California trails and waterways shine in "Facing Waves"

Visit California recently partnered with production company Heliconia for a niche travel show called “Facing Waves.” The show follows its host, world-renowned paddler, instructor and YouTube influencer, Ken Whiting. The show reaches a dedicated and engaged audience of paddlers and outdoor adventure lovers.

Having just premiered on Bally Sports Network on July 27, and on OutsideTV on Aug. 8, the “Kayaking Northern California” episode has already seen tremendous results, with 41 total airings, reaching approximately 2.6 million viewers. The episode will also premiere in Canada on Water Network later in the summer, air in Europe towards the end of the year on the Nautical Channel and will make its way to PBS stations across the U.S. in 2025.

Filming for this episode took place in May 2024, featuring two beautiful parts of Northern California: Mendocino County and the Shasta Cascade region.

Whiting’s adventure kicked off at SCP Mendocino Inn and Farm, which served as his home base for exploring Montgomery Woods and the coast before embarking on an ocean kayaking adventure. During his time in Mendocino County, Whiting also visited Goldeneye Winery, which makes pinot noir from California's Anderson Valley.

In Shasta Cascade, the crew stayed at Home2 Suites by Hilton Redding and Strawhouse Resorts, located on the banks of the Trinity River. During his visit to the Shasta Cascade, Whiting went on a hike to Hedge Creek Falls and visited the stunning three-level McCloud Falls. Whiting concluded his trip on the Trinity River near Redding for a kayaking adventure, accompanied by George Williams, Sr. from Trinity River Rafting.

In addition to the broadcast coverage, Visit California and featured partners received access to hi-res imagery and b-roll assets.

Because of the substantial airing and impression results, as well as the number and quality of assets provided, Visit California has partnered with Heliconia on several projects over the past few years, including filming California episodes of their other shows, “Adventure Cities” and “Epic Trails.”

"Adventure Cities" is a fast-paced adventure travel show, following award-winning travel writer Jonathan Thompson. Visit California hosted Thompson and the Heliconia filming crew in September 2022 to promote Long Beach and Sacramento – and the nearby destinations of Catalina Island and El Dorado County – as top urban adventure travel destinations. The Sacramento/El Dorado County episode aired on Discovery on March 25, 2023. The Long Beach/Catalina episode aired on Discovery on July 2, 2023. To-date, these Adventure Cities episodes have aired 465 times, reaching approximately 12.4 million viewers.

Visit California first partnered with Heliconia in season two of its "Epic Trails" series to feature Yosemite National Park, Butte County and the Mojave Desert, showcasing how to visit some of the state’s most beautiful outdoor spaces while practicing sustainable and responsible tourism. The episode aired on FOX Sports Networks in July and August 2019. A second episode with "Epic Trails" in season four was focused on “Backpacking Urban California” and featured San Francisco and Los Angeles. The episode aired on Outside TV and Bally Sports in 2021 before making its way to PBS. To date, these two "Epic Trails" episodes have aired 1,092 times and reached approximately 38.1 million viewers.