
		Fear Factor filming in Ventura, California Places Visited: California: Fear Factor filming in Ventura From the Channel Islands Harbor we headed north on Harbor Drive to Ventura and the Ventura Marina which is another spectacular marina with hundreds more recreational and commercial vessels. On the extreme NW side of Ventura Marina is the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center where we stopped to see what they had to offer. We can't find time to make the boat ride to the Channel Islands but it is something both of us would like to do. They are not running the trips on a daily basis until this summer and we are not going to be here this weekend when they have a boat scheduled. Helicopter used in the TV series Fear Factor at the Ventura Marina, California As we were leaving the Channel Islands NP Visitor Center we noticed two helicopters in the parking lot with a number of people standing around. Then we noticed "Fear Factor" on the side of one of the choppers. That piqued our interest so we stopped and asked one of the "security" people what was going on. Cargo net that would hang under the Helicopter for this stunt on the TV series Fear Factor in the parking lot at Ventura Marina in California The net------------------------- He said they were filming. I said it didn't look like they were filming and he smiled and replied "well, not at the moment but in 30-minutes they will be heading out to pick two contestants off the back of a boat. The contestants will have to jump from the boat onto that net, pointing to a cargo type net laying in the parking lot----- it will be dangling below the helicopter. They will have to climb to the top of the net, retrieve a flag then jump in the cold Pacific". Now that information was better so I asked "where might I be able to see this?" Mr. Security pointed to the northwest somewhere out in the Pacific. I had obviously gotten all the information I could out of this guy. We needed to move up the coast and see if we can spot a crowd or somewhere that we might be able to get to the beach. San Buenaventura State Beach in Ventura, California Moving up the beach put us in Ventura where we found San Buenaventura State Beach. From there we could scores of surfers and watched them for a bit before asking some local "surf-dudes" if they had noticed any helicopters flying around here today. They had seen some and pointed south. I asked them if there was a place where we could get near where those helicopters had been. They told us about a city park but could not give us directions. You know kids and directions. All we understood was you go down there until you get to the white house then take a right for several blocks then turn left you will see it before long. View of Fear Factor stunt from a City Park in Ventura, California Fortunately we did locate that city park and got there just in time for the "action" to start. Parking the car and grabbing the camera we headed toward the water. In order for us to get to a good spot to take pictures we had to pass the trailer where these scenes for this upcoming "Fear Factor" were being coordinated. Only a few yards away were the contestants waiting to attempt the feat. View of Fear Factor stunt from a City Park in Ventura, California We could see a large boat about one-half mile offshore with people standing on the back. Water was squirting in the air from what appeared to be fire hoses. Someone with Fear Factor was standing next to us and explained that people on the boat would try and knock the contestants off the net with blasts of water from those hoses while they were attempting to climb the net to retrieve the flags. As anyone familiar with the Pacific Ocean off California knows the water is COLD. I have on jeans and two shirts today and I am not hot. I can't imagine how cold it must be to be in swim trunks much less being blasted by that cold ocean water. View of Fear Factor stunt from a City Park in Ventura, California It happened very quickly. One helicopter arrived around the boat that would be taking video of the stunt as the other helicopter arrived with the big net dangling on cables beneath it. Without any playing around the helicopter with the net went directly to the boat and hovered overhead with the net dangling near the deck. The two contestants grabbed onto the bottom rungs of the net while the helicopter lifted them up a bit and clear of the boat. View of Fear Factor stunt from a City Park in Ventura, California The contestants started to climb that net while the people manning the fire hoses tried to knock them off. Within one minute both contestants had climbed to the top of the net, retrieved the flags and bailed out. We heard the announcement that the contestants had successfully completed the "challenge". Then we overheard producers telling the camera crew what questions to ask the remaining contestants that were milling around in a small area to the south of us. The questions were both funny and dumb. If you have ever watched Fear Factor you will know what I mean. Click here for more California travellogs Until next time remember how good life is. Mike & Joyce Hendrix More California Adventures Adventures by State More 2005 Travel Adventures Mike & Joyce Hendrix Mike & Joyce Hendrix who we are We hope you liked this page. If you do you might be interested in some of our other Travel Adventures: Mike & Joyce Hendrix's home page Travel Adventures by Year Travel Adventures by State Plants Marine-Boats Geology Exciting Drives Cute Signs RV Subjects Miscellaneous Subjects** We would love to hear from you......just put "info" in the place of "FAKE" in this address: FAKE@travellogs.us Until next time remember how good life is.