also be posted from the activities throughout the day with the help of Rachel Spier Marqueting. When watching the videos, be sure to Subscribe to get notified the next time we have a Live Broadcast.
“The whole weekend is set up similar to all the events that we will be attending the rest of the year, as a navigational opportunity without knowing what is around the next corner to challenge you. These girls know nothing other than what times we will start on Thursday. It is pretty exciting for all of us!” said Charlene Bower, Owner of Bower Media. “I am honored to have these awesome ladies come and be part of this weekend, and strive to be a co-driver. My hope is that every lady will leave with a new experience under their wings, that will hopefully lift them higher and all those around them. The Ladies Co-Driver Challenge has offered some very amazing experiences for all 91 ladies that have been part of this process. I can’t be happier, and more excited to reveal all our fun activities this weekend!”
The Ladies Co-Driver Challenge is designed to gather entries from girls across the country, using social media and Bower Power Hour interviews to help Charlene determine the best match for her. The three events will be RallyVenture, BFGoodrich Tires 36 Hours of Uwharrie, and the all girls Rebelle Rally in October. Partnering with BFGoodrich Tires, each of these events will offer a unique competition experience alongside Charlene, as well as a behind the scenes look at the actual events themselves. The girls chosen will be Charlene’s second in command for the entirety of the event, and will have the opportunity to drive, navigate, and compete in all sorts of challenges to accrue points at the events. There will be three winners, one for each event this year.
With the interview process over, and the top 10 ladies selected, this stage will be an intensive training weekend in Arizona. The ladies will perform a series of tasks and challenges meant to test their skills and push them to their limits to see who will be the best choice as co-driver.
You can learn more about the 10 finalists participating in this weekend’s training session on www.BowerMediaTours.com. Or by clicking on their name below to go to their Facebook picture: Alice Gerst, Kaleigh Hotchkiss, Kristen Endres, Kristie Moore, Lauren Martin, Leigh Singleton, Marcie Hricziscse, Teralin Petereit, Trisha Glezen.
The live-streaming schedule for this weekend is as follows (Pacific Time): Thursday May 12th at 5:30 pm; Friday May 13th at 9:00 am and 6:15 pm; Saturday May 14th at 11:00 am and 7:30 pm; Sunday May 15th at 7:45 am and 4:00 pm; Monday May 16th at 6:30 am. Pictures will also be posted from the events throughout the day on the Bower Media Facebook page as well as I’mNotJustAGirl.com and BowerMediaTours.com.
