Rob Shearon Cruising the Oregon coast. James Conrad photo.
For the past ten weeks, Rob Shearon traveled about 4,600 of miles on a 49cc Honda Ruckus scooter. That’s right–a scooter. He didn’t take a motorcycle or a car to travel from Vail, Colorado to Anchorage, Alaska. Instead, he chose a vehicle that can only go 25 mph when loaded up with all of his gear.
The reason behind his vehicle of choice: sobriety—not a common theme in the lives of many twenty-something college kids and skiers like Shearon.
“That’s almost an oxymoron–sober college kids,” he says. “You just don’t hear that, ever.”
For seven years, Shearon struggled with alcohol and drugs. Before turning 21, he had received five citations for underage drinking. He was high every time he went skiing. He was kicked out of school. He had the opportunity to intern for a ski company, but lost it because he showed up drunk.
“That was a huge eye opening thing because I had this opportunity to work for this ski company. It was something I always wanted to do. And because I was drunk at work, that opportunity instantly vanished. I had to step my game up and figure my shit out.”
That was a huge eye opening thing because I had this opportunity to work for this ski company. It was something I always wanted to do. And because I was drunk at work that opportunity instantly vanished. I had to step my game up and figure my shit out.
It was a Friday morning when he had that eye-opening experience. The following Tuesday was when he walked into the Collegiate Recovery Center at Colorado University at Boulder, where he graduated from with a degree in communications and a certificate of entrepreneurship in the spring of 2014.
That’s why his 4,600 mile ride to Anchorage doubles as a fundraiser to provide scholarships for students in the program that helped him become sober. So far, over $16,000 has been raised, greatly exceeding the original goal of $4,600 that was raised in less than 12 hours.
“The community there is what kept me sober,” he says. “It’s young kids, all students, kids just like me that I can relate to. And they understand what I’m going through and can offer suggestions on how to live and live a full life and be stoked on it when you’re sober and not having to get high or drunk all the time.”
Now 25, Shearon been sober for 20 months, not having touched a drink or taken a bong rip since showing up plastered at the ski factory. When he was just getting sober at CU Boulder, he would go on long scooter rides to clear his mind, a driving factor behind his one big ride.
“It’s definitely been life changing, especially because of how slow I go. That’s kind of why I chose the scooter," Shearon says. "When I got sober I would go on these long scooter rides. That was a huge thing to help clear my mind, so I wouldn’t be tempted or something. I’d just be like, ‘screw it,’ drop everything and go on these gnarly roads that you wouldn’t think a scooter could clear.”
Stopping in the Redwoods in California to hang out with some elk. Rob Shearon photo.
As of July 1, Shearon had made it up the Pacific coast, all the way to Haines, Alaska, which he says is his favorite place so far. He almost just passed through, but ended up staying in the small coastal town for six days.
“Hours after I had gotten off of the ferry in Haines, it was raining, I was about to just say ‘fuck it’, just get on the scooter and get out of town until it stopped raining or started to get dark,” he says. “I was not stoked on the rain. Then I decided to go to this [sobriety] meeting.”
After the meeting, where he was able to share his story, things just sort of fell into place for Shearon. He met Dianne, who offered him a place to stay in an Airstream parked in her yard.
He also met Joe, who offered to take him through the 12 steps traditionally used by various recovery groups that prefer to remain unnamed.
Joe had just gotten to Haines as well, on a two week vacation from Seattle. Hesitant at first, Shearon told Joe he would think about it, then realized the unlikely circumstances that brought the two men together, and went through the steps.
Two thumbs up upon arriving in the promise land. Courtesy of Rob Shearon.
Shearon says that in going through the steps, he gained a better understanding of himself and issues he is involved in, and learned to live by spiritual guidelines he was never aware of.
“This experience been crazy, life changing, given me a different perspective on life that I’ve never had before,” he says.
Along the way to Haines, Shearon had the chance to stop and share his experiences with alcohol and drugs at schools in Colorado and California, and even at a juvenile detention center in Utah.
“I always pictured an alcoholic to be an old homeless man missing teeth who sleeps under a bridge. I never thought of it to be a young college kid. Once I realized that maybe there are other kids that are alcoholics, I thought I could be one. And it just got to a point where I couldn’t achieve my goals and live the life that I wanted to live.”
“So I just tell these kids that if they ever get to a place in in their lives where they're unable to live the life they've always wanted to live, try quitting drugs and alcohol for a little bit to see if it makes a change for the better.”
Rob hanging out with students at South Tahoe High School in South Lake Tahoe, California. Courtesy of Rob Shearon.
As a passionate skier with an affinity for entrepreneurship, Shearon would like to maybe someday create something that puts together skiing and helping kids.
“Skiing’s my passion; I love skiing,” he says. “It’s just not for me working in a warehouse pressing skis all day. But that’s a huge thing I needed to realize and I probably wouldn’t have realized it if I hadn’t gotten sober. It’s what I told everyone from like sixth grade. If I could come up with a program that combines skiing and helping kids that would be really cool.”
Taking a casual roadside-selfie with the Salmon Bay Glacier in British Columbia, Canada. Rob Shearon photo.
A few things that kept him going on his long, slow journey were are a tent, sleeping bag, hammock, Goal Zero solar charger, and a throwing axe for good fun. Most people probably can’t imagine traveling 4,600 miles living off of a loaded 49cc scooter, but Shearon says he has a good routine going after all of his time on the road.
“It’s kind of a mind fuck. It definitely tests your mind big time because you are usually only going 25 miles per hour,” Shearon says. “Sometimes there are big stretches between towns, so I knew some places would suck. But that’s kind of the reason I did it. If I can make it to Alaska on a scooter, I can make it doing anything else I want in my life. That’s kind of what I thought about when I came up with the idea.”
