Alaskans selected as finalists for ‘Adventure Grant’

In celebration of its 35th anniversary, Outside Magazine is offering a $10,000 Adventure Grant that will send the grant-winner on the adventure of their choice.

Among the five finalists is Talkeetna resident Chase Berenson, 27, and his girlfriend Charla Hughes, 26, of Tallahassee, Fla., who have proposed a trip around Thailand in a tuk-tuk, a small three-wheeled taxi vehicle.

Berenson and Hughes are both consummate travelers and adventurers.

Berenson spends his summers in Talkeetna working for an airline with a fleet of ski planes that fly mountain climber and expedition support in the Alaska Range and works in the winter at Alyeska Resort.

Hughes is a PADI divemaster and has worked in the past as a scuba diving guide before returning to school for her masters’ degree.

The editors of Outside Magazine selected Berenson and Hughes as one of five finalists, based equally on the creativity, ambition and feasibility of the adventure.

Outside Magazine has posted all five finalists and their videos on the Outside Magazine Facebook page. The general public will select who receives the $10,000 Adventure Grant. Voting ends June 17.

For more information, contact Chase Berenson at (859) 533-5951 or chaseberenson@gmail.com.