Slow Baja

As the Baja 1000 takes over Baja Sur for the first time, I thought it prudent to share my 2023 Slow Baja conversation with Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame member Bob Bower.

“At age 8, Bob Bower read about the Bill Stroppe Lincoln teams that dominated the 1953 Mexican Carrera Panamericana and later learned about the Baja 1000 race to La Paz. It became his fixation to be part of it someday.

Living the life of a Corvette enthusiast, Bower caught the eye of BFGoodrich at a time when BFG was in the early stages of marketing performance tires to car clubs. He accepted the offer to go to work for BFG in 1977 and found himself at the Mint 400 as a pit volunteer.

The fixation transformed into a deep passion for off-road. From that day forward, he would make a huge impact on the world of off-road racing in a variety of roles. Pit volunteer, chase crew, race team manager, pit manager, program manager, winning co-driver, winning driver, ESPN TV color analyst, teacher and mentor.

In 1982, BFGoodrich put him in the role of Off-Road Program manager. With very thin budget resources, the challenge was to support the contracted teams and win races. Bower’s race strategy was very straightforward… “You start winning rather than finish winning, to be the best between the green and checkered flags.” Bower launched the BFGoodrich Pit Support program.

The 1985 Baja 1000 ended early for Bob and his teammate Mike Randall in the Class 4 Honcho. It took two days for their team to find and retrieve them. Bower swore to his wife, Necia, that they would never get lost like that again in Baja.He made detailed maps of the race course, highways, and chase roads (KM mileage included), along with other information like fuel and food locations.

In the early 1990s, Bower turned map-making over to BFGoodrich to make it available to the masses. By widely distributing the maps, chase crews could support their teams with a higher degree of safety.

Bob wrote “What About You?”, a powerful piece included in almost all pit books over the past 20 years. It remains fresh and relevant today because of its absolute raw truth. “What About You?” is Bob’s heartfelt advice to everyone in off-road, about safety and taking care of yourself and those you are with during the race. Many are convinced “What About You?” has saved lives over the last two decades.

Young stars like Robby Gordon, Ivan Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Ryan Arciero, and Rob MacCachren have all had Bob help them along in their racing careers in one way or another. For Bower, it has been a labor of love.

Bob’s personal motto is “Life Is A One Lap Race!” He seems to be running a rather good lap!

—Off-Road Motorsports Hall Of Fame (edited for space)

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For nearly 25 years, Fred Williams has chronicled the world of trucks—often by taking them to places they probably weren’t meant to go. He’s perhaps best known for driving a diesel Jeep called “Tubesock” underwater across a pond, a stunt that racked up 11 million views on YouTube.

Many know him as the longtime host of Dirt Every Day on MotorTrend, and earlier as the tech editor at Petersen’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road. Today, you’ll find him on his own YouTube channel, 4xFredWilliams—still building rigs, still chasing dirt, and often spotted with a cup of coffee and a dog by his side.

He’s a truck guy, an off-road enthusiast, and—most importantly—a kind and thoughtful explainer on camera. Ask him, and he’ll barely admit to being a decent mechanic. His garage is home to Jeeps and Toyotas alike; Fred doesn’t discriminate. He loves adventure, and for him, the journey always matters more than the destination.

“Pick something you like to do, work hard, but always follow what’s fun.”—Fred Williams

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Here’s one of my favorite Slow Baja conversations --Johnny Johnson from February 2023, recorded at the Chenowth Legacy Lodge.

Sadly, Johnson passed a few months after we made this recording. Please watch to the end for new interview footage.

Johnny Johnson was one of the early champions in off-road racing. With 112 career victories and eight Baja 1000s, he proudly claims, “I never got out of the car!”

Johnson was one of the very, very best in the dirt. Revered by his fellow racers for his fabrication and tuning skills, his friends say his humility and willingness to help anyone, anytime, is his defining trait.

Famed writer George Plimpton chose Johnson to star in his 1971 television special “Behind the Wheel.” In the feature, Plimpton interviewed Formula One racer Jackie Stewart at the Monaco Grand Prix before jumping into Johnny’s sand buggy for the Baja 1000.

Thanks to Carol Mears and Lynn Chenowth for arranging this Slow Baja conversation.

Johnny Johnson was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2010.

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Slow Baja Theme Music: Los 300 Fried Neck Bones And Some Home Fries Used with permission.

Listen here: • LOS 300 · Fried Neckbones And Some Home Fries

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tx0SnUZB-pE&list=RDTx0SnUZB-pE&start_radio=1

Chuck Skewes grew up on Vashon Island, spending his childhood surrounded by boats and learning to sail in El Toros—the tee-ball equivalent for sailors. He developed a passion for racing and was a highly sought-after crew member for the local captains. During his summers, he worked on fishing boats in Alaska, a lucrative yet exhausting and dangerous job for a teenager.As he spent his days fishing, Skewes dreamed of becoming a professional sailor. This ambition led him to find work as a sailmaker and move to San Diego, where he could fully pursue his craft and passion.In his long career as a professional sailor, Skewes has won multiple national and regional championship titles across a variety of sailing classes. Notably, in 2009, he earned the title of Grand Master World Champion in the Etchells class sailing Miss Murphy.For today’s Slow Baja Podcast, we met at his Ullman Sails loft in Mission Valley to discuss his role as the “Newbah” (Grand Poobah) at the Baja Ha-Ha—the Slow Baja of sailing events.

#bajahaha #lattitude38 #sailinglife #sailing #bajamexico #sailinginmexico

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“A secret spot in Baja California, hundreds of miles from civilization. An old milk van converted into the perfect surfing mobile. A 67-year-old man, at the peak of his physical fitness and in line with Mother Nature every step of the way. “The Bull” is the award-winning story of San Diego surfing legend Glen Horn and his journey to an unconventional lifestyle."

On today’s Slow Baja, we’re in conversation with Documentary Filmmaker Eric Ebner, as he discusses his path to becoming a filmmaker and making "The Bull" his film on surfer Glen Horn.

The tale picks up as Ebner and a friend quit their jobs, divested themselves of their worldly possessions, packed up a 1992 Toyota 4Runner with their surfboards, camp gear, guitar, and headed south for what they knew would be an epic, life-changing surf trip.

After a disastrous first day that saw their trusty 4Runner broken down on the side of the road two hours south of Ensenada, a transformative experience followed, opening Ebner’s eyes to the beautiful culture of kindness among the rural people of Baja.

Humbled and uplifted, Ebner continued his quest for waves, eventually settling into a surf camp in Baja Sur where he met 67-year-old Glen Horn.

Horn was the camp “OG” and lived for months at a time, off-grid, in his bright red vintage camper-made from a converted bread van.

A fascination with Horn’s unconventional but harmonious life led Ebner to begin following and filming the surfer-steward-in-residence of this remote surf break.

Ebner’s film, The Bull, was the result of that endeavor. It went on to stack up awards in scores of film festivals, including:

Winner- “Best Picture” Short Film Category- Carolina Surf Film Festival Winner- “Best Documentary” Short Film Category- Florida Surf Film FestivalWinner- “Audience Award”- Portuguese Surf Film FestivalWinner- “Filmmaker Award, Audience Appreciation” - Save the Waves Film Festival Tour

Ebner has gone on to a career in filmmaking and has made several films. Learn more about him and his work here:https://ericebner.com/

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Watch my Slow Baja Conversation with Glen Horn here.

Big thanks to Baja Bound Insurance for their support, which has allowed me to bring back Travel Talk, my occasional series on travel-related topics.

Today’s show is all you need to know about bringing your dog to Baja. We sat down with dog owner and Director of Marketing for Baja Bound Insurance, Josiah Roe, to get the latest information. If you or your friends are bringing a dog North or South across the border, you’ll want to listen to this Travel Talk conversation.

Check out the official Mexican Government Secretary of Agriculture PDF list of SENASICA-approved veterinarians who can issue a Screwworm-Free Certificate. Click here for the list.

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Chris Collard is an internationally published journalist and photographer whose career has deeply immersed him in the world of off-road adventure, overland travel, and sharing the lives of those who dwell beyond the pavement.

Through his reporting and photography, he has traveled to all seven continents, and he was a member of the Expeditions 7 team, which is believed to be the first American expedition to cross Antarctica in four-wheel-drive vehicles. Collard was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2015.

In October of 2025, he covered my Slow Baja Vintage Expedition for two magazines. Most importantly, shortly after the trip ended, he and his wife returned to Baja to adopt “Cali,” a puppy he met at Baja Animal Outreach Rescue.

Chris Collard is humble, thoughtful, deeply knowledgeable about all things off-road, and, most importantly, kind. I hope you find this conversation inspiring. This is Part II of our conversation.

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Join a Slow Baja Adventure ⁠here.

Chris Collard is an internationally published journalist and photographer whose career has deeply immersed him in the world of off-road adventure, overland travel, and sharing the lives of those who dwell beyond the pavement.

Through his reporting and photography, he has traveled to all seven continents, and he was a member of the Expeditions 7 team, which is believed to be the first American expedition to cross Antarctica in four-wheel-drive vehicles. Collard was inducted into the Off-Road Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2015.

In October of 2025, he covered my Slow Baja Vintage Expedition for two magazines. Most importantly, shortly after the trip ended, he and his wife returned to Baja to adopt “Cali,” a puppy he met at Baja Animal Outreach Rescue.

Chris Collard is humble, thoughtful, deeply knowledgeable about all things off-road, and, most importantly, kind. I hope you find this conversation inspiring. Stay tuned for Part 2 next.

Follow Chris Collard on Instagram here.

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Join a Slow Baja Adventure here.

Hank Morton joined Baja Bound shortly after he graduated from college in the mid-90s. Between jobs, his goal was to teach himself coding while taking his father's small brick-and-mortar Mexico Driving Insurance business online.

In those days, “getting online” was a big deal. The .com craze was in full swing, and after Hank figured out how to get Baja Bound online --making the process of buying coverage fast, easy, and affordable --he realized the massive potential of Bajabound.com and decided to stay with the business.

“Drive-thrus are for burgers, not for insurance,” Morton says. Baja Bound Insurance became the first in the industry to let customers purchase, pay for, and print policies from home. Baja Bound remains devoted to convenience and efficiency, saving its customers valuable time at the border.

Their website provides well-researched, vetted, primary-source information on coverage, visas, permits, travel tips, and destinations. It's my go-to site for sharing critical travel information with my Slow Baja Expedition guests.

As the biggest (and best) in the industry, Baja Bound’s customer service is legendary. Their small, dedicated employee team is passionate about helping clients solve their problems—during business hours and often after hours and on weekends. Their relationships with the top carriers in the business ensure that their customers receive the absolute best care when dealing with a claim.

Since racing the La Carrera Panamericana in 2006, I’ve trusted Baja Bound for all my Mexico driving insurance. They’ve sponsored my Slow Baja Podcast since 2020 and have supported my Slow Baja Adventures since 2023. As a loyal customer and genuine fan, I’m grateful for their partnership. Enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at Baja Bound—and thanks to Hank Morton for a great conversation!

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When Patty Mercier jumped in Loren Upton’s 1966 Jeep CJ5, she knew she was in for an adventure. The man behind the wheel was on his fourth attempt to cross the Darién Gap. The first three trips had ended in death and disaster, but Upton, an intrepid adventurer, would not be deterred.

In addition to his determination to cross the treacherous Darién Gap entirely on land, Upton had raised the stakes on this voyage. For his fourth attempt, he decried that he would drive one American-made vehicle around the world. The route would be from North America’s Northernmost point to South America’s southernmost point. The only water crossing would be the South Atlantic. They would continue from the Southernmost point in Africa to the Northernmost point in Norway.

The trip started in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, on 15 June 1984. They traveled more than 56,000 miles and took five years to complete the drive around the world. The crossing of the 125-mile Darién Gap was an astonishing 741 days. The Sand Ship Discovery, the name that Upton gave his intrepid Jeep, reached the Sletness Lighthouse near Gamvik, Norway, on 4 July 1989.

The couple earned a citation in the 1992 Guinness Book of Records for the “First All-Land Crossing Of The Infamous Darien Gap From Yauiza, Republic of Panama to Ríosucio, Colombia 22 February 1985 to 4 March 1987.”

Loren Lee Upton died at 87 years old on 9 August 2022

Patty Upton is searching for a museum to house Sand Ship Discovery, the 1966 CJ5, and for a writer to capture the story of their around-the-world drive. Please get in touch with her through her website: www.outbackofbeyond.com

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