EMAIL ARTICLE   LINK TO ARTICLE   PRINT ARTICLE

Article Last Updated: Friday, August 20, 2004 - 8:46:37 AM PST

Urban Diversion member Kyna Lim of San Francisco helps to launch a kite during a Urban Diversion beach barbeque event at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Sean Connelley - STAFF OTHER ARTICLES IN THIS SECTION 9/3/2004 - A dozen reasons to delve into fall theater - Adams' 'Transmigration' a tasteful response to 9/11 - Actors have fun with 'Vanity Fair's' snippy characters - Director Mira Nair relates to Thackeray's 'Vanity Fair' - Berkeley Rep unearths basement 'Secret' - ACT's bizarro 'Black Rider' a bang-up season opener - The amazing Norman Brown's talents not limited to guitar - Regional symphonies mark anniversaries - Oakland Art & Soul day by day - Linkin Park -- a study in hybridization - Alejandro Sanz wins 4 Latin Grammys - 'Mean Creek' director inspired by his own nightmare - 'Princess' will delight young female viewers - 'Tae Guk Gi' a story of brothers and battles - Try the Mexican fare at Castro Valley's La Maison - 'Rosenstrasse' a beautiful study in simple heroics - Magic world championships Urban Diversion emphasizes pals and good times for 20-, 30- and 40-somethings Friend connection Urban Diversion emphasizes pals and good times By Mari Sapina-Kerkhove - CONTRIBUTOR THERE'S the Minnesotan who traveled the world and likes to put on his "Fargo" accent for fun. And the guy from small-town Montana who grew up riding horses and roping cattle. Not to mention a former teenage talk show host. Lance Evander, Chris Thiessen and Kumiko Yoshida couldn't be more different. But their paths crossed in San Francisco several years ago, and now their lives revolve around the same thing: Bringing people from across the Bay Area together to socialize and have a good time. Leaving behind corporate America -- Evander is a former software architect, Thiessen an investment analyst and Yoshida a marketing director -- the trio is at the heart of Urban Diversion, an up-and-coming San Francisco-based social club. The group offers activities from river rafting and sushi making to sky diving and murder-mystery dinners. "We try to do as unusual and wacky events as we can find," says Evander, 35, who started the company in January 2003 with his then-roommate, Thiessen. While this concept might resemble a singles club -- and 90 percent of members are singles -- Urban Diversion distances itself from that image. The club, which also is open to people who are dating or married, apparently does not revolve around finding that significant other. "It's not about dating. It's about doing things you like to do and finding people to do it with," Yoshida says. The idea seems to jibe well with members whose number has grown from 70 last summer to about 300. They are from across the Bay Area, most in their late 20s and 30s (officially the club is for people in their 20s, 30s and 40s). Members say the organization's inclusive, pretense-free atmosphere sets it apart from other social clubs in the area. Some are busy professionals who appreciate the convenience of planned social events, others are at a stage in their lives where friends have gotten married or moved away. Whether originally from other parts of the United States or locals, they're looking to expand their social network. Molly Wheeler, who joined in December, says the club helped her adjust when she moved from Lafayette to San Francisco after returning from an internship in Taiwan. "Even though I was from this area, it was really hard for me to meet people," she says while mingling at an Urban Diversion barbecue on Ocean Beach last month. Wheeler credits the organization's energetic staff for making her feel comfortable right away and making her stay. "It's their attitude," Wheeler says. "It's a cross between enthusiasm and ownership. They always make sure there's fun. They never flake out." The idea for the club came to Evander and Thiessen over a few beers one afternoon at Sam's Anchor Caf in Tiburon. "We knew it was us. It fit our personalities," Evander says. Both had organized river rafting trips for friends and enjoyed it. Both experienced what it meant to be new to the city without knowing anyone. Thiessen, 28, moved to San Francisco for a job in 2000. A high school athlete, tall, calm Thiessen loves the outdoors. Curly-haired, impish Evander came to San Francisco in 1999 after studying and working in Europe for five years. He says his experiences abroad, particularly the close friendships he made, greatly influenced Urban Diversion's concept. "One word -- community," he says, adding that his main idea was to create a club that would go beyond partying and loose relationships. Covering a wide range of interests, Urban Diversion events take place in large or intimate group settings. The three staffers pride themselves in personally introducing all members to each other. The main idea is that people keep in contact so they have a chance to bond. "We don't just throw you into a group of people you don't know," Yoshida says. As Evander's girlfriend, the 33-year-old helped out from the moment the club opened its doors and is now a full-time staff member. Weaving her way through the crowd at the Ocean Beach barbecue, Yoshida lets her social talent shine, greeting everyone and knowing something special about each member. Yoshida says she gets the greatest satisfaction when "people start hanging out" even outside the club. Urban Diversion hosts between 25 and 30 events each month, ranging from outdoor events (volleyball, a bike tour of the Peninsula, a Mount Diablo hike), to clubbing and partying (theme parties,'80s dance nights, pub hopping) and more mellow activities such as sushi or wine making and game nights. Because of its expanding popularity, the organization plans to add more South and East Bay events to its schedule. Urban Diversion has its own clubhouse on Columbus Street between Fisherman's Wharf and North Beach. Once an office, the 1,500-square-foot space, with bright orange, yellow and purple walls and large bay windows overlooking the hustle and bustle on the street, has cushy sofas, a tiki bar, a foosball table, about 50 board games and an Xbox. Monthly membership fees range between $19.95 and $39.95, in addition to a $35 initiation fee and charges for some activities. Thiessen says it's the least expensive club in the area. The only requirements are that members be at least 23 -- the group wants to avoid fraternity-party situations -- fill out an application and undergo a brief telephone conversation. Some members say they appreciate the casual screening. Joely Mason, 32, initially joined because she liked that Urban Diversion isn't a singles group. Now she regularly participates in events, even though she lives in Sacramento. "They make everybody feel so welcome," she says. "They want you here, there's no judgment." Danielle Cortijo, a 25-year-old from Sunnyvale, agrees. She joined Urban Diversion after getting out of a four-year relationship and being disappointed with what she found at other clubs. "Some of them are not welcoming," she says. "Here I didn't feel awkward at all. It's not clique-y." Urban Diversion's "grassroots feel," Thiessen says, is what makes it so successful. But another ingredient to the organization's success has to do with the chemistry among the three people that make it run. "Our diverse backgrounds helped it work out," Evander says. As for Urban Diversion's future, the trio says it's not about them at all. "The club will grow beyond us," Thiessen says. "We're not the club, it's not about us, it's about the members." For more information call Urban Diversion at (415) 776-7455, e-mail info@urban- diversion.com or visit www.urbandiversion.com

RETURN TO TOP