ZOZI Offers Exclusive Flying Squirrel-Guided Wingsuit Class, Announces New Global Product Line Featuring Animal-Led Tours
Leading active lifestyle brand connecting consumers with local experiences, getaways, and gear partners with several top tour operators and the animal kingdom to launch new series of inspiring eco-friendly, animal-guided experiences.
Monday, April 1st, 2013 – For Immediate Release
For more info: http://www.zozi.com
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – ZOZI, the leading active lifestyle brand, today launched a flying squirrel-guided wingsuit flying class, the first of a series of animal-guided experiences aimed to connect the company’s adventurous spirit with the worldwide animal community.
To view: http://www.zozi.com/
“2012 was an amazing year for ZOZI. In addition to growing our business substantially and launching our celebrity Guru team, we also expanded beyond our local experiences offering with two new products – getaways and gear,” said TJ Sassani, CEO, ZOZI. “While thinking of how we continue to drive our innovative culture, it became clear that launching the first ever tour product featuring real animals, often times as the trained guides, was the answer. Today we begin with one flying squirrel-led wingsuit class and by Q3-2013, we’ll announce dozens more animal-led tours both land and sea based. We’ve never been more sure of anything – our research indicates that the market really, really wants this.”
“ZOZI is in advanced discussions with several top zoos nationwide as well as popular marine life centers. Fifty-percent of all profits from this experience will go toward the Squirrel Dreams Foundation, which is aimed at helping domesticated squirrels deal with the pressures of performing in their non-native habitats and integrate into society.”
“We believe that animal-guided experiences are the future of the booming $60B+ global activity and tours market,” said the TJ Sassani, CEO, ZOZI. “We’re about to make a major funding announcement and we plan to use half of these new funds to scale this innovative new offering.”
Experience Highlights:
* Get to where the wild things are on an all-inclusive wingsuit class from the master himself, the Flying Squirrel.
* Go from scared senseless to casual grace in leaping from freaking high objects.
* Learn the perfect way to descend from altitude, depart rooftop parties, and catch unsuspecting insects.
* Rabies shot recommended.
* Cost: $50 (or stay safe and simply toss the guide nut for $25).
About ZOZI
ZOZI is the most trusted brand in experience and lives at the intersection of inspiration, commerce and technology. On ZOZI, you can discover and book unforgettable experiences that are around the corner, or around the world and find the Gear needed to Get Out There™. Each experience featured on the site is curated by a team of in-house experts; such as full-moon kayaking, wine tasting and vineyard touring by bike, surfing and relaxing in a private coastal villa, snowboarding the Jackson Hole backcountry with 3-time X-Games Gold Medalist and Creator of Art of Flight, Travis Rice, and more. ZOZI’s local experiences are live in 21 cities in the US and Canada and offers getaways to dozens of countries. ZOZI is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.zozi.com. APRIL FOOLS.
Why We Do What We Do
Every once in awhile, we get an amazing story in our inbox from people who have opened up themselves to new experiences through ZOZI. The last time this happened, we helped a young couple plan the world’s first wedding by jetpack. This past week, we got an inspiring note from John & Karen Wright telling us about a recent cycling expedition they took with their family across Northern Thailand that they booked through ZOZI. We wanted to share it as it reminds us quiet clearly, why we do what we do. Thank you to the Wright family for sharing your story with us!
Dear Zozi,
Just wanted to let you know we just returned from our 17 day trip to Thailand. The first week we spent biking in Northern Thailand with Team Peddlers – Package purchased through Zozi. We had the most amazing experience of our lives, especially on that first week. The guides, the mountains, people, food, mystical mountain bungalow resorts…… I just can’t say enough about what this has meant to our family of four. The biking wasn’t easy but it taught us a lot about what kind of “stuff” we’re made of. Many thank yous for introducing this idea to us through your web site. We also enjoyed wearing the T-shirts you sent us! I will attach a couple photos!
Thank you,
John & Karen Wright
Steph’s Gift Ideas For The Minimalist
Steph Davis spends an overwhelming majority of her time scaling rock walls and base jumping from daunting cliffs. Both pursuits have taught her the art of traveling only with what she needs and nothing more. She extends this way of living from her time spent in the outdoors to her time spent at home and recently shared her favorite gift ideas with us for living a purposeful, minimalist, life.
1. Evolv Cruzer Shoes 
Vegan, light, comfortable and good for both outdoor and urban activities.
2. MSR Microrocket Stove 
All-time best stove ever! It’s the lightest, smallest one you can get, and it even has a sparker.
3. prAna Lucia Sweater 
This is warm, cozy and looks good on everyone. I usually live in this all winter.
4. Metolius Mastercams (sizes 00-2) 
These cams are the best small cams, in my opinion. I love them! Above size 2, I like the Powercams or Fatcams.
5. prAna Wrap Satchel 
Minimalism does not seem to apply to bags!
6. Stemless Wine Glasses 
I really like stemless wine glasses, and they have a short life span when you have tile floors.
7. Mammut Moses Carabiners 
These are so light that I have them on my whole rack.
8. Garden Gloves
I really can’t have enough garden gloves – for belaying or gardening.
Be sure to visit http://www.zozi.com/gifts for ways to get yourself and your loved ones outside this Holiday season!
What An ESPY Award Winner Wants This Holiday
When you hear accolades like “ESPY Award-winner” and “Billabong XXL five-time champ”, it’s only human nature to wonder what a person like that could want for the holidays. Is it an eight bedroom house along the shoreline? A helicopter for checking out conditions five towns away? Nope. Come to find out, ZOZI Guru and big wave champ, Maya Gabeira, just wants to keep getting out there and doing what she loves, both in the water and in the outdoors. This is what the ZOZI life is all about!
1. 10’6’’ Gun-Shaped Surfboard by Tokoro
I’d love a big board for Jaws. It’s shaped by my favorite shaper, Wade Tokoro. I’ve been riding his boards for 8 years now.
2. Paddling a Perfect Day at Jaws
Photo courtesy of Bruno Lemos
This is one of the best and most challenging big wave spots, and it’s rare to get it when it’s perfect and glassy. Maui has strong wind conditions, so for Jaws to break with big but glassy waves, all of the elements have to come together perfectly.
3. GoPro Hero 3 
For shooting while surfing and diving. I want to play around with angles while surfing and shoot some amazing stuff while diving.
4. A Trip Down Under 
I will be spending Christmas in Melbourne, Australia. I am so excited because it will be my first time visiting my boyfriend’s hometown and getting to know his family more. I can’t wait to eat some of the local food and experience the city. I look forward to having a kebab and maybe some TimTam cookies. And, hopefully I get to see some kangaroos.
5. Specialized Crossroad Bike 
I’d love a Specialized Crossroad bicycle to go up Pikok Flat, a mountain in Mokuleia on Oahu. I get to see the north and west sides of the island from up there. It literally takes an hour and fifteen minutes to go up and only ten minutes to get back down. It’s the hardest workout I have done on a bike!
Visit http://www.zozi.com/gifts to discover new ways of getting out there this Holiday season!
Michael’s Must See Holiday Wish List
As would be expected, someone who understands the richness of flavors understands the richness of a GET OUT THERE life. We asked celebrity chef and ZOZI Guru, Michael Mina, what was on his wish list for this Holiday season and what we got back was a menu chalked full of GET OUT THEREs so inspiring that everyone at ZOZI is now rewriting our own lists! Here’s what he had to share:
1. Snowmobiling in Jackson Hole 
We’re opening a new pub at the Four Seasons Jackson Hole this winter, called Handle Bar, and I love spending time outdoors with my two boys and my wife Diane.
2. Trip to Morocco 
I would love to get an authentic tour of the country with someone who really knows the culture, and my friend, Mourad Lahlou, is just the person to experience Morocco with. He lived in Morocco until the age of 17 and is the owner and head chef at Aziza in San Francisco.
3. Hops for My Garden 
I’m trying to talk my wife into letting me grow hops in our garden because I’m really interested in making beer.
4. Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans 
Taking my two boys, Sammy and Anthony, to the Super Bowl would be incredible. I’m a die-hard 49er’s fan, and I think they’re going to make it. New Orleans is such an amazing city to visit with incredible food and culture.
5. Soft-Serve Ice Cream & Juicer Machine
I love entertaining and this is great for parties, because it’s totally unexpected. You can also use it to make amazing juices and frozen margaritas. Who doesn’t love that?
Add some spice to your life this Holiday by visiting http://www.zozi.com/gifts
Susi’s Gift Ideas for the Adventurer
Susi Mai is always on the go. It’s always Summer somewhere. Whether she’s kiteboarding, surfing, paddleboarding, hiking, volunteering or instructing, she doesn’t sit still for long. We caught up with Susi for a quick break to ask what’s on her holiday wish list. The 27-year old professional kiteboarder shares her tech-savy ideas, as well as some thrilling experiences she’s yet to try herself.
1. WaterFi – Waterproof iPod Shuffle 
Riding with music is one of the best things I’ve ever discovered, but in the past you had to get a bulky waterproof case and strap it to you somehow in order to enjoy your tunes out on the water. Waterfi is awesome as they ship you waterproof ipod shuffles that don’t need a case and clip easily onto your rashguard or riding top and are so small and light you actually don’t even notice they’re there.
2. Trip to Namotu Island, Fiji 
This is one of the only places in the world where I haven’t been and have always wanted to go. The little island in the Pacific is a private resort with world class surf right out in front of your window. It’s pretty much one of the only places on earth where you can surf epic waves without a crowd!
3. SOLOSHOT 
This is an automatic cameraman that keeps your video camera pointed at you while you surf, wakeboard, snowboard, kite-surf or just walk up and down the beach. I like to think of it as a bit of a ‘relationship saver’ as you now don’t need to teach your significant other how to film you while you’re out ripping it up.
4. The Dolphin Jetpack 
It’s the coolest thing ever! You can fly in and out of the water just like a dolphin. I’d love to try this!
5. Dinner in the Sky
This looks awesome! You’re literally suspended in the air while eating dinner with your friends.
6. SONY NEX VG20-H 
It’s the perfect little camera to combine with the SOLOSHOT! It’s compact yet powerful and if you have the big extended battery pack and a 32 GB memory stick, you can be out surfing for hours and it won’t run out while recording your entire session!
7. SONY Xperia active Billabong Edition 
It’s a waterproof phone – DUH! It also has all this great exclusive Billabong content on it, making it the first ever true surfer’s phone. I wouldn’t necessarily take it out with me every day, but it’s great for when you’re on a downwinder or for when you kite by yourself in sketchy places and want to make sure you can call for help. Also , as a person who spends a lot of time in the water, I know that keeping any electronics from ever getting wet is almost impossible!
8. Skydiving Parachute
Skydiving is one of the most exhilarating things I’ve ever done. There is something about the feeling of flying through the air that is impossible to compare to anything else. I feel that it’s character-building, because every time you jump out of the airplane, you rely on yourself to save your own life. Having my own gear would allow me to go out and jump more often!
Visit http://www.zozi.com/gifts for ways to test new waters yourself this Holiday season!
The Ultimate Holiday Gifts for Runners
Eric Orton is one of the most sought after running coaches in the country. When talking to intermediate runners who attended his ZOZI Guru Experience last Spring, we heard things weeks later like, “I’ve been running for over a decade only to find out that my stride was completely off. Eric helped me to identify and correct this problem in a matter of minutes and in the days to follow all previous running pains have completely vanished.” With testimonials like this, we figured we’d ask him for his recommended list of things to give a runner this Holiday season so that you could play the part of expert gift giver. Here they are…
1. Snowshoes 
Snowshoes are a great way to add variety to off-season running and provide some strength training at the same time. Snowshoe runs and races also allow you to run in new places, adding some adventure during the winter months.
2. Headlamp 
On easy running days during the winter, skip the treadmill and head outside with a headlamp strapped to your head. There is nothing more refreshing than an early evening run in the dark to keep consistent with your training during the darker days of winter.
3. B2R Foot Strength Training System 
Most runners do not think about training the feet, but foot strength is very important for run health and helps promote good run form, leg strength, and hip stability. This systems helps develop your foot strength for better running and athletic performance.
4. Slackline 
Slacklines are very popular with climbers and a fun way for runners to learn something new while creating strength, balance, and stability for running. You can set up your line between two trees in your yard or in the park and have fun with your friends while working your muscles. It’s addictive!
5. AeroPress Espresso Coffee Maker 
What runner doesn’t like a great espresso or cup of coffee?! This is a very simple way to make the best coffee ever and allows the runner to have that great cup while traveling and before that important race.
Visit http://www.zozi.com/gifts to find your stride this Holiday season!
ZOZI Expands Beyond Local Experiences and Travel Getaways, Announces New Ecommerce Strategy Focused on Outdoor Gear, Apparel
The leader in experience matures beyond flash-sales and introduces original priced items with launch of newly designed experiential marketplace featuring local experiences, travel getaways and as of today, gear from trusted brands including Salomon, New Balance, Patagonia Footwear, and more
Thursday, December 13, 2013
For more info: http://www.zozi.com
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – ZOZI, the most trusted brand in experience and adventure, today announced the launch of outdoor gear and apparel from the world’s leading outdoor and active lifestyle brands including Salomon, New Balance, Patagonia Footwear, adidas Outdoor, Timbuk2, Sugoi and others (with hundreds of additional premium brand partners to launch in 2013).
The new retail strategy is the latest addition to ZOZI’s newly designed marketplace, which already offered local experiences across 26 cities in the US and Canada, travel getaways around the world, and exclusive celebrity-guided adventures via ZOZI Gurus™. In response to customer demand, the new marketplace will now offer a much broader selection of products across all business lines, which will be a mix of both original-priced and sale items, as opposed to the flash sales-only model that the company launched with in 2010.
“The heart of our company has always been about connecting people to the spirit of adventure so that they can get out there and experience all this world has to offer,” said TJ Sassani, CEO, ZOZI. While we continue to see strong growth in our local experience and travel getaway product lines, which will still be core to our long-term strategy, our customer purchase data indicates that our new retail business will be our largest yet. Our vertically-focused ecommerce platform sits innovatively at the nexus of inspiration, commerce, and technology. We’ve uniquely introduced the inspiration element in January of this year via ZOZI Gurus™ (celebrity experts); commerce includes local experiences, travel getaways, and now, gear; and we’re excited to make an announcement in Q1 regarding our long-term technology strategy.”
Because of ZOZI’s unique position in the experiential market, revenue growth continues to be very strong with more than 7X growth in 2011, 2.5X growth in 2012, and even greater growth planned in 2013, thanks in part to the newly launched retail gear strategy. ZOZI has announced more than $10M in venture funding to date from investors including the Pritzker Family, Launch Capital, 500 Startups, Forerunner Ventures, ZIG Capital, and others.
About ZOZI
ZOZI is the most trusted brand in experience and adventure and innovatively sits at the nexus of inspiration, commerce and technology. On ZOZI, you can discover and book unforgettable experiences that are around the corner, or around the world and find the GEAR needed to GET OUT THERE. Each experience featured on the site is curated by a team of in-house experts; such as full-moon kayaking, wine tasting and vineyard touring by bike, surfing and relaxing in a private coastal villa, skiing the Sierra backcountry with Olympic Gold Medalist Jonny Moseley, and more. ZOZI is headquartered in San Francisco. For more information, visit http://www.zozi.com.
For additional information, contact:
Tian Lee
Public Relations Manager, ZOZI
Phone: 323.605.9160
tian.lee@zozi.com
Why We Believe in The American Himalayan Foundation
Working day in and day out at ZOZI is an inspiring thing. Not unlike jobs that other people have though, sometimes there are hard days, and sometimes there are amazing and encouraging ones. Here at ZOZI, we definitely see a lot of the latter, especially when we get to work so closely with people whose biggest passions in life are to strive to do the impossible everyday.
World-class mountaineer and one of the most sought after expedition photographers, Jimmy Chin, will be one of the speakers at The Himalayan Foundation's Annual Dinner October 3 in San Francisco
In that bucket, are our friends over at The American Himalayan Foundation, a non-profit organization that supports vital education, healthcare, and cultural and environmental preservation throughout the Himalayan region. The foundation’s Vice President is Norbu Tenzing (son of Tenzing Norgay who with Sir Edmund Hillary made the first ascent of Mt. Everest in 1953).
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay summited Mt. Everest on May 29, 1953
This incredible organization that stemmed from a few people’s love for climbing will be hosting a fundraising event in San Francisco, October 3, that will bring some of the most compelling and famous people in the climbing world together to raise awareness and funds for those in need in the Himalayan region of the world. For more information or to purchase tickets, click here.
Speakers include:
Ueli Steck, the speed demon
One of the world’s fastest and most versatile alpinists, the “Swiss Machine” can practically sprint up the most challenging and deadly mountains – usually alone and unroped! Ueli holds multiple speed records, and has accomplished everything from El Capitan free climbs and 5.13 solos to summiting five of the 8000m peaks, including Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen.
Alex Honnold, the rock star
At just 27, Alex is widely regarded as the best free solo climber out there. His superhuman strength and agility allow him to devour routes like Half Dome in 82 minutes with only shoes, chalk and an appetite for extreme situations. As he says, “Half of the appeal of soloing is just to be hanging out in outrageous places. It’s kind of the whole point.”
Jimmy Chin, the visionary
As a world-class mountaineer and one of the most sought after expedition photographers working today, Jimmy is probably the only person to ever ski down Everest – while filming! His rare combination of artistic and athletic talent has provided unparalleled access to the beauty, danger and lifestyle of climbing for audiences of National Geographic, People, Outside and Men’s Journal.
ZOZI Hosts the World’s First Jetpack Wedding
Today was a big day for ZOZI and an awesome couple named Grant and Amanda. Together, we pulled off the “World’s First Jetpack Wedding” and we had a blast doing it. We really love this story in particular because Grant and Amanda are the type of people that inspire what we do everyday.
To celebrate, we’re GIVING AWAY an all inclusive jetpack adventure for you and a guest (that includes jetpack flights, flight to Newport Beach, CA and a two night hotel stay). Click on the below icon to enter. Don’t want to bank on luck to get on this amazing jetpack? You can buy a flight experience yourself here on ZOZI.
If you haven’t already heard the story, back in June, we got an awesome email from a ZOZI fan and customer named Grant Engler. He had proposed to his girlfriend on a romantic zozi Getaway vacation in Mexico, and had sent us an email with a photo of him down one knee wearing our shirt and popping the big question. We passed the email around to the entire company and everyone was stoked and happy for him and his new fiance.
Grant emails ZOZI to let us know he "popped the question" to his fiance on a ZOZI Getaway
It was inspiring for us to remember that the business we build everyday helps people have amazing experiences and make incredible memories. We were so touched in fact that we wanted to take Grant’s “ZOZI moment” and make it even more awesome by helping the two lovebirds be the first couple to ever to be wedded by jetpack.
Both Grant and Amanda share a deep love for the outdoors and new experiences, so we figured this would be the perfect opportunity for us to give back to our awesome customers and show what our business is most passionate about: helping people live their life to the fullest through amazing, awe-inspiring experiences (and we couldn’t do much better than making their wedding one they could tell their kids and grandkids and for the record-books!).
How did it all go down you ask? Well, with a gorgeous Southern California coast as their backdrop, the groom, who wore a white bowtie over his black wetsuit, and bride, decked out in a white rash guard, white board shorts and veil, “flew down the aisle” by jetpack to Pachelbel Canon in D, and were married on a small beach with forty of their closest family and friends. And if that wasn’t already over the top awesome, the couple’s first dance took place in the air, also by jetpack, to Frank Sinatra’s “Come Fly with Me.”
Awesome right?
Thank you to Grant and Amanda, their spirit for living life and new adventures. Your thirst for new experiences is why we continue to be passionate about what we do everyday at ZOZI.
We also want to give a huge shout out to Jetlev Southwest (providers of the jetpacks), the Prive Beauty Group (our talented hair and makeup team) and Vow Muse (our officiant extraordinaire) for helping to make this a reality!
