Mike Keshian is trying to fill a niche with , an online dating site for people who like outdoor adventures. “I figured if there could be a , why couldn'tthere be a dating site that focused on people with outdoor interests?” he says.
LuvByrd, currently only available in Colorado, lets you filter potential partnersby their favoriteactivities—and skill levels.If you only ski blue runs, you canfind someone else who only skis blues. Alternatively, if you like to go on100-mile bike rides, it’ll help ensure you find someone who can keep up.“I didn't want the site to be generic like most other [dating] sites,” Keshian explains. “I wanted to create something that when people met online,they would already have somecommon ground to build upon.”
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:
Derek Salamanca: Lives in San Diego,but is looking to move to Colorado.
There’s something about a date “where you get all sweaty or covered in mud mountain biking… it cuts to the chase of who you are,” he says.
B. Berry: Lives in Colorado anddeclined to giveher full name.
“We didn’t actually connect romantically, but we stayed really good friends,” she says. “To be honest, in Colorado it’s not hard to meet guys who like to camp or ski. But if you’re in Houston or Ohio, or places where that’s tougher, this site will be awesome for those people.”
Currently, LuvByrd’s user base is small (less than 1,000 users) andskewsslightly more male than female, with the vast majority of members between the ages of 20 and40. The site is free to everyone, but Keshian says both an app and a “fremium” model are coming.
If you’re not in Colorado,you still can register for the site, but Keshian explains that the expectation is that you’re going to connect in Colorado. As for a national rollout, that’s coming, but Keshian wants to developan app firstand maybe expand to some other Western states before he opens it up to all 50.