Mike Keshian is trying to fill a niche with , an online dating site for people who like outdoor adventures. 鈥淚 figured if there could be a , why couldn't听there be a dating site that focused on people with outdoor interests?鈥 he says.听
LuvByrd, currently only available in Colorado, lets you filter potential partners听by their favorite听activities鈥攁nd skill levels.听If you only ski blue runs, you can听find someone else who only skis blues. Alternatively, if you like to go on听100-mile bike rides, it鈥檒l help ensure you find someone who can keep up.听鈥淚 didn't want the site to be generic like most other [dating] sites,鈥 Keshian explains. 鈥淚 wanted to create something that when people met online,听they would already have some听common ground to build upon.鈥
We spoke with two users of the site to hear about their firsthand experiences trying to find love. Here's what they had to say:听
Derek Salamanca: Lives in San Diego,听but is looking to move to Colorado.
There鈥檚 something about a date 鈥渨here you get all sweaty or covered in mud mountain biking鈥 it cuts to the chase of who you are,鈥 he says.
B. Berry: Lives in Colorado and听declined to give听her full name.
鈥淲e didn鈥檛 actually connect romantically, but we stayed really good friends,鈥 she says. 鈥淭o be honest, in Colorado it鈥檚 not hard to meet guys who like to camp or ski. But if you鈥檙e in Houston or Ohio, or places where that鈥檚 tougher, this site will be awesome for those people.鈥澨
Currently, LuvByrd鈥檚 user base is small (less than 1,000 users) and听skews听slightly more male than female, with the vast majority of members between the ages of 20 and听40. The site is free to everyone, but Keshian says both an app and a 鈥渇remium鈥 model are coming.听
If you鈥檙e not in Colorado,听you still can register for the site, but Keshian explains that the expectation is that you鈥檙e going to connect in Colorado. As for a national rollout, that鈥檚 coming, but Keshian wants to develop听an app first听and maybe expand to some other Western states before he opens it up to all 50. 听
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