You Otter Be Walking
Orcutt Walking Club Emphasizes Fun, Fitness & Friendship

          Thanks to Orcutt residents Ty and Ginger Fredriks, a volksmarching group, translated to people’s walks from German, is open to all, including dogs, who want to walk for fun, fitness and friendship in Orcutt every Wednesday, meeting at 5:30 PM from the Oasis Center, 420 Soares Avenue. The group also sponsors monthly walks, a 5K and 10K, at various locations throughout the Central Coast.

          Ginger Fredriks was introduced to volksmarching as a child while living in Germany with her military family. She appreciated that the walks were a non-competitive way to get exercise and have fun. She and Ty joined a local volksmarching group in 1999, but the group eventually dissolved. When the time was right for them in 2018, after raising two daughters, they decided to start the club back up. They named the club the Central Coast Beach Boardwalkers and became a chapter of the American Volkssport Association.

          Ty, a high school science teacher at Orcutt Academy, is the president. Ginger, a history teacher at Orcutt Junior High and the group’s vice-president, came up with the group’s tag line “You Otter Be Walking.” 

According to group members, the walks are whatever the walkers what them to be. Those who want to speedwalk can; those who choose a more leisurely pace are free to do so.  “It’s a judgement free walk,” says Ginger, “we are there for interaction and exercise and whatever that means to our team of walkers is just fine.” Participants say that they will stop to admire views, talk or have a coffee if the group wants.

           Besides the weekly Orcutt walks, there is a monthly walk that explores other local places. The club plans walks along the Central Coast from Cambria to Ventura, including Santa Barbara, Avila and Pismo Beach, Lompoc, San Luis Obispo, Morro Bay and Santa Maria. Upcoming on April 12, the walk will be in San Luis Obispo and will include the Mission de Tolosa, downtown, and CalPoly. The start point is at the Wayfarer Hotel, 1800 Monterey Street, meeting at 8:45 AM. 

          Ty says, the club is for people "who love to explore our beautiful Central Coast while enjoying fun, fitness and friendship. We are friendly, non-competitive, family oriented, and aligned in our love of the outdoors.”

An advantage of the Beach Boardwalkers is its affiliation with the American Volkssport Association which offers walking adventures all over the country. To find starting points throughout the United States, visit ava.org to find a map and directions. Typical walks are 5K (3.1 miles) or 10 K (6.2 miles), and range from city streets to coastal trails, beaches, and boardwalks.

          "It's a great way to see a new town when you are traveling," says Dave Machin, Orcutt resident and the group’s webmaster. His wife Tara’s military dad, stationed in Germany, sent her his Volksmarching medals and photos of walking in Germany and in places like the Alps. “It was back in the early 1980’s and I thought it was really neat,” reflects Tara, an avid participant in the local group for seven years now.

           The Orcutt walks are free. If you want to get more serious and keep track of walks for the national organization, a small fee will provide tracking and recognition. Ron Sponagle, a regular Orcutt walker, has over 1600 stamps from walks all over the United States.

          To learn more, visit beachboardwalkers.org, the club’s Facebook page, “Central Coast Beach Boardwalkers” or email Ty Fredriks at ty@beachboardwalkers.org.