The app began with a simple idea from Rami Rasamny, the Chief Executive Officer of LHO. “My outdoor experience started at a very early age,” he said.
“My parents put me on skis when I was two years and ten months old and the rest was history.” Since then he has been a scuba instructor, a mountaineer, a surfer, a sports climber and an avid hiker. Hawaii has had a similar impact on students by providing students with the opportunity to experience the outdoors.
“When I first came here, I would just make friends who wanted to go out and do things and went along with them. LHO would get you connected with people,” said Valentino Bogliacino, a junior majoring in business marketing from Uruguay. “I have been outdoors here more than any other time in my life. It has become a habit that has changed my life for the better. No matter what I’ll do or where I’ll be, I will take more time to be outdoors.”
The idea of LHO came to Rasamny when he was introduced to a surf shop up the beach from where he used to hang out. He said he always wanted to try surfing, but he didn’t know about the place and wasn’t familiar with anyone who could take him out. “It was then that I started surfing, and it was then that I decided to find a way to get people outdoors and make it easy to find people to go with,” said Rasamny.
Rasamny said he had the vision of getting people off their comfortable couches and life their own experiences. Since finding these activities seemed to be the first barrier for people, he wanted to facilitate the accessibility of adventures and make communication between the individuals easier.
Honoring the variety of people’s hobbies, desires, and favors, Rasamny imagined an application ranging from bird watching to skydiving and everything in between.
He envisioned easy access to activities in close proximity to the people and to give them the ability to share their experiences with everybody else to motivate others. The idea of LHO resounds with the activities and dreams of BYU-Hawaii students.
“I have always dreamed of being an outdoor person,” said Lindi Young from Kansas, a junior majoring in exercise sports science. She said she dreams “of hiking and rock climbing, because back home in Kansas there is not a lot you can do out there. It was always in me, so when I came to Hawaii it just unleashed.”
Along with the app comes the first outdoors magazine focusing on individual stories and experiences rather than where to go and what to buy, said Rasamny. He said he wants to emphasize how the outdoors can transform people’s lives.
“The outdoors made me appreciate being alive more,” said Kit Nadado, an alumni from the Philippines. “I feel more fulfilled. Spending this time with good friends makes it even more meaningful. I took so many pictures during my time here. I can treasure and cherish those memories for the rest of my life.”
Young said, “I find myself enjoying nature. Being outdoors helps me to get out of my comfort zone. In Kansas I had such a routine of things. But in Hawaii I never plan or have a routine. It is just fun to be spontaneous. It makes your life more exciting and interesting. Routine gets boring. Having adventure in your life and going outdoors is super good to get physical active.”
It is the exhilaration that drives Nadado out. “This rush mixed with the appreciation of nature and a view of where I live pushes me to explore more. It’s this curiosity of discovery.”
The key features that allow communicating between individuals will be absolutely free said Rasammy. LHO went live in certain towns and cities on May 1 on iOS and Android. In the meantime, people can follow LHO on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.